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OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 


GIFT  OF 

MRS.   MARY  WOLFSOHN 

IN   MEMORY  OF 

HENRY  WOLFSOHN 


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EARTH,  SEA  m  SKY 

OR 

MARVELS  OF  THE  UNIVERSE 

BEING 

A   FULL  AND   GRAPHIC  DESCRIPTION  OF  ALL  THAT  IS  WONDERFUL    IN 

EVERY   CONTINENT   OF   THE  GLOBE,    IN   THE   WORLD   OF 

WATERS   AND   THE   STARRY   HEAVENS. 

CONTAINING 

Willing  fidventeg  on  land  and  Sea 

RENOWNED   DISCOVERIES   OF  THE  WORLD'S   GREATEST  EXPLORERS 

IN   ALL  AGES,    AND   REMARKABLE   PHENOMENA   IN 

EVERY   REALM   OF   NATURE. 


EMBRACING 


The  Striking  Physical  Features  of  the  Earth 

THE    PECULIAR    CHARACTERISTICS    OF    THE    HUMAN    RACE,    OF   ANIMALS;    BfRDS, 
INSECTS,    ETC.,    INCLUDING   A   VIVID    DESCRIPTION    OF   THE 

Atlantic,  Pacific  and  Indian  Oceans 

AND    OF    THE    POLAR    SEAS,    THE    MONSTERS    OF    THE    DEEP,    BEAUTIFUL    SEA- 
SHELLS    AND    PLANTS,    SINGULAR    FISHES    AND    DWELLERS    IN    THE 
WORLD  OF  WATERS,  REMARKABLE  OCEAN  CURRENTS,   ETC. 

TOGETHER  WITH  THE 

imttg  |l[{£mwtttw  4  %  Spriw  and  Jptewg  Jg*kws 

THE  WHOLE   COMPRISING   A 

Vast  Treasury  of  all  that  is  Marvelous  and  Wonderful 

IN   THE   EARTH,   SEA,   AIR,   AND  SKIES. 


BY 

HENRY  DAVENPORT  NORTHROP,  D.  D., 

Author  of  "Marvelous  Wonders  of  the  Whole  World,"  etc.,  etc. 


EMBELLISHED  WITH  OVER  300  FINE  ENGRAVINGS 


THE  J.  DEWING  COMPANY, 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  CAL. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1887,  by 

J.    R.    JONES, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


ANIMALS    OF    THE    TROPICS. 


UNIVERSITY 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 
or 


PREFACE. 


In  the  preparation  of  this  work,  the  object  has  been  to  furnish  a  vol- 
ume which  would  in  itself  form  a  complete  library  of  knowledge  and  en- 
tertainment. Whatever  is  worth  knowing,  whatever  is  of  absorbing  in- 
terest respecting  the  history,  manners  and  customs  of  strange  and  curious 
people  ;  respecting  the  singular  animals  of  pre-historic  times  and  the  mar- 
vels of  natural  history,  including  the  curiosities  and  unique  creations  of 
the  animal  kingdom,  will  here  be  found. 

A  natural  division  has  been  made  according  to  the  three  great  divi- 
sions of  the  universe,  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY,  and  the  result  is  a  combina- 
tion of  Three  Books  in  one  Volume. 

In  the  first  part  of  the  work  the  reader  is  conducted  through  the  coun- 
tries and  climes  of  the  whole  world.  He  is  even  led  back  to  periods  be- 
fore the  advent  of  man.  The  ancient  world  with  its  vast  forests,  remark- 
able deluges,  strange  animals  and  gigantic  upheavals  rises  before  him. 
He  sees  immense  quadrupeds  and  birds,  more  monstrous  than  any  of  the 
imaginary  creatures  of  old  mythology. 

Coming  down  to  a  later  period  the  reader  visits  the  famous  countries 
of  the  globe,  climbs  the  mountain  ranges  of  Asia,  stands  on  "  Alps  piled 
on  Alps,"  witnesses  burning  volcanoes-,  extinct  craters,  terrible  avalanches 
and  landslides,  moving  glaciers,  earthquakes  that  swallow  cities  with 
thousands  of  their  inhabitants,  the  brilliant  aurora  painted  on  the  northern 
sky,  and  the  fatal  ravages  of  cyclones,  and  tornadoes.  The  marvelous 
relics  that  are  discovered  under  the  microscope,  together  with  living 
creatures  are  computed  by  tens  of  thousands  to  the  square  inch. 

The  various  Races  of  Men,  their  customs,  forms  of  government  and'  re- 
ligious rites,  human  sacrifices  and  savage  wars  are  fully  described.  What 
exploits  of  heroism,  and  bravery  in  the  face  of  danger  and  deathi  it  has 
cost  to  explore  these  realms  and  reveal  their  amazing  secrets !  As  may 
be  seen,  the  book  abounds  in  strange  adventures,  startling  situations,  in- 
teresting anecdotes,  descriptions  of  curious  animals  and  the  most  fascinat- 
ing revelations  in  natural  history. 

(iii) 


iv  PREFACE. 

In  the  second  part  of  the  volume  the  reader  is  made  a  voyager  over  the 
world  of  waters  and  an  explorer  of  its  wonderful  depths.  He  sees  here 
the  vast  variety  of  inhabitants  in  the  briny  deep,  comprising  innumerable 
species  of  living  creatures,  from  the  coral  insect,  building  its  singular  is- 
lands, up  to  the  huge  sea-serpent,  that  astounding  monster  and  object  of 
terror. 

He  is  shown  in  this  World's  Aquarium  the  lowest  forms  of  life,  fantas- 
tic shrubs,  brilliant  sponges,  bell-shaped  jelly-fishes,  the  hairy  medusae, 
the  glutinous  hag,  the  curious  star-fish,  the  electric  torpedo,  the  fishing 
frog,  creatures  that  wear  armor,  the  savage  cuttle-fish,  the  pearly  nau- 
tilus, the  flying-fish,  the  voracious  shark,  the  singing-fish  and  other  mar- 
velous creatures  whose  multitude  is  as  the  sands  of  the  sea. 

The  perils  of  the  deep,  celebrated  voyages  and  miraculous  escapes,  the 
most  terrible  shipwrecks,  the  dangers  of  whaling  cruises  and  the  loss  of 
hundreds  of  lives,  the  notable  feats  of  the  diving  bell  and  the  deep  sea- 
dredgings  which  have  revealed  miracles  of  creation  in  the  cavernous 
depths  of  the  ocean,  the  venturesome  exploits  of  pearl-fishing :  these  and 
myriad  other  things  are  here  placed  before  the  reader  in  glowing  descrip- 
tions, with  elegant  illustrations,  the  beauty  and  charm  of  which  are 
apparent  on  every  page. 

The  reader  finds  that  the  volume  does  not  end  here,  and  that  he  has 
more  worlds  to  conquer.  He  has  yet  to  survey  the  starry  universe  and 
stand  in  awe  before  the  abysses  of  infinite  space,  and  be  dazzled  by  the 
armies  of  light  that  sweep  over  the  celestial  plains.  He  gazes  at  Arcturus, 
Orion  and  the  Pleiades  ;  at  clusters  of  nebulae  which  are  found  to  com- 
prise countless  orbs ;  at  gigantic  Suns,  so  distant  that  they  are  called 
fixed  stars,  arrayed,  as  the  astronomer's  telescope  assures  us,  in  all  the 
gorgeous  colors  of  the  rainbow ;  at  Constellations  which  must  have  been 
old  when  man  was  young,  and  at  fleets  of  myriad  orbs  sailing  in  the  upper 
deep,  led  by  the  Lords  and  High  Admirals  of  Creation.  He  beholds 
showers  of  falling  meteors,  and  the  amazing  flight  of  comets,  "  those  em- 
blazoned flags  of  Deity." 

Old  astrology  is  likewise  scanned,  and  ancient  Superstitions  and  Gro- 
tesque Beliefs  are  described,  together  with  Eclipses,  Coronas,  Auroras 
and  all  Celestial  Phenomena. 

HENRY  DAVENPORT  NORTHROP. 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK  I. 
THE  EARTH. 

'CHAPTER  i. 

MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD. 

Curious  Old  Legends  and  Superstitions — A  Chinese  Quarryman — A  Scandinavian 
God  with  his  Sledge- Hammer — Strange  Things  Seen  by  a  Sybil — The  Crust  of 
the  Earth  a  Museum  of  Singular  Relics — Footprints  and  Skeletons  of  Gigantic 
Birds  and  Four-Footed  Animals — Enormous  Sizes  and  Uncouth  Forms — Extinct 
Species  of  Animal  Life — An  Immense  Fish-Lizard— Extraordinay  Marine 
Reptile — A  Wing-Fingered  Monster — A  Freak  of  Nature— A  Fossil  Reptile 
Sixty  Feet  Long — The  Scaly  Hylseosaurus— Discovery  of  the  Mammoth — An 
Island  of  Bones — The  Huge  Dinotherium — A  Bulky  Creature  that  could  neither 
Walk,  Leap  nor  Climb — Natural  History  Printed  on  Leaves  of  Stone— Marks  of 
Raindrops,  Trees  and  Birds  on  Rocks —Fossil  Remains  of  Myriads  of  Minute 
Beings — Layers  of  Various  Kinds  of  Shells  Forming  Marble  of  Great  Beauty — 
Wonders  of  a  Drop  of  Water  Under  the  Microscope 25 

CHAPTER  II. 
PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA. 

Astonishing  Convulsions  and  Physical  Revolutions — Fabulous  Traditions — Histories 
of  Reptiles  Written  in  Stone— Gigantic  Inhabitants  of  the  Ancient  Globe — 
Skeletons  of  Extinct  Animals  found  in  Rocks — A  Winged  Monster — Combat 
Between  Enormous  Reptiles — The  Huge  Megalosaurus— A  Vampire  of  the  Pre- 
Historic  Age — A  Creature  Curiously  Constructed— The  Wing-Fingered  Bird — 
The  Famous  Iguanodon — A  Vivid  Picture  of  the  Early  Ages— Animal  Life  in 
the  Oolic  Period — A  Dragon  on  Wings — The  Remarkable  Dinotherium — The 
Strange  Hand- Animal— The  Glyptoden — The  Primeval  Armadillo— A  Creature 
that  could  Swallow  an  Ox — Megatherium — Animals  in  Mortal  Combat — A  Bird 
Without  Wings— Flowers  in  Stone — Fossil  Fishes — Beautiful  Shells 58 

CHATPER  III. 
THE  TERRIBLE  PHENOMENA  OF  EARTHQUAKES. 

Nature's  Destructive  Agencies — Tremendous  Forces  Pent  up  Within  the  Earth  — 
Frequency  of  Earthquake  Shocks — A  Country  in  South  America  Never  Quiet — 

(v) 


vi  CONTENTS. 

Signs  of  the  Approaching  Disaster — A  Part  of  our  own  Country  Sunk  by  a 
Convulsion— The  Great  Earthquake  of  Calabria — Human  Beings  Tossed  in 
the  Air— Heavy  Objects  Whirling  About— Farms  Changing  Places— Jamaica 
Visited— Destruction  of  the  City  of  Lisbon — The  Sea  Rushing  Madly  on  the 
Shore — Terrible  Loss  of  Life — Horrors  Multiplied— Immense  Fissures  in  the 
Earth — Great  Calamity  at  Messina — Statistics  Showing  Appalling  Destruction  of 
Life — Charleston  in  Terror — Java  and  Southern  Europe  Shaken 106 

CHAPTER    IV. 
MOUNTAINS  OF  FIRE. 

Terrible  Images  of  Grandeur — Open  Mouths  of  Fire — The  Earth  a  Seething  Furnace 
Inside— A  Lighthouse  in  the  Eolian  Islands — Dull  Thunders  Shaking  Moun- 
tains— A  River  of  Fire  Thirty  Miles  Long — Violent  Eruption  of  Mauna  Loa — A 
Scene  of  Appalling  Sublimity— Jets  of  Fire  and  Smoke  a  Thousand  Feet  High — 
Connection  Between  Earthquakes  and  Volcanoes— Hoffman's  Vivid  Description 
of  Fiery  Stromboli — A  Volcano  Bursting  out  of  the  Sea — Graham's  Island  in 
Conflagration — A  Party  Caught  by  a  Deluge  of  Ashes  and  Hot  Stones — Cities 
Buried  Under  Floods  of  Lava  from  Vesuvius — Remarkable  Asiatic  Volcanoes — 
A  Strange  New  Zealand  Tradition — The  Sea  Boiling  and  Driven  Back 120 

CHAPTER  V. 
ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE   PEOPLE. 

Beautiful  Islands  Long  Veiled  in  Mystery — The  First  Voyage  Around  the  World — 
Zoological  Gardens— The  Natives  of  the  Pacific  Isles — Various  Types  of  Sav- 
ages— The  Remarkable  Island  of  New  Zealand — Life  Among  the  Maories — 
Weapons  of  War— A  Figthing  Race  of  Men — An  Exciting  Episode— Wicked 
Treachery — Hideous  War  Dances— Queer  Performances  of  an  Old  Chief- 
Children  Imitating  the  Art  of  War— Savage  Cannibalism — Tragic  Death  of  a 
Blind  Queen — A  Chief  in  War  Costume — Witches  and  Witchcraft— A  Native 
Priest— Huge  Wooden  Idols — The  Sandwich  Islands — Beauty  of  the  Women — 
Expert  Swimmers — Extraordinary  Feats  of  Surf  Swimming— The  Dagger  that 
Killed  Captain  Cook — A  Splendid  Race  of  Savages— Kamehameha  Catching 
Spears — The  Marquesans— Elegant  Tattooing — A  Chief  Decorated  from  Head 
to  Foot — The  Puncturing  Needle 143 

CHAPTER  VI. 
WILD   TRIBES  AND   THEIR  CURIOUS   CUSTOMS. 

A  Remarkable  Uncivilized  Nation  in  South  America— Description  of  the  Araucan- 
ians — A  Curious  Method  of  Shaving — A  Hairy  Upper  Lip  Thought  to  be  Highly 
Improper— Disputes  Settled  by  Pulling  Hair— Women  who  Paint  their  Faces- 
Savages  who  Insist  on  Etiquette— Horses  Superbly  Decorated— Singular  Saddle 
and  Siirrups— Mar-riage  Customs— An  Exciting  Elopement— A  Furious  Com- 
bat—Expert Horse-back  Riders— Using  the  Lasso — Dangerous  Adventure  with 
a  Wild  Bull — The  Animal  in  the  Toils— Disgusting  Cannibalism — Preferring 
Human  Flesh  to  Pork— Old  "Turtle  Pond  "—Savage  Atrocity— A  Fijian 
Legend— The  Fijian  Islander's  Canoe— An  Ingenious  Contrivance — Expert 


CONTENTS.  VH 

Navigation — Natives  of  Borneo — Dyak  Pirates — Small  Men  of  Great  Strength  — 
Extraordinary  Physical  Endurance — American  Indians — A  Hotly  Contested 
Ball  Game — An  Old  Arab  Hunter — Capturing  a  Hippopotamus — The  Old 
"River  King"  in  his  Glory — A  Struggle  Against  Odds — Daring  of  the  Na- 
tives  171 

CHAPTER  VII. 

CURIOSITIES   OF  THE  ANIMAL  KINGDOM. 

Wonderful  Revelations  in  Natural  History — Vast  Multitudes  of  Living  Creatures — 
Earth,  Air  and  Water  the  Home  of  Life— Colossal  Monsters  of  Forest  and  Jun- 
gle—The Towering  Giraffe — Ludicrous  Movements — A  Beautiful  Creature — 
Power  of  Self  Defense — The  Giraffe  in  the  Old  Roman  Circus — A  Swift  Chase 
and  Capture— The  Striped  Zebra— The  Most  Beautiful  of  Quadrupeds— The 
King  of  Portugal  and  his  Four  Zebras — A  Creature  Hard  to  be  Tamed — Animal 
Sacrifices  in  Eastern  Countries — The  Ponderous  Rhinoceros — Made  to  Fight 
in  the  Roman  Colosseum — A  Monster  Almost  Iron-Plated — Haunts  of  the  Clumsy 
Beast — Hunting  the  Rhinoceros— Fatal  Stroke  with  a  Sword— Story  of  a  Terri- 
ble Encounter — The  Voracious  Crocodile — Killed  at  Roman  Games — Arabs 
Wounded  by  Crocodiles— A  Friendly  Bird— The  Attack  with  a  Dagger— The 
Famous  Gavial  of  India — A  Reptile  on  Wings— The  Flying  Frog — A  Reptile 
with  Exquisite  Colors 193 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
WILD  ANIMALS  OF  THE  FOREST  AND  JUNGLE. 

Old  Classic  Tales  Concerning  the  Lion — His  Majesty  Once  a  Native  of  Europe — 
Leaping  the  Hedge  Into  the  Trap— Captured  by  Stratagem — Boundaries  of  the 
Lion's  Kingdom — A  Human  Head  in  a  Lion's  Mouth — A  Roar  Like  the  Sound 
of  an  Earthquake — Alarm  of  the  Inhabitants  of  P'ain  and  Forest — Massive 
Muscles  and  Immense  Shoulders— A  Singular  Encounter — Shocking  Scene — A 
Heart-Rending  Cry  for  Help — Brute  Affection — The  Sailor  and  Baboon — Living 
stone's  Adventure  with  a  Lion— The  Royal  Tiger — Tamed  for  a  Pet — Dreadful 
Ferocity— A  Guide  Killed  by  a  Blow — Exciting  Episodes  in  Tiger  Hunting — 
Carrying  Off  a  Buffalo — Savage  Courts  Entertained  by  Brutal  Sport — Elephants 
Hunting  the  Tiger— The  American  Black  Bear— The  Labiated  Bear— The  Bear's 
Song — Ludicrous  Antics — The  Celebrated  "  Martin  " — The  Grgantic  Hippopota- 
mus—Description of  the  Animal — Arrival  of  a  River-Horse  in  Europe — Strange 
Actions  and  Crowds  of  Curious  Spectators 217 

CHAPTER  IX. 

REMARKABLE  TYPES  OF  ANIMAL  LIFE. 

The  American  Puma — Killing  Prey  for  the  Sake  of  Killing— Two  Hunters  in  tht 
Catskills — A  Sportsman's  Shocking  Death — Singular  Encounter  with  a  Puma- 
Power  of  Gentleness  upon  the  Brute  Creation — The  Great  Grizzly  Bear — A 
Clumsy  Creature— Blind  Bears  Regaining  Sight — The  Famous  Jungle  Bear — 
Claws  of  Unique  Construction — Hunter's  Ingenious  Methods  of  Capture — How 


Vin  CONTENTS. 

the  "Jungler"  Acts  in  Captivity— The  Bear's  Song— The  Hedgehog— A  Prickly 
Covering— A  Long  Winter's  Sleep — The  Hedgehog  Proof  Against  Poison — The 
Eternal  Foe  of  Serpents — The  Brazilian  Porcupine — A  Creature  with  an  Extra- 
ordinary Armor — Classic  Legends  Concerning  the  Porcupine— An  Animal  that 
Lacks  Brains — Common  Porcupine— Method  of  Showing  Anger — A  Quadruped 
Rolled  up  like  a  Ball— The  Armadillo— A  Thick  Coat  of  Mail— A  Rapid  Digger 
in  the  Earth — A  Bone-Covered  Ball— Tumbling  Unhurt  Down  a  Precipice  -A 
Sense  of  Wonderful  Acuteness— The  Scaly  Ant-Eater — A  Toothless  Animal- 
Scales  like  those  of  a  Fish — The  Agile  Kangaroo— Curious  Pouch  for  Carrying 
Young — A  Long  Leaper — Hard  Fighters — American  Opossum — A  Lover  of 
Barn-yards — Odd  Method  of  Transporting  Little  Opossums 244 

CHAPTER  X. 
WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  TROPICS. 

The  Bulky  Elephant — Tale  of  the  Assyrian  Queen — Panic  and  Frightful  Carnage — 
Ivory  Palaces — Thrones  of  Elephants'  Tusks — Elephant  Gymnasts— The  Mon- 
ster Frightened  by  a  Horse — Revenge  for  an  Insult  -Droves  of  Game — Passion- 
ate Cry  and  Wild  Rush — A  Situation  Apparently  Hopeless — At  the  Mercy  of 
the  Infuriated  Beast — Exploits  of  Jan  Wildeman — A  Frightened  Scotsman — 
Immense  Quantities  of  Ivory — Baldwin  Pursued  by  an  Elephant — Miraculous 
Escape — Exciting  Chase — Goatskin  Clothing  Torn  to  Shreds — The  Rhinoc- 
eros— Powerful  Animal — Hunted  with  Elephants — Terrible  Weapon  of  Attack 
and  Defence— Story  of  a  Desperate  Fight — Hunting  Rhinoceroses  with  Horses — 
Strange  ''Rhinoceros  Birds" — Mad  Beast  Attacking  Hunters — Lucky  Shot — 
"Fire-Eating  Rhinoceros" — Routing  a  Camp  at  Night — Horse  Saved  by  a 
Bullet — Sudden  Upset  of  a  Wagon — Helping  the  Young  to  Escape—Vast  Size 
of  the  Hippopotamus — Anger  Easily  Aroused — Manner  of  Hunting  the  River- 
Horse — Hiding  Under  Water — Cumming's  Adventure  with  a  Hippo — Man  and 
Be*st  Splashing  in  the  Water  Together— Unique  Surgical  Operation — Steering 
the  Huge  Creature  Ashore — Boat  Smashed  by  a  Sea-Cow — Snatched  from 
Devouring  Jaws — Crocodiles  Startled  from  Slumber — Dangers  of  Goriila  Hunt- 
ing— Fierce  Aspect  of  the  Gorilla — Amazing  Power  of  the  "Wild  Man  "—  Ele- 
phants Routed  by  Gorillas— The  Fleet  Ostrich — Modes  of  Capturing  the  "Flying 
Camel" — Hunters'  Disguise — A  Flying  Run — Baldwin  and  Andersson's  Adven- 
tures— Concern.of  the  Old  Birds  for  their  Young 264 

CHAPTER  XL 
SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE. 

Man  in  the  Jaws  of  the  Lion — Meeting  the  Great  Beast — Death  from  the  Stroke  <  f 
a  Paw— Jacob  Bok's  Adventure — Lion's  Gratitude — Magnanimity  of  the  King 
of  Beasts — Shaking  Mane  and  Lashing  Tail — Tremendous  Strength — Narrative 
of  Brehm — Spectral  Lemur — A  Creature  with  Singular  Eyes  and  Claws — Fine 
Tree-Climbers — The  Babiroussa — Quadruple  Tusks— A  Restless  and  Ferocious 
Beast — White-Lipped  Peccary — Plucky  Fighters — Wart-Hog — A  Dangerous 
Brute — Invader  of  Cultivated  Fields — Expert  Swimmer — Adventure  of  Captain 
Harris — The  Lithe  Panther — Supple  Muscles  of  Great  Strength — Sudden  Spring- 
Thirst  for  Blood — Doctor  Brehm's  Remarkable  Experience — An  Old  Dog  faced 


CONTENTS.  ix 

Baboon— Dreadful  Encounter— Courage  of  a  Malay  Captain— The  Tapir— An 
Omniverous  Quadruped — Cousin  of  the  Hippopotamus — A  Fortunate  Nose — 
Whistling  Tapirs— Tapir  Domesticated— The  Wallachian  Sheep— Extraordinary 
Horns— Splendid  Growth  of  Wool— Mountain  Sheep  of  Bokhara— Horns 
of  Surprising  Size— A  Dwelling  on  High  Rocks— Flying  Fox— Marvelous 
Membrane— Unique  Product  of  the  Animal  Kingdom— Hanging  from  Forest 
Branches— Arctic  Seals— Elegant  Fur— Hunting  the  Seal— Sea-Elephant— The 
Walrus— Use  of  Tusks— Perils  of  Walrus  Hunting 306 

CHAPTER  XII. 
FOUR  HANDED-ANIMALS. 

The  Gorilla— Giant  of  the  Forest— A  Missionary's  Explorations  and  Discoveries- 
Curiosity  of  Civilized  Nations  Awakened— Gorilla  Huts— Low  Order  of  Intelli- 
gence—Enormous Jaws  and  Physical  Strength— The  First  White  Man  who  Killed 
a  Gorilla — How  Gorillas  Bury  their  Dead — Thrilling  Adventures  of  Du  Chaillu — 
A  Savage  Combat — The  Orang-Outang — Man-like  Ape — Awkward  Motions — 
Great  Power  of  Mimicry — Dreaded  Adversary — Laughable  Tricks — Orang  of  the 
Prince  of  Orange— Escape  from  the  Cage— Brute  Gentleness  and  Affection— An 
Orang  on  Shipboard — Inveterate  Tippler — Ravenous  Thieves — Orang's  Death — 
Guereza  Monkey — Elegant  Decoration — Beauty  of  Color — Monkey  Grimaces — 
Droll  Antics— Proboscis  Monkey— Ample  Dimensions  of  Nose— Dog-Faced 
Baboon — Immense  Troops — Prowlers  and  Plunderers — A  Chaplain's  Story — 
Chased  by  Baboons— Lion  Monkey— Irritable  Creatures— Hairy  Appendages... 332 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
PECULIAR  SPECIES  OF  BIRDS. 

The  World's  Favorites — Fairies  of  the  Air — Orchestras  on  the  Wing — Creatures 
whose  Clothing  Grows  on  Them — Specimens  of  Cockatoos — Noisy  Flights — 
Easily  Tamed  and  Affectionate — The  Night  Swallow — A  Fine  Streamer — Beauty 
of  Color — Graceful  Movements — Esculent  Swallow — The  Strangest  Food  in  the 
World — Remarkable  Nests — Sappho  Humming  Bird — Rainbow  Colors  Dart- 
ing Through  the  Air — Sword  Bill — Long  Beak — Peregrine  Falcon — Ancient 
"Hawking" — A  Bird  Trained  for  the  Chase — Combat  in  the  Air — Secretary 
Bird — A  Warrior  with  Wings — Death  to  Snakes — Power  of  Leg  and  Foot — Cour- 
age that  Never  Fails — Remarkable  Birds'  Nests — Titmous/e — Closing  the  Door  of 
the  Nest— A  Watchful  Sentinel— Sociable  Grossbeaks— Wonderful  Nest— A  Bird 
that  Sews  with  Thread  and  Needle— Tailor  Bird's  Nest— Three-Toed  Wood- 
pecker— A  Creature  that  Leaves  its  Mark — Penguins — Wings  and  Fins  Com- 
bined— "Sittingup  Like  a  Major" — Description  by  Darwin — Training  up  Young 
Penguins — The  World  Renowned  Pelican — Marvelous  Sight — Great  Assembly  of 
Birds — Montgomery's  Poetical  Tribute  to  the  Pelican 354 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
THE  IMPERIAL  EAGLE. 

Monarch  of  Mountain  and  Forest — Majestic  Flights — Gazing  at  the  Sun — Rapa- 
cious Tyrants — Elevated  Nest — Symbol  of  Roman  Empire — Tribute  of  Mrs.  He- 
mans  to  Wounded  Eagle— Ama/ ing  Gift  of  Sight— Seizure  of  Marie  Delex— A 


X  CONTENTS. 

Monster  of  the  Air — Children  Carried  Away  on  Wings — Frightful  Encounters — 
A  Daring  Rescue — Forest  King  on  His  Crag — Swift  Descent — Shrewd  Method 
of  Taking  Prey — The  Bald  Eagle — Dimensions  of  Sea-Eagle — Preying  on  Quad- 
rupeds— Mated  Once  for  Life — Osprey  or  Fish  Eagle — Peculiar  Foot  and  Toes — 
Plunging  Down  from  Vast  Heights — Claws  of  Astonishing  Strength — Harpy 
Eagle — Tenant  of  Mexico  and  South  America — Hard  Fighter — Destroyer  of 
Animal  Life — Sure  Aim  and  Fatal  Blow — Feathers  Used  for  Decorations- 
Striking  Colors  of  Plumage  377 

CHAPTER  XV. 
CHARMING  CREATURES  OF  THE  AIR. 

Beauty  of  the  Bird  of  Paradise — Strange  Guesses—"  A  Heavenly  Residence" — Fly- 
ing Against  the  Wind — Method  of  Catching  the  Paradise  Bird — Rising  Above 
the  Gale — Plumage  of  Wonderful  Elegance — Bird  Seen  in  a  Mirror — Fastidious 
Creature— Pride  of  Feathers— Pretty  Hedge-Sparrow — Great  Pains  in  Building 
a  Nest — Fine  Singers — Nightingale  Learning  the  Hedge-Sparrow's  Song — Dis- 
covery of  the  Lyre-Bird — Singular  Form  of  Tail — Graceful  Appearance — Swift 
Runner — Sudden  Break  in  the  Music — Savages  Decorated  with  Superb  Feath- 
ers— The  Swift  Swallow — Ingenious  Aerial  Oars — Long  Flights— Extraordinary 
Migrations — Guesses  by  Scientific  Men — ' '  When  the  Swallows  Homeward  Fly' ' — 
Argus  Pheasant — Size  and  Color — A  Beauty  of  Sumatra— Plumage  Decorated 
with  a  Hundred  Eyes — Short  Life  in  Captivity— Old  Birds  with  Gay  Feathers — 
Story  of  Croesus  and  Solon — "Golden-Flower  Fowl"  of  China — Far- Fly  ing  Alba- 
tross—Expert Fisher — Nest  Built  up  on  the  Ground — The  Plumed  Crane — 
Milton's  Description — Story  of  William  the  Conqueror — Habits  of  Crane  Fam- 
ily—Ludicrous Vanity  of  a  Crane— Dweller  in  Tree-Tops 391 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBE. 

The  Odd-Looking  Flamingo— "  Bean-Pole' '  of  the  Bird  World— Fiery  Plumage- 
Elegant  Appearance — Singular  Nest — Remarkable  Construction  of  Jaws — The 
"  Kiwi-Kiwi"—  Wingless  Creatures— Descendants  of  the  Ancient  Dinornis — 
New  Zealand  Chiefs  Dressed  in  the  Skin  of  the  Apertyx — An  Egg  that  Weighs 
One-fourth  as  much  as  the  Bird — Habits  of  the  Apertyx — The  Ostrich — Bird  of 
the  Desert — Extraordinary  Nest  and  Eggs — Birdlings  Hatched  by  the  Sun — 
Arabian  Stories  of  the  Ostrich —Royal  Carriage  Drawn  by  a  Team  of  Ostriches — 
Riding  the  Two-legged  Steed— Cunning  Methods  of  Capture— American  Os- 
trich Described — Noisy  Guinea-Fowl — Flesh  of  Fine  Flavor — Conspicuous 
Crest— Eggs  Colored  like  the  Plumage— The  Sacred  Ibis— Varied  Colors— Bird 
of  Mexico — Egyptian  Veneration  for  the  Ibis — Regular  Migration — Embalmed  • 
Remains  in  Egyptian  Burial  Places — The  Giant  Heron — Lonely  Creature — In- 
habitants of  Marshes  and  Water  Courses — Singular  Habits — Seeking  Prey- 
Standing  for  Hours  on  one  Leg — Little  Herons— The  Heron  and  Falcon  in 
Combat— The  Owl— Immense  Eyes— A  Night  Prowler— White  Owl— Tenant  of 
Barns — Voracity  for  Mice — The  Owl  Attacking  a  Man — Little  Birds'  Revenge — 
The  Darter — Long  Neck — The  Famous  Stork — Remarkable  Intelligence — A 
Good  Wife  and  Mother — Storks  Sentenced  to  Death  for  Infidelity — The  Adju- 
tant—Blue-Headed Parakeets 413 


CONTENTS.  XI 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
MARVELOUS  CREEPING  ANIMALS. 

Reptiles  of  Antiquity — Animal  Curiosities — Fangs  of  Deadly  Poison — Strange  Mode 
of  Breathing — Historic  Chameleon — Shooting  Tongue — Changing  Colors — Two 
Animals  in  One — A  creature  Asleep  on  one  Side  and  Awake  on  the  Other — 
Five-Toed  Geckos — Curious  Suction  Foot — Nimble  Running  on  Smooth  Sur- 
faces— Tongue  like  a  Dart — The  Common  Iguana — South  American  Reptile — 
Pouch  Under  the  Jaw — Hunting  the  Iguana — Lizards  for  Breakfast — Darwin's 
Description  of  the  Iguana — The  Sea  Guana — Attachment  of  Male  for  Female — 
A  Gallant  Defender — Capital  Swimmers — Bellowing  Bull-Frogs — Frogs  Giving 
First  Idea  of  Electric  Telegraph — Housed  in  Winter  Quarters — Stories  of  the 
Domesticated  Frog — How  a  Frog  Disappeared  and  what  Became  of  Him — Won- 
derful Horned-Frog — The  Mysterious  Salamander — Old  Notions  about  a  Crea- 
ture that  could  Resist  Fire— Human  Clothing  that  will  not  Burn — Land  Tor- 
toises—Finely Colored  Shells— Remarkable  Longevity — Elephantine  Tortoise — 
How  the  Tortoise  Feeds — Astounding  Surgical  Operation — Value  of  the  Tor- 
toise Shell— The  Tun  Snail— A  Creeping  Oddity 441 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
MONSTROUS  REPTILES  OF  THE  TROPICAL  WORLD. 

The  Crocodile— Power  of  Destruction— The  Tyrant  of  the  Tropical  Seas— Double 
Jaws— Teeth  and  Scales— Egg  of  the  Crocodile— Old  Stories  of  the  East— The 
Crocodile's  Little  Friend — Danger  Signal — A  Harpoon  Thrust — Swift  Swim- 
mer— Deadly  Serpents — A  Cold- Blooded  Bosom  Companion — Eastern  Snake- 
Charmers — Coolness  Saves  a  Man's  Life — Foolhardy  Risk — Gurling  Killed — 
Poison  Working  with  Lightning  Rapidity — Venomous  Viper— Dancing  Snakes — 
Fascination  of  Music  for  Serpents— Death  of  a  Notorious  Serpent-Eater — A 
Disgusting  Glutton — Huge  Boa-Constrictor — Blind  Adoration  of  the  Boa — 
Lines  by  Southey — A  Monster  Swallowing  its  Bed — Disgorging  a  Blanket — 
Vast  Size  of  the  Boa— Enormous  Muscular  Power — Fed  to  Death — Tree  Snakes 
with  Magnificent  Colors — The  Slender  Whip  Snake — Frightful  Accident  in 
Guinea— Ghastly  Fangs — The  Egg-Eater — Immense  Throat  of  a  Tiny  Creature — 
Serpents  of  -  Surprising  Beauty — Queer  Popular  Superstitions — The  Red- 
Throated  Lizard— Hideous  Cristatus— The  Curious  Moloch— A  Freak  in  the 
World  of  Reptiles— The  Pipa  Toad— A  Creature  that  Hatches  Eggs  on  its  Back- 
Description  of  the  Batrachians — Death  from  a  Toad — Winter's  Sleep  in  a  Bed 
of  Mud 467 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
MARVELS  OF  INSECT  LIFE. 

Intelligence  Among  Insects — All  Sorts  of  Insect  Mechanics — Pillaging  Pirates — 
The  Goliath  Beetle— Monstrosities  and  Freaks — "Little  Devils" — Gorgeous 
Coloring  of  Shells  and  Wings — Jewelry  Made  of  Insects — Wingless  Butterflies — 
Extraordinary  Changes  Through  Which  Insects  Pass — Metamorphosis  of  the 
Dragon-Fly — Perfection  of  Organization — Wonderful  Handiwork  of  Nature — 
Gnats  More  than  a  Match  for  Men — The  African  Fly — A  Dreaded  Pest — Magnified 


xii  CONTENTS. 

Proboscis  of  a  Common  Fly — Amazing  Rapidity  of  Movement — Insect  Gym- 
nasts and  their  Strength — Ingenious  Mechanisms — Transformation  of  the 
Common  Gnat — Insect  Saws,  Rakes,  and  Chisels  Surpassing  Man's  Finest 
Instruments — Curious  Method  of  Talking — Eyes  Like  Telescopes — Military 
Drill — The  Remarkable  Achievements  of  the  Spider — An  Insect  Better  than  it 
Appears — Slave-Holding  Ants — A  Colony  Saved  by  an  Old  Slave — Insects  that 
Keep  a  Dairy — Ants  and  their  Milch  Cows — Warrior  Termites — Builders  and 
Destroyers  of  Towns 495 

CHAPTER  XX. 
MUSEUM  OF  REMARKABLE  INSECTS. 

Anatomy  of  Insects  Superior  to  that  of  Man — Curiously  Formed  Eggs — Lifting  the 
Lid  and  Stepping  Out — Not  Taking  the  Trouble  to  be  Born — Eggs  Exquisitely 
Decorated — S^'.less  Insects — Flying  Lamps — Insects  Illuminating  Dwellings — 
Brilliant  Appc  ranees — Beetles — The  Sacred  Beetle  of  Egypt — Insect  Under- 
taker— Death  Watch — Droll  Superstition — Hercules  Beetle — Six  Years'  Impris- 
onment— The  House  Cricket — Poet's  Address — Ship  Saved  by  a  Cricket — How 
the  Chirping  is  Done — Wings  Without  Flight — The  Spider's  Web — Ingenious 
Mechanism — Water  Spider — How  Air  is  Obtained — A  Complete  Diving  Bell — 
Rapacious  Bird  Spider — Females  Practicing  Cannibalism  on  their  Husbands — 
Children  Devouring  Mothers — Thread  of  Myriads  of  Fibres — The  Great  Moth 
Family — Death's-Head  Moth — Fungus  Growing  on  an  Insect's  Head — Ravagers 
of  the  Forest — Visit  to  the  Woods — Whirlwind  of  Fire — Waging  Organized 
War  on  Moths — Incalculable  Destruction  by  Mites — Stenographers,  Carpenters, 
Joiners,  Carvers  among  Insects — Wood-Boring  Goat  Moth — Making  a  Place  for 
Eggs — The  Historic  Locust — Ravages  in  the  West — Flights  of  Devastation — 
Where  Locusts  Come  From — Devouring  One  Another — Rapid  Growth  of 
Young — Orchestra  of  Strange  Instruments — Return  after  Seventeen  Years — No 
Forgetfulness — Ephemera — Creatures  of  a  Day  Described — Bees  and  their  Re- 
markable Habits — Insect  Intelligence 513 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  VEGETABLE  KINGDOM. 

Living  Seed  in  the  Earth— The  Tap-Root—Plants  that  Perspire— Catching  Water 
from  Trees — Garden  Sun-Flower — An  Old  Physician  Living  in  a  Pair  of  Scales — 
Vegetable  Marvel— The  Weeping  Tree— Plant  with  a  Movable  Lid— Water 
Treasured  in  Plants  in  the  Burning  Desert — Leaves  that  Flash  Lightning — The 
Famous  Cow-Tree — Vegetable  Milk — Butler  Tree — Poisonous  Compounds — 
"Herculean  Remedy  "—India-Rubber  Tree— Golden  Wealth  for  the  World- 
Vegetable  Giants — Astonishing  Magnitudes — Eighteen  Guests  Taking  Supper 
in  a  Hollow  Tree — Enormous  Lime-Tree — Normandy  Oak  Turned  into  a 
Church — Riding  on  Horseback  Through  Tree-Cavities — Colossal  Baobab — 
Strange  Burial  Place— Gigantic  Cedars  of  California— Tops  Five  Hundred  Feet 
in  the  Air — Giving  a  Ball  on  a  Stump — Vegetable  Longevity — Methuselahs  of 
the  Forest — Historic  Lime  at  Fribourg — Old  age  of  the  Fir — Army  of  Cortez 
under  one  Tree — Legends  of  Teneriffe — Dragon's-Blood  Tree — Where  we  get 
Camphor— "  Serpents  of  the  Vegetable  Kingdom  "—Deadly  Nettles— The  Fatal 


CONTENTS.  xin 

Upas — Astounding  Stories — Antidotes  to  Poison — Medicinal  Treasures — Famous 
Tartarian  Lamb— Part  Plant  and  Part  Animal— Wonderful  Rafflesia— Plants 
without  Leaves  Borrowing  those  of  their  Neighbors — Picturesque  Scene  in  the 
Tropics — Giant  Ferns — Mangrove  Tree — Sea  of  Fire — Seeds  Sprouting  in  Hu- 
man Noses  and  Stomachs — Marvelous  Enginery — Balloon  Puff-Ball 543 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
PERILS  OF  MOUNTAIN  AND  DESERT. 

Creation  a  Museum  of  the  Marvelous — Awful  Mountain  Peaks  with  Veiled  Faces — 
Mont  Blanc — Sovereign,  of  Mountains — Attempt  to  Ascend  the  Giant  of  the 
Alps — Ambitious  Young  Naturalist — A  Complete  Failure — Snowy  Chasms — 
Afraid  to  Sleep — Determined  to  Conquer  or  Die — Trembling  on  the  Mountain's 
Edge — Adventures  of  Jacques  Balmat — Blinded  by  Exposure — Daring  Expe- 
dition— Scaling  Snowy  Precipices — On  the  Far  Summit — Miserable  End  of  Bal- 
mat— World  Startled  by  an  Alpine  Tragedy — A  Russian  Traveller — Twelve 
Guides — "  Cowards!" — Forward — An  Awful  Disaster — Hurled  Headlong  Hun- 
dreds of  Feet — Death  in  the  Deep  Abyss — Bodies  Left  in  the  Yawning  Gulf- 
Running  Frightful  Risks — Miraculous  Escapes — Recent  Ghastly  Discoveries — 
Rivers  of  Ice — Famous  Mer  De  Glace — Flower  Garden  in  a  Desert  of  Snow — 
Hospital  of  St.  Bernard— Travellers  Caught  in  the  Storm— The  Great  St.  Ber- 
nard Dog — Rescuing  the  Perishing — Exploits  of  the  Dog  "Bass" — Dangers  of 
the  Desert — Cyclones  and  Columns  of  Hot  Sand — Air  that  Scorches  Man  and 
Beast — Graphic  Description  of  the  Storm — Adventures  wi  Africa — Zambesi  Falls — 
Perilous  Ascent  of  a  Nile  Cataract...  ,...576 


BOOK  II. 


THE  SEA. 


CHAPTER  I. 
MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP. 

The  Ladders  of  the  Titans— The  Watery  Desert— A  Great  Unknown— Mysteries  of 
the  Deep — Marvelous  Products — Terrible  Marine  Monsters — The  World- Re- 
nowned "Kraken" — Battle  with  a  Strange  Foe — The  Great  Sea  Serpent — 
Singular  Stories — Old  Sailors'  Narratives — The  Huge  Ocean  Giant — Curious 
Habits  of  the  Whale — Perilous  and  Exciting  Adventures — A  Miraculous  Escape — 
The  Flying  Dragon— A  Fish  with  Spikes— Seized  by  a  Shark— The  Stomias- 
Boa— The  Hammer-Headed  Shark— The  Siamese  Twins  of  the  Sea 597 

CHAPTER  II. 
MYSTERIES  OF  THE  OCEAN. 

Chinese  Belief  Respecting  the  Deluge — The  Great  Mexican  Inundation — A  Huge 
Gulf  Swallowing  Rivers— The  World  would  be  Dead  Without  the  Ocean— The 


xiv  CONTENTS. 

Race-Course  of  Commerce — Varied  Color  of  the  Sea — Causes  of  the  Different 
Tints — Countless  Myriads  of  Animalcules — Phosphoresence  of  the  Sea — Waves 
Silvered  with  Flashing  Light — A  Magical  Effect — Cyclones  and  Tempests — 
Strange  Story  of  a  Lost  Vessel — Terrible  Fury  of  Ocean  Storms — The  Dreaded 
Waterspout — Ships  Lifted  Bodily  from  the  Sea  and  Hurled  Back — The  Myster- 
ious Argonaut— A  Creature  that  Sails  in  a  Boat— The 'Monstrous  Octopus— An 
Ink- Battery— A  Shot  that  Hit— Dreadful  Encounter  with  a  Cuttle -Fish— A  Pearl- 
Diver  Attacked— Nautilus  of  the  Pre-Historic  Seas 631 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE  WORKMEN  OF  THE  SEA. 

The  Ocean  a  Nursery  of  Life — World-Makers — Destruction  of  the  Weaker  Marine 
Tribes— Half  Plants  and  Half  Animals— Graceful  Forms  and  Brilliant  Hues- 
Flowers  of  Ocean — Astounding  Multitude  of  Infusoria — Mountains  Formed  from 
Tiny  Shells— Islands  Built  by  Coral  Insects— Magnificent  Paris  Built  by  Animal- 
cules— Coral  Forests  in  the  Sea — Coral  Islands  Hundreds  of  Miles  in  Extent — 
Ships  in  Danger — The  Birth  of  New  Lands — The  Marvelous  Actinia — Plants  of 
Living  Stone — Myriad  Forms  of  Life  in  the  Sea — Depths  of  Amazing  Splendor — 
The  Humming  Birds  of  the  Ocean 653 

CHAPTER  IV. 
RARE  SPECIMENS  OF  OCEAN  LIFE. 

The  Famous  Narwhal— Many  Teeth  in  One— Strange  Superstitions  as  to  the  Sea- 
Unicorn— A  Formidable  Weapon— The  Best  Kind  of  Ivory— Narwhal  Fishing— 
An  Arctic  Black  Hole  of  Calcutta — Immense  Size  of  the  Narwhal — The  Huge 
Grampus— The  "Killer"  Capturing  Seals— Story  of  the  Whale— Flashes  like 
Lightning  from  the  Waves— The  Hairy  Medusae— A  Wake  of  Silvery  Light— 
"All  Hands  Ahoy!"— Whale  Fishing  and  its  Dangers— Sea- Birds  and  Their 
Curious  Habits— The  Elegant  Black-Backed  Gull— Laughing  Gull— "Haw,  ha, 
ha,  Haw  !  "—Birds  that  are  Pirates— The  Sea-Mew  and  its  Island  Home— The 
Wonderful  Island  of  St.  Kildare — Humming-Birds  of  the  Ocean — Colors  that 
Dazzle  the  Eye— Beautiful  Specimens  of  Scaly-Finned  Fishes— Flag-Ship— 
Coral-Fish—Rock-Fish—Whip-Fish—  Duke-Fish—Emperor-Fish  —  The  Sharp- 
shooter of  the  Sea — Good  Aim  and  Successful  Shot — A  Fish  With  Two  Lungs — 
Burrowing  in  the  Mud— Savage  Fighters— A  Fish  that  Hisses— The  Frog- 
Catcher—Curious  Climbing  Fish— Experiments  with  the  Mud-Jumper— A  Slug- 
gard that  Proves  to  be  Swifter  than  an  Arrow 666 

CHAPTER  V. 
BUTTERFLIES  OF  THE  OCEAN. 

Beautiful  Dwellers  in  the  Sea— Fishes  with  Wings— Both  Water  and  Air  their  Ele 
ments — Alighting  on  Ships — Curious  Formation  of  Fins — The  Flying  Gurnard  t 
of  the  Mediterranean — Sailing  Through  the  Air — Mounting  on  Wings  to  Leave 
Enemies  Behind— Prey  for  Sea  Gulls— Swallows  of  the  Ocean— The  Growling 
Gurnard — Strange  Noises — The  Gurnard's  Greediness — The  Marvelous  Red 
Fire-Fish— The  Terror  of  Arabian  Fishermen— The  King-Fish—Great  Size  and 


CONTENTS.  xv 

Beauty— Savory  Meat— The  Drum-Fish— An  Orchestra  in  the  Sea— Narratives 
by  Humboldt  and  Tennent — Tinkling  Sounds  of  Great  Sweetness — Paradise 
Fish  and  its  Singular  Habits— A  Haughty  Male  and  His  Brutality— The  Sea  But- 
terfly— The  Bridegroom — Winged  Insects  of  the  Deep 687 

CHAPTER  VI. 
SINGULAR  VARIETIES  OF  FISHES. 

Amazing  Contrasts  in  Ocean  Life — The  Great  Sword  Fish— Vast  Size  and  Power— A 
Creature  Armed  for  Destruction — Formidable  Weapon  of  the  Sword  Fish — A 
Sword  Left  in  the  Timber  of  a  Ship— The  Whale's  Great  Enemy— The  Ocean 
Bat — Peculiar  Attitude  in  the  Water — Arms  and  Fins  Combined — A  Creature  of 
Hideous  Ugliness— The  Slender  Pipe  Fish— The  Needle  of  the  Sea— Strange 
Pouch  for  Carrying  Eggs — Color  of  the  Pipe  Fish — A  Dried  Curiosity — Sea- 
Horse — Body  Clad  with  Mail — Tail  that  Grasps — Short-Nosed  Hippocampus — 
Peculiarities  of  the  Short-Nose — The  Skate — An  Enterprising  Digger — Elegant 
White  Fins— The  European  Sting  Ray— A  Bag  for  the  Infant  Fieh— The  Sea- 
Devil— A  Fish  that  Angles— Singular  Method  of  Capturing  Prey— The  Extraor- 
dinary Tape  Fish — A  Beautiful  Marine  Animal — Great  Length  of  the  Tape  Fish — 
The  Sea-Cat—Silvery  Color— Wonderful  Healing  Oil— Flat  Fish— Turbot— 
Plaice — Flounder — Sole — Spiny  Sea  Porcupine — Globe  Fish — Sun  Fish — The 
Sturgeon — An  Ocean  Delicacy — A  Fish  Fond  of  Mud , 699 

CHAPTER  VII. 
WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS. 

Hairy  Creatures  Roaming  in  the  Deep — Immense  Variety  of  Jelly-Fishes — The 
Shining  Sea — "  Myriads  of  Living  Points" — Bathers  Entangled  in  Hair — Portu- 
guese Man- of- War — The  "Jelly"  Curiously  Born— Hunger  never  Satisfied — 
The  Trunk  Fish — Mailed  Rovers  of  the  Sea — A  Fish  with  Spurs — Famous  Nar- 
whal— Extraordinary  Weapon — Finest  Ivory  in  the  World — Old  Superstitious 
Notions — The  Race  of  Sticklebacks — A  Spiny  Covering — Strong  Defence  against 
Foes — Sticklebacks  in  a  Tub — Trying  to  Swallow  an  Eel — Fishes  Building 
Nests — Desperate  Fighters — Nest-Builder  Discovered  by  Agassiz — Great  Trav- 
ellers— Unlimited  Greediness — The  Fan  Fish — Native  of  Indian  Waters — Lump 
Suckers — Strange  Looking  Creature — The  Sea-Snail — Sucker  Fish — A  Fish  that 
Sticks — Towed  Free  by  other  Fishes — Riding  Hundreds  of  Miles  without  Mov- 
ing a  Fin — Harness  Fish — Toothless  Swimmer — Delicious  Eating — Hard  Ar- 
mor—Marvelous Turbot— Turbot  Fishing— The  Sly  Silurus— Urchin  Fish- 
Balloon  of  the  Ocean — Air  Out  and  Fish  Under  Water — Arrow  Pike — A  Dart 
in  the  Sea— Hearty  Eater— Vast  Size— Real  "  Old  Salt"— Shares  and  their 
Eggs , 716 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
LIFE  AT  THE   BOTTOM   OF  THE   SEA. 

Creatures  that  Manufacture  Limestone— Definition  by  Professor  Dana— Marvelous 
Builders  in  the  Ocean — New  Polyp  Growing  out  of  the  Side  of  the  Old  One — 
Coral  Insects  in  All  Seas — Luxuriance  of  Coral  Life  in  the  Pacific — Varieties  of 


xvi  CONTENTS. 

Coral— How  the  Little  Architects  get  their  Materials— Rearing  Islands  from  tne 
Bottom  of  the  Deep — The  Bermudas  once  a  Coral  Island — The  Sea  Cucumber — 
Strange  Oriental  Food — Harpooning  Sea  Cucumbers  at  the  Depth  of  a  Hundred 
Feet — Hundred-Armed  Sea-Star — Amazing  Power  of  Reproducing  Lost  Limbs — 
Stomachs  that  go  by  the  Name  of  Fish — "  Five  Fingered  Jack  " — Scavengers  of 
the  Ocean — Death  on  Oysters — How  the  Star- Fish  gets  into  an  Oyster's  Shell  — 
Droll  Polyps — Animal-Plants—Actinia — Enormous  Mouth— Sea  Anemones — 
Voracity  Unparalleled— Life  Multiplied  by  Tearing  the  Body  in  Two— Astonish- 
ing Tenacity  of  Animal  Life 742 

CHAPTER  IX. 

EXTRAORDINARY  TURTLES  AND  CRUSTACEANS. 
The  Great  Marine  Turtle— A  Creature  Born  with  Oars  and  Paddles— Swift  Swim- 
mer— Dozing  on  the  Water— Turtles'  Nests  in  the  Sand — Curious  Youngsters — 
Rushing  by  Instinct  for  the  Sea — Turtle  Hunting— Delicious  Food— Haunts  of 
the  Green  Turtle — Natives  Lying  in  Wait — Human  Cruelty — Coriaceous  Tur- 
tle— The  Bony  Lobster — Monstrous  Pincers — Powerful  Weapons — A  Propeller 
Tail — Shedding  the  Old  Crust — Escape  from  the  Prison — New  Growth  of  Shells — 
The  Numerous  Crab  Family — Singular  Creatures — The  Pea  Crab— Hermit 
Crab — Looking  Around  for  a  New  House — Moving  into  the  New  Dwelling — 
Tussle  between  a  Shrimp  and  Crab  -Where  Crabs  Abound — Crab  Sentinel 
Standing  Guard— Casting  off  Broken  Limbs — Horrid  Crab  of  Madagascar — 
Sharp  Points— Strange  Land  Crabs 752 

CHAPTER  X. 
MOLLUSKS  WITH   PECULIAR  SHELLS. 

A  Choice  Mineral  Substance — Material  for  Ocean  Builders — "See  what  a  Lovely 
Shell  " — Rare  Mollusks — The  Young  Guarded — Repulsive  Creatures  in  Beauti- 
ful Dwellings — The  Sea-shore  a  Great  School  of  Instruction— Curious  Pearl 
Oyster — Helmet  Shells — Cone  Shells — Gorgeous  Hues— Interesting  Bivalves — 
Scallop  Shell— Ornament  of  Pilgrims— Silken  "  Byssus  "—Strange  Material  for 
Fabrics— Treasures  of  the  Pearl  Oyster— Fondness  of  the  Ancients  for  a  Gem — 
Shakespeare  on  the  Orient  Pearl — Immense  Wealth  of  Ceylon— Pearl  Fishing 
by  Cingalese — Picturesque  Spectacle — Firing  a  Cannon  at  Day-break — Ropes, 
Knives,  and  Stones— Three  Sieves — Form  and  Color — Pearls  of  Every  Hue — 
Allusion  of  the  Historian  Tacitus — Origin  of  Pearls — Emerald  Fringes — Marvels 
of  Old  Ocean's  Bed 765 

CHAPTER  XL 

SHIPWRECKS  AND  OCEAN  ADVENTURES. 
The  Benefits  of  the  Ocean  very  Costly — A  Devouring  Moloch — Human  Victims 
and  Horrible  Gifts— Rich  Cargoes  Swallowed  Up— Innumerable  Human  Vic- 
tims— Ships  on  Fire — Taking  to  the  Boats — Sailors  Familiar  with  Danger- 
Horrors  of  the  Great  Abyss— Washington  Irving's  Graphic  Description  of  a 
Shipwreck— Dismal  Stories— Startling  Ad  ventures  of  a  Ship  Captain— A  Drown- 
ing Cry  Mingling  with  the  Wind— Perils  of  Arctic  Voyages— Loss  of  the  Ship 
"Jeannette"— Ice  Hammering  at  the  Vessel— Melville  Tdking  a  Photograph- 
Hasty  Preparations  to  Leave— Three  Boats  Lowered—"  There  She  Goes  !"•—• 
Encamping  on  the  Ice— Boat  Mounted  on  Sleds— Long  and  Toilsome  Journey— 


CONTENTS.  xvil 

Silk  Flag  Unfurled  on  Bennett  Island— Capturing  Arctic  Animals — The  Great 
Sea-Cow — '*  Funny  Wee  Fishes" — Terrific  Battle  with  Walruses — Fast  Loading 
and  Firing— Loss  of  the  "  Essex" — Captain  Pollard's  Vivid  Narrative — Repeated 
Attacks  of  an  Immense  Whale— The  Ship  Stove— Three  Little  Boats  on  the  Great 
Deep — A  Barren  Island — Frightful  Sufferings — Again  on  the  Trackless  Sea  — 
Miraculous  Escape — Rescue  of  Men  from  the  Island — Horrid  Cannibalism — Tor- 
nadoes and  Waterspouts — Elements  at  War — A  Thousand  Ships  Go  Down — 
Wreck  of  the  Royal  Fleet— Immense  Loss  of  Life— Huge  Cannon  Blown  Away 
by  the  Hurricane — An  Appalling  Scene 774 


BOOK  III. 

THE  SKY. 

CHAPTER  I. 
THE  MARVELS  OF  THE  HEAVENS. 

The  Sun  Twelve  Hundred  Thousand  Times  as  Large  as  Our  Earth — Sublime  Scen- 
ery of  the  Midnight  Sky — Starry  Splendors  over  Head — Innumerable  Worlds  in 
the  Firmament — The  Boundlessness  of  Space — Imperial  Suns  Burning  on 
High — Heavens  Piled  on  Heavens — A  Wonderful  Journey  Through  Space — Fly- 
ing on  a  Beam  of  Light — Rich  Clusters  of  Starry  Systems — Millions  of  Worlds — 
Immeasurable  Distances — Swift  Motion  Everywhere — Astounding  Revelations 
of  the  Telescope — Lord  Rosse's  Ten  Thousand  Eyes — Far-Distant  Suns  Col- 
ored Like  the  Rainbow — Thomas  Moore's  Poetical  Tribute  to  the  Bright 
Heavens — Sublimity  of  Astronomical  Science 791 

CHAPTER  II. 
REMARKABLE  PHENOMENA  IN  THE  SKY. 

Strange  Appearances  in  the  Heavens — Fiery  Bodies  Sweeping  Through  the  Sky — 
Startling  Explosions — An  Aerolite  Suspended  in  a  Church — Fall  of  a  Great 
Stone — A  Brilliant  Meteorite  Seen  in  Connecticut — Balls  of  Fire  Leaping  and 
Whizzing  in  the  Air — A  Red  Globe  Apparently  as  Large  as  the  Moon — A  Shower 
of  Burning  Stones—The  Great  Meteor  at  Hurworth 803 

CHAPTER  III. 
A  WORLD  BURNED  OUT  AND  DEAD. 

The  Earth  Cushioned  with  Air — The  Weight  of  Every  Human  Being  Seventeen 
Tons — Our  Nearest  Planetary  Neighbor — Time  Required  by  a  Railway  Train  to 
Reach  the  Moon— Lunar  Mountains— Moon  Torn  by  Furious  Volcanoes— The 
Fires  Extinct — The  Surface  Cold— Craters  and  Caverns — Lunar  Seas— A  Desert 
World— Eternal  Silence— No  Air  nor  Water— No  Sky— Young  Lady  in  the 
Moon — Perpetual  Changes — White-Crested  Mountains — The  Moon's  Attractive 
Features — The  Moon  a  One-Sided  Creature — Strange  Conjectures  as  to  the  Side 
Turned  Away — The  First  Quarter— Immense  Cavities  in  the  Moon's  Surface — 


xvin  CONTENTS. 

Measuring  Craters— Excitement  over  First  Discoveries— Droll  Superstitions— A 
Satellite  Supposed  to  Rule  almost  Everything 812 

CHAPTER  IV. 

MAGNIFICENT  AURORAL  DISPLAYS. 

Most  Striking  of  Optical  Splendors — Auroral  Arc — Streams  of  Light  Shooting  Up- 
ward— Trembling  Gleams  and  Flashes — "  Ther.Merry  Dancers" — Lights  of  Rain- 
bow Colors— What  Parry  and  Franklin  Saw;  .ie  Heavens  in  Gay  Attire — Lieu- 
tenant ChappelPs  Auroral  Umbrella— Arch  of  Silvery  Light— The  Canopy  Glow- 
ing with  Splendid  Scenery — Polar  Night— Six  Months  without  a  Sun — Animals 
Dying  of  Gloom— Dazzling  Standards  Unfurled — Magnetism— Fiery  Tempests  in 
the  Sun— Magnetic  Stones  on  Earth— Outbreak  of  Auroral  Magnificence— Sir 
John  Herschel's  Conclusions — The  Jerking  Needle— Reference  by  Aristotle-^- 
Northern  Lights  more  Common  than  formerly  in  the  Northern  Zones 826 

CHAPTER  V. 
IMAGES  IN  THE  HEAVENS. 

Optical  Phenomenon  at  B 11  ffalo  —  Topmasts  Rising  out  of  the  Water — Deceitful  Fog 
Bank — Extraordinary  "  Fata  Morgana"  in  Sicily— A  Spectacle  that  Excites  the 
Populace— Ascribing  the  Mirage  to  the  Devil  —Prophecy  Concerning  Elec- 
tricity— Prismatic  Colors  of  Amazing  Beauty — Troops  of  Clouds  in  the  Sky- 
Height  of  Clouds — Poetical  Fancies  from  Ossian — Mist  on  the  Water — Ac- 
counting for  Vapors — What  Colors  the  Sun — The  Great  Orb  Shorn  of  His 
Glories — Why  the  Sun  is  Red  at  Rising  and  Setting— Remarkable  Halos — 
Strange  Mock  Suns— Parhelia — Historic  Halos — What  Gassendi  Saw — Parhelia 
Observed  by  Hevelius — Beautiful  Sky  Picture  in  Tennessee— Perfection  of 
Creative  Skill — Phenomena  of  Light— Wonderful  Waves  and  Circles— Light  a 
Magnificent  Painter — Innumerable  Vibrations 837 

CHAPTER  VI. 
STRANGE  WANDERERS  THROUGH  SPACE. 

Sudden  Appearances — Unusual  Phenomena — Great  History  of  the  Heavens— Bodies 
Governed  by  Solar  Attraction — Elongated  Orbits — Marvelous  Comet  of  1680 — 
Period  Estimated  at  Three  Thousand  Years— Thousands  of  Miles  in  a  Minute- 
Sir  Isaac  Newton's  Prediction — Halley's  Comet — A  Frightened  Emperor — 
Shocking  Calamities  Supposed  to  be  Foreshadowed — Visitation  During  a  Bloody 
War — Hideous  Faces  and  Bristling  Hair — Byron's  Graphic  Description — Sub- 
stance of  Comets— Thin  Vapor— A  Comet  Enveloping  Jupiter— The  Poet  Con- 
der's  Apostrophe 851 

CHAPTER  VII. 

MONSTERS  AND  SUPERSTITIONS. 

Former  Belief  in  Astrology— Strange  Fancies— Olaus  Magnus  and  his  Absurdities- 
Droll  Description  of  the  Great  Sea  Serpent— The  Monster  Attacking  a  Ship- 
Statement  by  a  Bishop— Cooking  a  Meal  on  the  Back  of  a  Leviathan — Legendary 
History  of  Trees  and  Plants — Trees  Bearing  Water- Birds— Story  of  a  Marvelous 
Tree  in  Scotland— Belief  of  Scientific  Men  in  Ridiculous  Fables — Queer  Light- 
ning Rod— Charlatans  and  Greenhorns — Roots  of  the  Mandragora  Carved  into 
Fantastic  Shapes— Life  Preserver  of  Gods  and  Animals— Alarming  Eclipses..857 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Animals  that  Inhabit  Tropical  Countries  .         .        ..       Frontispiece. 

Pan-Kou-Chee,  the  Creator 26 

Thor,  the  Giant-God  of  the  Scandinavians       .         .         .         .         .         .28 

Combat  with  Kircher's  Winged  Dragon  ...  ...     30 

The  Primeval  Forest  from  which  our  Coal-Beds  were  Formed   .         .         -33 
Remarkable  Skeleton  of  an  Immense  Fish-Lizard     .         .         .         .         '35 

Enormous  Extinct  Animals — the  Ichthyosaurus  and  Plesiosaurus         .         .     37 
The  Great  Fish-Lizard  and  Flying  Reptile       ......     39 

Fossil  Skeleton  of  the  Pterodactyl  ........     40 

The  Ramphoryncus  or  Creeping  Bird       .         .         .         .         .         .         .41 

Immense  Pre-Historic  Animals — the  Iguanodon  and  Megalosaurus    .         .     44 
A  Huge  Bone-Plated  Animal— the  Hylaeosaurus        .         .         .         .         .45 

Gigantic  Skeleton  of  the  Mammoth  in  the  Museum  at  St.  Petersburg         .     47 
Footprints  of  the  Labyrinthodon  in  Stone        ......     50 

Footprints  of  a  Bird 50 

Footprints  of  a  Bird  and  Impression  of  Rain  Drops.         .         .         .         '5° 

Chalk  under  the  Microscope  .         .         .         .         .         .         .  52 

Fossil  Remains  in  Chalk.        .........     53 

A  Drop  of  Water  as  seen  under  the  Microscope 55 

Extinct  Animals,  the  Skeletons  of  which  are  Found  in  Solid  Rocks  .         .     61 
Fierce  Combat  between  the  Megalosaurus  and  Iguanodon          .         .         .63 
A  Massive  Antediluvian  Animal — the  Megalosaurus          .         .         .         -65 
The  Curious  Pterodactyl,  or  Wing-Fingered  Bird  "  .         .         .  67 

The  Ponderous  Iguanodon      .........     72 

The  Ichthyosaurus  and  Plesiosaurus  in  Mortal  Combat      .         .         .         -74 

Singular  Reptiles  of  the  Oolitic  Period 7& 

The  Flying  Dragon 78 

The  Immense  Dinotherium     .........     80 

An  Extraordinary  Reptile — the  Labyrinthodon         .         .         .         .         .81 

A  Group  of  Curious  Hand-Animals          .......     82 

The  Armadillo  of  the  Ancient  World 83 

The  Famous  Antediluvian  Crocodile 85 

The  Gigantic  Megatherium 86 

Skeleton  of  the  Megatherium  ........     88 

The  Dinornis — A  Bird  without  Wings     .......     93 

Fossil  Fishes  Bedded  in  Rock 95 

A  Zoophyte  with  Five-sided  Stem  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         -97 

Exquisite  Fossil  Shells 98 

Antediluvian  Animals  of  the  Valley  of  Paris 100 

(xix) 


XX  LIST  OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 


Ancient  Animals  in  the  Thames  Valley   .         .         .         .        .         .        .103 

Effect  of  an  Earthquake  on  the  Sea          .         .         .         .         .         .         .107 

Destruction  of  Lisbon  by  an  Earthquake 112 

Destruction  of  Messina  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .117 

Fissures  Produced  by  an  Earthquake        .         .         .         .         .         .         .118 

Terrible  Eruption  of  the  Hawaiian  Volcano — Mauna  Loa         .         .         .123 

Volcano  of  Taal  Luzon — Philippines 125 

Flames  Bursting  from  the  Crater  of  Stromboli 128 

Volcano  under  the  Ocean  near  the  Azore  Islands 130 

Volcanic  Eruption  at  Graham's  Island     .         .         .         .         .         .         .   133 

Chimney  Composed  of  Prisms  of  Basalt — St.  Helena        .         .         .         .135 

Birth  of  a  Volcanic  Island       .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .   139 

Eruption  of  Vesuvius,  August  26,  1872    .......   141 

Representative  Types  of  Pacific  Islanders         .         .         .         .         .         .146 

The  Grotesque  Maori  War  Dance 150 

Interior  of  a  Pah,  or  Native  Village 152 

A  Native  Chief  in  Full  War-dress 155 

Te  Ohu,  a  Native  Priest 159 

A  Tiki  at  the  Village  of  Roera 160 

Grotesque  Wooden  Idols .         .161 

House-Dwellers  on  the  Sea .   165 

King  Kamehameha  and  the  Spears 168 

Marquesan  Chief 169 

An  Araucanian  Marriage         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         •   J75 

Fijian  Canoe  in  a  Stiff  Breeze          .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .180 

An  Illanoan  Pirate  and  Saghai  Dyak       .         .         .         .         .         .         .183 

An  Exciting  Indian  Ball  Game 187 

The  Old  Arab  Attacking  the  Hippopotamus 189 

Expert  Dancers  Amusing  Spectators         .         .         .         »         .         •         .191 

The  Giraffe  or  Camelopard i96 

,  Giraffes  in  their  Native  Resorts 199 

Wild  Zebras  of  Southern  Africa 201 

The  Indian  Rhinoceros  .........   204 

Terrible  Encounter  with  a  Rhinoceros     .......   208 

The  Curious  Gavial  of  India  .         .         .         .         .         .         •         •         .212 

Flying  Dragon  and  Flying  Frog 214 

The  Imperial  Lion  of  Africa .         .222 

Livingstone's  Narrow  Escape  .         .         .         .         .         •         •         .225 

The  Royal  Tiger  of  India 229 

Hunting  a  Ferocious  Tiger 233 

•The  Sloth  Bear 236 

The  Hippopotamus  or  Gigantic  River-Horse    ......   239 

"  Obaysch  " — First  Hippopotamus  Transported  to  Europe        .         .         .   242 
The  Puma  or  American  Tiger          ........   246 

Grizzly  Bear  and  its  Prey 248 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  xxi 

PAGE 

The  Jungle  Bear  of  Southern  Asia  ........  250 

The  Prickly  Hedgehog .         .252 

Porcupine  and  its  Young         .         .  .         .         .  .         .   254 

The  Common  Porcupine  of  Canada         .......   255 

Bone-Plated  Armadillo 256 

Armadillo  Rolled  Up  and  Erect 257 

The  Scaly  Ant-Eater      .         .         .         . 259 

A  Family  of  Kangaroos •      .         .         .         .   261 

Opossum  Carrying  its  Young 262 

Elephants  in  their  Native  Jungle     ........   268 

Natives  of  South  Africa  Capturing  an  Elephant  *,  272 

Baldwin  Chased  by  an  Elephant „         .277 

Hunting  the  African  Rhinoceros 281 

Infuriated  Rhinoceros  Charging  on  Hunters 284 

Camp  Attacked  by  Fire-Eating  Rhinoceros 286 

Charge  of  a  Rhinoceros  Suddenly  Stopped       ......   289 

Capturing  a  Monstrous  Hippopotamus     .......   293 

Gorilla  Turning  upon  his  Pursuers  ........   298 

Hunting  the  Ostrich       .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  301 

An  Exciting  Chase          ..........  302 

A  Herd  of  Cattle  Attacked  by  an  Immense  African  Lion  .         .         .   308 

An  Oddity  of  the  Animal  Kingdom — the  Spectral  Lemur          .         .         .  311 

Peccary  or  Stag  Hog 312 

^Elian's  Wart-Hog          .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .314 

Great  African  Panther  and  Cubs     .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .316 

Omniverous  Malay  Tapir         .........  320 

Spiral-Horned  Wallachian  Sheep 322 

Bokhara  Mountain  Sheep 324 

Wonderful  Flying  Foxes 326 

Seals  in  their  Native  Haunts    .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .328 

Walrus  or  Sea-Horse       ..........  330 

The  World-Renowned  Gorilla         ........  335 

Asiatic  Orang-Outang     ..........  341 

Portrait  of  the  Orang-Outang  . 343 

Guereza,  with  Beautiful  Flying  Mantle     .......  346 

Dog-Faced  Baboons        ..........  348 

Lion  Monkeys  Stealing  Cocoanuts  .         .         .         .         .         .         -351 

White  and  Raven  Cockatoos  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  356 

The  Flag  Night-Swallow 358 

Specimens  of  the  Esculent  Swallow  and  Edible  Nest         ....  359 
The  Sappho  Humming-Bird    .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .361 

The  Sword-Bill 362 

Famous  Peregrine  Falcon        .........  364 

Secretary  Bird  Killing  a  Snake 365 

Nest  of  the  Water-Hen 367 


xxii  LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

Immense  Nests  of  African  Social  Grossbeaks    ......  369 

Nest  of  the  Tailor  Bird  ...........  370 

Three-Toed  Woodpecker 371 

Tufted  Penguin      .         .         .         .         .         .         .         ..         .         .372 

The  Pelican 374 

Marie  Delex  Seized  and  Carried  Away  by  an  Immense  Eagle    .         .         .381 
Vulture  on  his  Mountain  Crag         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  383 

Sea-Eagle  and  its  Captive        .........  384 

Fish-Eagle  with"  Brood  of  Young     .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .   387 

Ravenous  Harpy  Eagle  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .   389 

Royal  Bird  of  Paradise 393 

Graceful  Hedge-Sparrows 397 

Queenly  Lyre  Bird          .......         „         .         .  399 

Ariel  Swallows  and  Nest         .........   402 

Beautiful  Argus  Pheasant         .         ,         .         .         .         „         .         .         .   407 
Golden  Pheasant    ...........   409 

Wandering  Albatross 410 

Crested  Crane  and  Virgin  Crane     .         .         .         ...         .         .         .412 

Asiatic  Flamingo 414 

Curious  Apteryx  or  "  Kiwi' ' 417 

American  Ostrich  and  Young 422 

Crested  Guinea  Fowl     .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  424 

The  Sacred  Ibis 426 

Giant  Heron 428 

The  Strange  Shoe-Bill 430 

Snow  Owl  and  Screech  Owl .         .  432 

Sharp-Billed  Darter  or  Snake  Bird 434 

The  Gigantic  Adjutant   . .         .  438 

Blue-Headed  Parakeets 440 

Long-Tongued  Chameleon      .........   444 

Five-Toed  Gecko  or  Wall-Lizard 448 

South  American  Iguana 45° 

The  Sea  Guana 452 

Great  Jumping  Bull-Frog        .         .         .         .         .         .         •         .         •   455 

Armor- Plated  Frog         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .461 

Giant  Salamander  .         .         .         .  .         .         .         .         •  463 

Elephantine  Tortoise      .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         •  464 

The  Tun-Snail 466 

Famous  Egyptian  Crocodile    .......••  469 

Oriental  Snake-Charmers 475 

The  Venomous  Viper     ..........   480 

Ravenous  Boa-Constrictor  Swallowing  a  Fowl  .         .         .         .         .482 

Tree-Snake  Devouring  its  Prey        ........   486 

The  Ravenous  Egg-Eater        .         .         .         .         .         .  .         .  490 

The  Moloch 492 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  xxiii 

PAGE 

Pipa  Toad  Hatching  Eggs  on  its  Back 493 

Life  and  Metamorphoses  of  the  Dragon-Fly 497 

Magnified  Proboscis  of  the  Common  Fly  ......  500 

Common  Gnat  and  its  Metamorphoses     .......  501 

Caterpillars  on  the  March 504 

Voracious  Chicken-Spider '  .         ;   506 

Ant  About  to  Milk  Aphides 508 

Village  Built  by  Warrior  Ants         .         .         ..         .         .         .         •  511 

European  Chirping  Cricket     .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         •  5r7 

The  Mason  Spider  ..         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .522 

Greedy  Bird-Spider  Devouring  its  Victim 524 

New  Zealand  Moth  with  Fungus  Plume 526 

The  Monk  Bombyx — Chrysalis  and  Butterfly 529 

Wood-Boring  Goat-Moth        .........  532 

Carpenter  Bee  and  its  Little  Chambers    .......  533 

Great  Swarm  of  Migratory  Locusts  .......  535 

Ephemera  or  Creatures  of  a  Day      ........  539 

Dense  Swarm  of  Bees      .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .   541 

The  Famous  Weeping-Tree     .         .         . 547 

World-Renowned  India-Rubber  Tree       .         .         .         .         .         .         •  549 

Extracting  Milk  from  the  Cow-Tree         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  551 

Gigantic  Chapel  Oak  in  Normandy         .......   553 

Colossal  Baobab  of  the  Virgin  Forests  of  Africa        .....  556 

Historic  Lime-Tree  of  the  Battle  of  Morat       .         .         .         .         .         .  559 

Dragon's-Blood  Tree  of  the  Island  of  Teneriffe 560 

Poisonous  Tree  or  Upas  of  Java '         .563 

Unique  Tartarian  Lamb  .........  565 

Native  Forest  in  Sumatra,  with  Elegant  Specimens  of  Rafflesia  .  .  567 
Hunting  Excursion  Through  a  Mangrove  Forest  .  .  .  .  .  570 

The  Wine-Tree  or  Wine-Bearing  Sago-Palm 573 

Gigantic  Puff-Bail  of  One  Night's  Growth 575 

Panorama  of  Mont  Blanc  and  Surrounding  Mountains  .  .  .  -579 
Awful  Catastrophe  in  the  Chasms  of  Mont  Blanc  .....  585 
The  Mer  de  Glace — Famous  Glacier  of  the  Alps  .....  589 
Celebrated  St.  Bernard  Dogs  Rescuing  a  Traveler  .....  592 
Terrific  Cyclone  Hurling  Columns  of  Desert  Sand  into  the  Air  .  .  595 

The  Huge  Cuttle-Fish  Attacking  a  Ship 601 

Monstrous  Polypus  Met  by  the  Steamship  Alecto 603 

A  Monstrous  Sea-Serpent  as  Described  by  Sailors  .....  607 
A  Boat's  Crew  Attacking  a  Whale  .......  612 

Enormous  Whale  of  the  Arctic  Regions .  614 

In  the  Jaws  of  the  Great  White  Shark 618 

The  Hammer-Headed  Shark  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .*        .621 

The  Angel  Fish      ...........  622 

The  Pegasus  Dragon 623 


XXJV  LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAG* 


The  Spike  Fish 625 

The  Stomias-Boa 626 

Professor  Silliman's  Double  Cat-Fish       .         .         .         .         .         .         .627 

Professional  Divers  Gathering  Sponge     .......  628 

The  Historic  Deluge  and  its  Terrible  Devastation 633 

A  Phosphorescent  Sea 635 

Whale  and  Fishes  in  Brilliant  Phosphorescent  Light          .         .         .         -637 

A  Water-Spout  at  Sea 642 

A  Ship  in  Danger  from  Water-Spouts 643 

Front  View  of  the  Immense  Octopus 645 

Glutinous  Jelly-Fishes 647 

Beautiful  Specimens  of  Star-Fish     ........  649 

Crested  Seal 650 

A  Savage  Foe 65 1 

The  Ancient  Ammonite 652 

An  Island  in  Mid-Ocean  Formed  by  Coral  Insects 655 

A  Coral  Shrub 656 

A  Sponge  with  Coralline  Attached  .         .         .         .         .         .         -657 

Scaly-Clawed  Crustacean         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         -659 

Specimens  of  Bivalve  and  Univalve  Shells 660 

White  Actinia  of  St.  Helena 662 

Catching  a  Huge  Turtle 663 

A  Sea-Flower  in  Living  Stone          ........  664 

A  Stone  with  Star  Clusters 665 

Icelanders  Capturing  Narwhals        .         .         .         .         .         .         •         .670 

Hairy  Medusae        .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  •         .671 

Perilous  Encounter  with  a  Whale     ........  673 

A  Flock  of  Sea-Gulls 676 

The  Singular  Island  of  St.  Kilda '.         .         .677 

Specimens  of  Curious  Fishes 679 

The  Shooting-Fish  Catching  a  Bee 68 1 

The  Doko  or  Salamander  Fish 683 

The  Mud-Jumper  or  Climbing-Fish          .......  684 

A  School  of  Flying-Fishes       .........  689 

Gurnards,  or  Fishes  that  Growl       ........  690 

The  Red  Fire-Fish 692 

The  Opah  or  King  Fish 693 

Family  of  Paradise  Fishes 695 

The  Sea-Butterfly 696 

The  Bridegroom  Fish      .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .697 

The  Sword-Fish  Capturing  his  Prey 7°° 

The  Sea-Bat 701 

Pipe  Fish  and  Sea-Horse         .         .         . 702 

Short-Nosed  Hippocampus 7°4 

The  Sharp-Nosed  Skate 705 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  xxv 

PAGB 

Loon  in  the  Jaws  of  an  Angler-Fish 706 

The  Tape  Fish .  707 

The  Sea-Cat -  .         .         .708 

Flat  Fish :  Turbot,  Plaice,  Flounder,  Sole 709 

Spiny  Sea- Porcupine 711 

Sturgeons  of  the  Caspian  Sea 712 

Globe  Fish  and  Sun  Fish 713 

Shooting  Seals        ...........   715 

Swimming  Jelly-Fishes 720 

Remarkable  Trunk-Fish 721 

The  Narwhal  or  Sea-Unicorn 723 

Spiny  Sticklebacks  and  Nest  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .   725 

Sword  or  Fan-Fish          ..........  729 

The  Sucker  Fish 730 

Harness  Fish  ...........  731 

Old  and  Young  Silurus 733 

Fahak  or  Urchin  Fish 735 

Angler  and  Arrow  Pike 736 

Cases  of  Sharks'  Eggs .738 

Coral  Arbor  and  Mysterious  Cuttle-Fish 741 

Sea-Cucumber  at  the  Bottom  of  the  Ocean 744 

Beautiful  Specimens  of  Star-Fishes 747 

Marvelous  Plants  on  the  Bottom  of  the  Ocean 749 

Curious  Polyp 750 

Natives  Capturing  Immense  Green  Turtles       .         .         .         .         .         -753 
Coriaceous  Turtle  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         •  755 

Edible  Turtle 756 

American  Lobster  and  Spiny  Lobster 757 

Crabs  Washed  Ashore  by  a  High  Tide 760 

The  American  Giant-Crab 762 

Great  Crab  of  Madagascar 763 

Beautiful  Coral  Island  Surrounding  a  Lagoon  in  the  Pacific      .         .         .  766 
Rare  Specimens  of  Mollusks   .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .   7^7 

Madrepore  Attached  to  a  Mother-of-Pearl  Oyster     .-  .         .         .  768 

Helmet  Shell  of  Madagascar,  etc "...   769 

Bear's-Paw  Clam,  etc 77° 

Oyster  with  Beautiful  Pearls 772 

Ship  Wrecked  by  a  Furious  Storm <,         .         .   776 

The  "Jeannette"  Crushed  and  Abandoned 779 

Savage  Battle  with  Walruses '    .         .         .781 

Shipwrecked  Sailors  Attacked  by  Sharks 783 

Waterspouts  in  the  Southern  Seas    ....  ...  787 

Terrible  Hurricane  in  the  Tropics 789 

Relative  Sizes  of  the  Sun  and  Planets      .         -.         .         ,         .         „         •  797 
Lord  Rosse's  Great  Reflecting  Telescope 804 


xxvi  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 


Shower  of  Brilliant  Meteors  on  the  Ocean 807 

Volcanic  Craters  on  the  Moon's  Surface  at  Sunset 813 

Part  of  the  Moon's  Crescent  during  the  First  Quarter      .        .         .         .817 

The  Earth  as  Seen  from  the  Moon 820 

Singular  Aspect  of  the  Moon's  Surface     .         .         .         .         .         .         .821 

Brilliant  Aurora  Borealis  in  the  Arctic  Seas 831 

Auroral  Flames  in  the  Northern  Sky  .  .  .  .  c  .  .832 
Ships  Painted  on  the  Sky  by  Atmospheric  Refraction  ....  836 
Remarkable  Appearances  of  Cloud-Land  .  .  .  .  .  .  839 

Halos  and  Parhelia 843 

Parhelia  Observed  by  Gassendi        .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  844 

Parhelia  Observed  by  Hevelius        ........  845 

Parhelia  Observed  in  Tennessee 846 

Intersection  of  Two  Wave  Systems  .        .         .        .         .         .         .  849 

Ancient  Sea-Serpent .         .         .858 

Monster  Attacking  a  Ship 859 

Marine  Dragon 860 

The  Bird  Tree 861 

Tree  Producing  Ducks .862 

Carved  Mandragora  Roots 863 


UNIVERSITY 
\£SLHV&&/- 

BOOK  I. 

THE  EARTH.  , 


CHAPTER  I. 
MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD. 

Curious  Old  Legends  and  Superstitions— A  Chinese  Quarryman— A  Scandinavian 
God  with  his  Sledge-Hammer—Strange  things  Seen  by  a  Sybil— The  Crust  of. 
the  Earth  a  Museum  of  Singular  Relics— Footprints  and  Skeletons  of  Gigantic 
Birds  and  Four-Footed  Animals— Enormous  Sizes  and  Uncouth  Forms— Extinct 
Species  of  Animal  Life — An  Immense  Fish  Lizzard— Extraordinary  Marine 
Reptile — A  Wing-Fingered  Monster — A  Freak  of  Nature — A  Fossil  Reptile 
Sixty  Feet  Long — The  Scaly  Hylaeosaurus — Discovery  of  the  Mammoth— An 
Island  of  Bones — The  Huge  Dinotherium — A  Bulky  Creature  that  could  neither 
Walk,  Leap  nor  Climb — Natural  History  Printed  on  Leaves  of  Stone — Marks 
of  Raindrops,  Trees  and  Birds  on  Rocks — Fossil  Remains  of  Myriads  of  Minute 
Beings— Layers  of  Various  Kinds  of  Shells  Forming  Marble  of  Great  Beauty — 
Wonders  of  a  Drop  of  Water  Under  the  Microscope. 

HE  scenes  of  creation  astonish  us,  whether  uplifting  our  look 
we  gaze  at  the  brilliant  heavens,  or  cast  our  eyes  upon  the 
tiniest  creatures  of  this  lower  realm.  Immensity  is  everywhere. 
It  stands  revealed  in  the  azure  dome  of  heaven,  where  glows 
a  perfect  dust  of  stars,  and  in  the  living  atom  which  hides  from  us  the 
marvels  of  its  organization.  The  ideas  of  the  ancients  respecting  the  birth 
of  the  world,  and  the  origin  of  its  wonderful  forms  of  life,  appear  to  us 
to  be  very  singular.  We  find  curious  old  traditions  and  legends,  stories 
of  mighty  gods  and  enormous  giants,  who  had  something  to  do  with  the 
work  of  creation.  There  were  strange  fancies,  too,  concerning  the  shape 
of  the  earth,  the  boundaries  of  its  lands  and  seas,  the  foundation  on  which 
it  was  built,  and  the  movements  of  the  heavenly  bodies. 

The  Grecian  picture  of  the  creation,  as  we  see  it  engraved  on  the  shield 
of  that  famous  warrior,  Achilles,  represents  the  earth  as  a  flattened  disk, 
surrounded  everywhere,  and  in  a  circular  form,  by  the  sea,  or  rather  by  the 
river  of  ocean  which  defines  the  limits  of  the  known  world.  Above  this 
terrestrial  disk  the  solid  sky  is  outspread  like  a  dome ;  a  dome  supported 
by  two  massive  pillars,  which  rest  on  the  god  Atlas.  A  similar  absurdity 
prevails  among  several  ancient  peoples.  The  Scandinavians  balance  the 

(25) 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


earth  on  nine  posts.  The  Brahmins  figure  it  as  propped  up  on  four  ele- 
phants. But  on  what  foundation  do  these  nine  posts  and  four  elephants 
repose  ?  What  Anak  of  a  god  can  support  on  his  brawny  shoulders  the 
burden  of  the  terrestrial  mass  ?  Without  pausing  over  these  questions, 
let  us  complete  our  outline  of  the  Grecian  picture :  The  solid  vault  of  the 
heavens  is  traversed  by  the  stars  in  chariots  of  silver,  impelled  by  the 


PAN-KOU-CHEE,  THE  CREATOR (FROM  AN  OLD  CHINESE  PAINTING). 

rapid  clouds.  When  the  sun  bursts  upon  human  eyes,  he  emerges  from 
the  sea  on  the  side  of  the  east ;  in  the  evening,  he  re-plunges,  on  the  west, 
into  the  same  great  river.  During  the  night,  borne  in  a  golden  car,  he 
re-ascends,  beneath  the  earth,  the  pathway  of  the  eternal  ocean.  There — 
that  is  to  say,  below  the  earth — spreads  another  vault,  corresponding 


MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD.          27 

in  its  curvature  to  that  of  the  sky  :  the  vault  of  Tartarus — the  shadowy 
realm  of  the  Titians,  those  rebellious  and  vanquished  angels  of  the 
Pagan  mythology.  Sombre  and  silent,  Tartarus  is  shrouded  in  ever- 
lasting night. 

Chinese  ^Legend  of  the  Creation. 

When  we  cast  a  glance  upon  creation,  we  are  astonished  at  its  vastness, 
and  we  see  that  none  of  our  fictions  attain  the  sublimity  of  its  proportions. 
For  instance,  the  Chinese  account  of  creation  represents  the  first  organizer 
of  chaos  under  the  form  of  a  feeble  old  man,  enervated  and  tottering,  called 
Pan-Kou-Che,  surrounded  by  confused  masses  of  rock,  and  holding  a  chisel 
in  one  hand  and  a  hammer  in  the  other.  He  toils  painfully  at  his  work, 
with  chisel  and  hammer,  and,  covered  with  perspiration,  carves  out  the 
crust  of  the  globe,  at  the  same  time  that  he  clears  a  path  through  a 
wilderness  of  rocky  masses.  One  shudders  at  the  relative  feebleness  of 
the  workman  to  the  immensity  of  the  task.  Well  nigh  lost  amidst  enor- 
mous masses  of  shattered  stone,  which  surround  him  on  every  side  and 
encumber  the  picture,  he  appears  to  be  a  real  pigmy  executing  a  herculean 
task. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  people  of  the  North,  looking  upon  their  land  so 
often  devastated  by  floods,  thought  that  some  god  in  his  anger  had  broken 
up  the  surface  of  it,  and  gathered  the  ruins  into  heaps.  But  to  the  children 
of  Scandinavia  this  deity  was  not  a  trembling  used-up  old  man ;  they  re- 
quired a  divinity  endowed  with  their  own  savage  energy.  In  their  eyes 
it  was  the  god  of  tempests ;  the  redoubtable  and  gigantic  Thor,  who,  armed 
with  a  blacksmith's  hammer,  and  suspended  over  the  abyss,  with  mighty 
blows  broke  up  the  crust  of  the  earth,  and  fashioned  out  the  rocks  and 
mountains  with  the  splinters.  Here  we  see  already  an  advance  upon  the 
feeble  old  Pan-Kou-Che ;  strength  is  substituted  for  the  weakness  of  old 
age.  Thor  shows  like  a  revolted  giant,  raging  and  shattering  everything 
that  falls  within  his  reach. 

To  us  such  images  appear  very  puerile.  Instead  of  these  old  men  and 
giants  laboriously  occupied  in  hammering  out  the  globe,  we  only  trace 
everywhere  the  invisible  hand  of  the  Creator.  In  one  place,  with  a  deli- 
cacy which  passes  all  conception,  it  animates  the  insect  with  the  breath  of 
life ,  in  another,  expanding  itself  to  vast  dimensions,  it  reins  the  worlds 
scattered  through  space,  and  convulses  or  annihilates  them.  It  is  at  such 
times  that,  in  the  midst  of  its  throes,  our  globe  cleaves  its  mountains  and 
opens  its  abysses ;  and  upon  each  of  its  gigantic  ruins,  as  upon  each  grain 
of  sand,  the  philosopher  finds  written  a  grand  page  of  natural  wonders. 


28 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


In  the  Scandinavian  mythology  we  discover  some  pictures  of  the  great 
events  which  then  took  place  in  the  earth  and  in  the  heavens.  The 
description  paints  the  ravages  of  the  volcanic  eruptions  and  of  the  waves 
of  a  wild  and  untamed  ocean.  The  inspired  sybil  relates  that  at  this  time 
the  sun  did  not  rise  where  it  now  does,  and  that  the  East  was  invaded  by 
polar  ices.  I  remember,  says  the  sybil,  nine  worlds  and  nine  heavens. 


THOR,  THE  GIANT-GOD  OF  THE  SCANDINAVIANS,   RECONSTRUCTING  THE  GLOBE. 

Before  the  sons  of  the  gods  raised  the  globes,  the  sun  shone  in  the 
South.  In  the  East  is  seated  the  old  woman  in  the  forest  of  iron  (the  polar 
ices).  The  sun  is  covered  with  clouds,  the  earth  sinks  in  the  sea,  the  shin- 
ing stars  disappear  from  the  heavens,  clouds  of  smoke  envelop  the  all- 
nourishing  tree,  lofty  flames  mount  even  to  heaven ;  the  sea  rears  itself 
violently  towards  the  skies  and  passes  over  the  lands.  Neither  earth 


MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD.  29 

nor  sun  exist  any  longer;  the  air  is  overcome  by  glittering  streams.  The 
sybil  for  the  second  time  sees  the  earth,  covered  with  verdure,  rise 
from  the  sea. 

Thus  the  people  of  antiquity  had  their  superstitions  and  their  fabulous 
legends,  but  these  were  never  so  widely  diffused  as  they  became  in  the 
middle  ages,  a  period  of  simple  ignorance  and  ardent  faith.  At  that  time, 
as  M.  Figuier  says  in  his  excellent  work  on  this  epoch,  all  classes  of  the 
people,  and  even  a  great  part  of  the  nobility,  the  magistracy,  and  the  clergy, 
believed  in  magic.  Learned  men  vied  with  each  other  in  collecting  all  the 
fables  of  their  forefathers  and  recording  them  in  their  works.  They  found 
monsters  in  every  kingdom  of  nature,  and  equally  in  the  depths  of  the  sea 
as  in  the  heavens.  They  appeared  to  think  men  were  compelled  to  draw 
on  their  imaginations  for  the  marvelous,  the  absurdity  of  which  amuses  us 
at  the  present  day,  for  we  have  learned  that  in  the  great  realms  of  nature 
scenes  are  presented  wruch  are  more  extraordinary  and  thrilling  than  any 
fictions  'of  ancient  times.  Yet  the  most  eminent  men  of  the  middle  ages, 
who  could  discuss  all  branches  of  human  knowledge  of  that  day  with 
perfect  clearness,  seemed  to  be  struck  with  blindness  as  soon  as  the  ques- 
tion turned  upon  monsters.  One  well-known  naturalist  describes  with 
minute  precision  all  the  localities  in  the  Alps,  all  the  animals  to  be  found 
there,  and  every  flower  that  blooms  in  their  valleys.  Every  object  is  drawn 
with  extraordinary  skill ;  there  is  so  much  delicacy  in  his  engravings  that 
the  humblest  moss  may  be  recognized.  But  along  with  these  faithful 
representations  of  nature,  we  find  frightful  aerial  monsters ;  winged  dragons 
which  swarm  in  the  obscure  windings  of  roads,  and  stop  the  alarmed 
traveller.  The  perusal  of  the  work  of  this  author  might  well  have  sufficed 
to  prevent  our  credulous  ancestors  from  venturing  into  the  gorges  of  the 
Alps  or  searching  into  their  dark  caverns ! 

The  Earth  Born  of  Fire  and  Water. 

Another  celebrated  work  represents  sirens,  monks,  and  men-at- 
arms  of  the  sea,  all  covered  with  scales,  and  as  fresh  as  if  they 
had  just  withdrawn  from  the  gulfs  of  Neptune.  Kircher,  who  was 
also  a  well-known  writer,  pictures  frightful  dragons  which  guard 
the  riches  of  the  earth,  and  which  must  be  vanquished  before -obtaining 
possession  of  them. 

When  learned  men  began  to  occupy  themselves  with  the  formation  of 

,the  earth,  they  became  divided  into  two  very  clearly  defined  opposite 

parties  :  the  Plutonists,  who  attributed  the  crust  of  the  globe  exclusively 

to  fire ;  and  the  Neptunists,  who,  on  the  contrary,  derived    everything 

from  the  action  of  water.     The  truth  is  that  fire  and  water   have   had 


30 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


their  share  by  turns.  One  part  of  the  terrestrial  crust  is  the  result  of 
ignition,  the  other  that  of  the  deposit  from  water.  It  is  evident  that  the 
globe  is  only  a  sun  crusted  over  and  partially  extinguished,  the  hard- 
ened surface  of  which  hides  the  great  interior  furnace  from  view. 

The  globe  on   fire,  and  launched    into    space,   necessarily  gave  off 
heat,  and  when  after  a  long  succession  of  ages  it  had  sufficiently  cooled 


COMBAT   WITH    KIRCHER/S    WINGED    DRAGON. 

its  surface  became  solidified,  and  constituted  the  primitive  crust.  When 
this  cooling  process  had  made  sufficient  progress,  the  vapors  from  the 
earth,  an  immense  atmosphere  of  which  enveloped  the  globe,  became  con- 
densed and  for  ages  descended  upon  the  earth  in  torrents  of  rain.  Gleams 
of  lightning  and  incessant  peals  of  thunder  accompanied  these  imposing 


MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD.  31 

scenes  of  the  birth  of  our  globe,  of  which  our  imagination  will  never 
yield  us  more  than  an  imperfect  image. 

Origin  of  the  First  Seas. 

At  the  same  time  that,  in  the  course  of  ages,  the  crust  of  the  earth 
increased  in  thickness,  the  cooling  down,  by  contracting  the  globe, 
forced  its  envelope  to  yield  and  break.  These  convulsions  produced  the 
mountains  which  now  diversify  its  surface.  Whilst  the  crust  of  the 
earth  was  yet  thin,  a  slight  effort  of  the  central  heat  sufficed  to  rupture 
it,  but  this  only  produced  insignificant  elevations.  When  this  crust  had 
acquired  greater  thickness,  its  rupture,  inasmuch  as  it  required  much 
greater  force,  was  only  effected  by  means  of  the  most  violent  movements ; 
it  was  then  that  the  Cordilleras  rose  into  the  clouds.  The  upheaval  of  each 
mountain  chain  was  necessarily  accompanied  by  violent  commotions  in 
the  depths  of  the  sea,  and  thence  came  those  grand  scenes  of  deluges 
mentioned  in  the  traditions  of  all  nations.  These  great  upliftings,  of  which 
fifteen  have  been  proven  by  geological  science,  terminated  by  the  rising  of 
the  chain  of  the  Andes,  the  result  of  an  immense  rent  extending  almost 
from  pole  to  pole.  Then  the  two  Americas  were  lifted  above  the  ocean, 
and  assumed  their  present  shape.  Thus  fire  and  water  successively 
remodelled  the  surface  of  the  globe.  It  is  to  be  remarked  that  the  crust 
of  the  earth  in  breaking  follows  a  fixed  direction.  All  the  great  mountain 
chains  have  been  developed  from  the  north  to  the  south,  as  the  Andes 
and  Ural,  or  from  west  to  east,  as  in  the  Atlas  chain. 

Amazing'  Destruction,  of  Animal  Life. 

It  is  evident  that  each  period  had  its  peculiar  organic  forms,  and  that 
the  species  of  animals  of  one  epoch  neither  lived  before  nor  after  this 
epoch.  Humboldt  himself,  the  most  illustrious  philosopher  of  modern 
times,  embraces  this  opinion  without  any  qualification.  Each  upheaval, 
he  says,  of  these  mountain  chains  of  which  we  can  determine  the  relative 
antiquity,  has  been  signalized  by  the  destruction  of  ancient  species  and 
the  appearance  of  new  forms  of  life.  Numerous  groups  of  animals  and 
plants  have  had  their  beginning  and  their  end,  and  creative  intervention 
must  have  manifested  itself  at  the  appearance  of  each  of  them.  The 
earth  is  only  an  immense  cemetery  where  each  generation  acquires  life 
at  the  expense  of  that  which  has  just  expired  ;  the  particles  of  our  corpses 
form  new  materials  for  the  beings  which  follow  us. 

The  first  layers  of  the  earth  that  cooled  down  became  covered  with 
a  luxuriant  vegetation,  the  remains  of  which  now  constitute  our  coal- 
beds — antediluvian  forests,  which  the  genius  of  man  extracts  from  the 
depths  of  the  earth,  to  serve  the  wants  of  industry  and  his  own  dwellings. 


32  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

During  this  period  the  whole  surface  of  the  globe  was  covered  with  strange 
and  dense  forests,  where  proudly  reigned  a  host  of  plants  and  trees,  the 
representatives  of  which  at  the  present  day  play  but  a  very  humble  part. 
Here  were  palms  and  bamboos,  there  gigantic  moss-like  plants,  which 
bore  straight 'Stems  towering  to  a  height  of  eighty  to  a  hundred  feet. 
Then  came  immense  growths,  the  stems  of  which  remind  one  of  a 
reptile's  scaly  armor.  Lastly  came  trees  of  the  family  of  our  pines  and 
firs,  their  boughs  laden  with  fruit. 

4.  Gig-antic  Growths  of  Vegetation. 

These  vast  primeval  forests,  which  the  course  of  ages  was  to  anni- 
hilate, sprang  up  on  a  heated  and  marshy  soil,  which  surrounded  the 
lofty  trees  with  thick  compact  masses  of  aquatic  plants,  intended  to  act 
a  great  part  in  the  formation  of  coal.  The  luxuriant  vegetation  of  the 
coal  period  was  certainly  favored  by  the  enormous  heat  which  the 
scarcely-chilled  terrestrial  crust  still  preserved,  as  also  by  the  dampness 
of  the  atmosphere,  and  very  probably  by  the  great  abundance  of  car- 
bonic acid  which  it  then  contained.  Although  a  thick  and  magnificent 
mantle  of  foliage  covered  the  globe,  everything  wore  a  strange,  gloomy 
aspect.  Everywhere  rose  gigantic  rushes  and  ferns,  drawing  up  an 
exuberance  of  life  from  the  fertile  and  virgin  soil.  The  latter  in  their 
aspect  resembled  palms,  and  the  least  breath  of  wind  waved  their 
crowns  of  finely-cut  leaves  like  flexible  plumes  of  feathers.  A  sky,  ever 
sombre  and  veiled,  oppressed  with  heavy  clouds  the  domes  of  these 
forests:  a  wan  and  dubious  light  scarcely  made  visible  the  dark  and 
naked  trunks,  shedding  on  all  sides  a  shadowy  and  indescribable  hue 
of  horror.  This  rich  covering  of  vegetation,  which  extended  from  pole 
to  pole,  was  sad  and  utterly  silent,  as  well  as  strangely  monotonous. 
Not  a  single  flower  enlivened  the  foliage,  not  one  edible  fruit  loaded  its 
branches.  The  echoes  remained  absolutely  mute,  and  the  branches 
without  a  sign  of  life,  for  no  air-breathing  animal  had  as  yet  appeared 
amid  these  dismal  scenes  of  the  ancient  world ! 

One  might  say,  in  fact,  that  there  was  then  no  animal  life  to  be 
seen,  for  amid  so  many  remains  of  the  coral  flora,  which  geologists 
have  so  admirably  reconstructed,  they  have  only  met  with  a  few 
rare  vestiges  of  one  small  reptile.  This  great  contrast  between  the 
richness  of  the  vegetable  and  penury  of  the  animal  kingdom  is  explained 
by  the  great  quantity  of  carbonic  acid  at  that  time  mixed  with  the 
atmosphere,  which,  though  particularly  favorable  to  the  life  of  plants, 
must  have  been  fatal  to  all  animals  endowed  with  active  respiration.  But 
though  the  atmosphere  was  poisonous,  the  seas,  on  the  contrary,  uniting  to- 


(33) 


84  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

gether  all  conditions  most  favorable  to  life,  were  peopled  with  shelled  mol- 
luscs and  fish.  After  having  lent  life  to  the  primitive  ages  of  the  globe, 
these  strange  forests  completely  disappeared  in  the  lapse  of  ages,  and 
they  have  now  become  almost  impossible  to  recognize,  owing  to  the 
transformations  they  have  undergone  in  nature's  immense  subterra- 
nean store-houses.  There  can,  however,  be  no  doubt  about  the  matter. 
It  is  clearly  the  remains  of  these  antique  forests  of  our  planet  that  con- 
stitute the  coal  of  the  present  time.  Science,  carrying  its  torch  even 
into  the  dark  regions  whence  these  remains  proceeded,  has  discovered 
all  the  constituent  parts.  Amid  the  black  and  gleaming  masses  of  the 
coal  strata  abundant  impressions  have  been  found  of  the  plants  which 
produced  our  vast  beds  of  coal. 

Discovery  of  an  Antediluvian  Monster. 

In  the  year  1814,  Sir  Everard  Home  published  an  account  of  some 
large  and  very  remarkable  bones  found  in  a  rock,  thirty  or  forty  feet 
above  the  sea  level,  on  the  English  coast.  The  remains  examined  were 
incomplete,  and  the  nature  and  habits  of  the  animal  to  which  they  be- 
longed baffled  all  inquiry,  until  the  discovery  of  more  perfect  skeletons 
unfolded  a  race  of  water  reptiles,  which  received  the  name  of  ichthyosau- 
aurus,  or  fish-lizard.  This  strange  creature  ranging  from  twenty  to  more 
than  thirty  feet  in  length,  of  which  ten  species  are  enumerated,  had  the 
snout  of  a  porpoise,  the  head  of  a  lizard,  teeth  of  a  crocodile,  the  vertebrae 
of  a  fish,  and  the  paddles  of  a  whale;  thus  presenting  in  itself  a  combi- 
nation of  mechanical  contrivances  which  are  now  found  distributed  among 
three  distinct  classes  of  the  animal  kingdom.  Persons  to  whom  this  sub- 
ject may  now  be  presented  for  the  first  time,  will  receive  with  much  sur- 
prise, perhaps  almost  with  incredulity,  such  statements  as  are  here  advanced. 
It  must  be  admitted  that  they  at  first  seem  much  more  like  the  dreams  of 
fiction  and  romance  than  the  sober  results  of  calm  and  deliberate  investi- 
gation ;  but  to  those  who  will  examine  the  evidence  of  facts  upon  which 
our  conclusions  rest,  there  can  remain  no  more  reasonable  doubt  ot  the 
former  existence  of  these  strange  and  curious  creatures,  in  the  times  and 
places  we  assign  to  them,  than  is  felt  by  the  antiquarian,  who,  finding  the 
catacombs  of  Egypt  stored  with  the  mummies  of  men,  and  apes,  and 
crocodiles,  concludes  them  to  be  the  remains  of  animals  and  reptiles,  that 
have  formed  part  of  an  ancient  population  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile.  The 
teeth  of  the  lizard-fish,  in  some  instances  amounting  to  two  hundred  and 
ten,  and  the  length  of  the  jaws  to  more  than  six  feet,  qualified  it  for  prey- 
ing upon  weaker  creations ;  and  the  half-digested  remains  of  fishes  and 
reptiles,  found  within  the  skeletons,  indicate  the  precise  nature  of  its  food* 


MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD.  35 

A  single  paddle  of  the  four  with  which  the  animal  was  furnished  some- 
times contains  more  than  a  hundred  bones,  giving  it  great  elasticity  and 
power,  and  enabling  it  to  proceed  at  a  rapid  rate  through  the  water.  The 
eye  was  enormously  large,  its  cavity,  in  one  species,  being  fourteen  inches 
in  its  longest  direction.  The  eye  also  had  a  peculiar  construction,  to  make 
it  operate  both  like  a  telescope  and  a  microscope,  so  that  the  animal  could 
descry  its  prey  by  night  as  well  as  day,  and  at  great  depths  in  the  water. 
This  fish-like  lizard  in  some  degree  answers  to  the  words  of  Milton  • 


REMARKABLE    SKELETON    OF    AN    IMMENSE   FISH-LIZZARD. 

With  head  uplift  above  the  waves,  and  eyes 
That  sparkling  blazed,  his  other  parts  besides, 
Prone  on  the  flood,  extended  long  and  large, 
Lay  floating  many  a  rood. 

The  lizard-fish  was  an  air-breathing,  cold-blooded,  and  carnivorous  in- 
habitant of  the  ocean,  probably  haunting  principally  its  creeks  and  bays, 
fitted  by  its  formidable  jaws  and  teeth,  its  rapid  motion  and  power  of 
vision,  to  be  the  scourge  and  tyrant  of  the  existing  seas  of  its  era,  keeping 
the  multiplication  of  the  species  of  other  animals  within  proper  limits. 


36  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Though  essentially  marine,  and  admirably  adapted  by  its  organization  to 
cut  the  waves,  certain  peculiarities  of  structure  have  induced  the  opinion 
that  the  forward  paddles  might  be  subservient  to  locomotion  not  only  in  the 
water, but  on  land.  Professor  Owen  thinks  that  the  ichthyosauri,  like  the  ex- 
isting crocodiles,  may  have  come  ashore  to  sleep,  or  resorted  thitherto  de- 
posit their  eggs.  The  remains  of  these  animals  occur  in  great  abundance  on 
the  English  coast  where  the  cliffs  appear  to  be  inexhaustible  quarries  of  them. 

A  Strange  Marine  Reptile. 

In  the  same  strata  in  which  the  remains  of  the  ichthyosaurus  are  found, 
another  marine  reptile  appears,  which  received  its  name  of  plesiosaurus, 
signifying  akin  to  the  lizard,  from  its  more  closely  resembling  animals  of 
this  genus  than  fishes,  especially  in  the  character  of  the  skeleton.  A 
similar  remarkable  combination  of  forms  appears  in  this  animal  to  that 
which  distinguishes  its  preceding  relative — the  head  of  a  lizard,  the  teeth 
of  a  crocodile,  a  neck  resembling  the  body  of  a  serpent,  the  trunk  and 
tail  of  an  ordinary  quadruped,  the  ribs  of  a  chameleon,  and  the  paddles 
of  a  whale.  Such  are  the  strange  combinations  of  form  and  structure  in 
the  plesiosaurus,  a  genus,  the  remains  of  which,  after  interment  for  thou- 
sands of  years  amidst  the  wreck  of  millions  of  extinct  inhabitants  of  the 
ancient  earth,  are  at  length  recalled  to  light  by  the  researches  of  the  geolo- 
gist, and  submitted  to  our  examination  in  nearly  as  perfect  a  state  as  the 
bones  of  species  that  are  now  existing  upon  the  earth.  Its  most  striking 
feature  is  the  great  length  of  the  neck,  which  has  from  thirty  to  forty 
vertebrae,  or  bone  joints,  a  larger  number  than  in  any  known  animal,  those 
of  living  reptiles  varying  from  three  to  six,  and  those  of  birds  from  nine 
to  twenty-three.  It  has  been  therefore  correctly  compared  to  a  serpent, 
threaded  through  the  body  of  a  turtle.  That  it  was  aquatic,  is  evident 
from  the  form  of  its  paddles  ;  that  it  was  marine  is  almost  equally  so,  from 
the  remains  with  which  it  is  universally  associated ;  that  it  may  have  occa- 
sionally visited  the  shore,  the  resemblance  of  its  extremities  to  those  of 
the  turtle  may  lead  us  to  conjecture;  its  motion,  however,  must  have  been 
very  awkward  on  land;  its  long  neck  must  have  impeded  its  progress 
through  the  water,  presenting  a  striking  contrast  to  the  organization  of 
the  lizard-fish,  which  so  admirably  fitted  it  for  that  purpose.  May  it  not 
therefore  be  concluded  (since  in  addition  to  these  circumstances,  its  respir- 
ation must  have  required  frequent  access  to  air)  that  it  swam  upon  or  near 
the  surface,  arching  back  its  long  neck  like  the  swan,  and  occasionally  darting 
it  down  at  the  fish  which  happened  to  float  within  its  reach  ?  It  may  per- 
haps have  lurked  in  shoal  water  along  the  coast,  concealed  among  the 
sea-weed,  and  raising  its  nostrils  to  the  surface  from  a  considerable  depth, 


(37) 


38  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

may  have  found  a  secure  retreat  from  the  assaults  of  dangerous  enemies; 
while  the  length  and  flexibility  of  its  neck  may  have  compensated  for 
the  want  of  strength  in  its  jaws,  and  its  incapacity  for  swift  motion  through 
the  water,  by  the  suddenness  and  agility  of  the  attack  which  they  enabled 
it  to  make  on  every  animal  fitted  for  its  prey. 

The  appearance  of  the  animal,  which  is  far  less  formidable  than  that  of 
the  ichthyosaurus,  shows  that  it  was  more  adapted  to  occupy  the  tranquil 
waters  of  sheltered  creeks  and  bays  than  to  brave  the  rough  breakers  of 
the  deep.  The  first  almost  entire  skeleton  of  plesiosaurus  was  obtained 
in  1824,  and  since  then  a  large  number  of  species  have  been  established. 
From  the  connected  and  almost  perfect  state  of  the  skeletons  of  ichthy- 
osauri and  plesiosauri,  as  if  prepared  by  an  anatomist,  these  animals  appear 
to  have  been  suddenly  destroyed  and  immediately  embedded.  As  we 
know  that  river  fish  are  sometimes  stifled,  even  in  their  own  element,  by 
muddy  water,  during  floods,  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  periodical  dis- 
charge of  large  bodies  of  turbid  fresh  water  into  the  sea  may  be  still 
more  fatal  to  marine  tribes.  Large  quantities  of  mud  and  drowned  ani- 
mals have  been  swept  down  into  the  sea,  by  rivers,  during  earthquakes, 
as  in  Java  some  years  since ;  and  indescribable  multitudes  of  dead  fishes 
have  been  seen  floating  on  the  sea,  after  a  discharge  of  noxious  vapors, 
during  similar  convulsions. 

A  Monstrous  Creature  of  the  Pre-Historic  Age. 

Contemporaneously  with  these  strange  animals,  marine,  fresh-water,  and 
terrestrial  tortoises  flourished,  with  crocodiles  of  extinct  species,  and  the 
pterodactyle,  or  wing-fingered  reptile,  perhaps  the  most  singular  and  mons- 
trous creature  of  the  ancient  world,  the  type  of  which  appears  in  no  living 
genus.  This  flying  reptile  had  such  a  remarkable  construction  that  it  puz- 
zled scientific  men.  Naturalists  pored  over  its  remains,  but  were  unable  to 
assign  them  to  their  true  place  in  the  animal  kingdom,  some  pronouncing 
it  a  bird,  others  a  reptile,  and  others  a  bat,  till  Cuvier  took  its  skeleton  in 
hand.  Behold,  he  observes,  an  animal,  which,  in  its  bone  formation,  from 
its  teeth  to  the  end  of  its  claws,  is  like  a  reptile ;  nor  can  we  doubt  that 
those  characteristics  existed  in  the  muscles  and  soft  parts,  in  its  scales  *  its 
circulation,  and  other  organs.  But  it  was,  at  the  same  time,  an  animal 
provided  with  the  means  of  flight,  which,  when  stationary,  could  not  have 
made  much  use  of  its  anterior  extremities,  even  if  it  did  not  keep  them 
always  folded  as  birds  keep  their  wings ;  which,  nevertheless,  might  use 
its  small  anterior  fingers  to  suspend  itself  from  the  branches  of  trees,  but 
when  at  rest  must  have  been  ordinarily  on  its  hind  feet,  like  the  birds, 
again;  and  also,  like  them,  must  have  carried  its  neck  sub-erect,  and 


THE   GREAT   FISH-LIZARD   AND    FLYING   REPTILE. 


(39) 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


..curved  backwards,  so  that  its  enormous  head  should  not  interrupt  its  equi- 
librium. Pterodactyles  had  the  head  and  neck  of  a  bird,  the  mouth  and 
.teeth  of  a  reptile,  the  wings  of  a  bat,  the  body  and  tail  of  one  of  the  lower 
.orders  of  animals.  Their  eyes  were  enormously  large  so  that  they  could 
.seek  their  prey  in  the  night.  They  could  not  only  fly,  but  like  the  exist- 
ing vampire  bat,  they  had  the  power  of  swimming.  Thus,  like  Milton's 
fiend,  qualified  for  all  services  and  all  elements,  the  pterodactyle  was  a 
fit  companion  for  the  kindred  reptiles  that  swarmed  in  the  seas,  or  crawled 

on  the  shores  of  a  turbulent  planet 

The  fiend, 

O'er  bog,  or  steep,  through  strait,  rough,  dense,  or  rare, 
With  head,  hands,  wings,  or  feet  pursues  his  way, 
And  swims,  or  sinks,  or  wades,  or  creeps,  or  flies. 

Cuvier,  in  his 
great  work,  pro- 
nounces these  fly- 
ing reptiles  the  most 
extraordinary  of  all 
the  beings  whose 
ancient  existence  is 
revealed  to  us ;  and 
those  which,  if  alive, 
would  seem  most  at 
variance  with  living 
forms.  Many  spe- 
cies have  been  de- 
termined, most  of 
them  varying  from 
the  size  of  a  snipe 
to  that  of  a  cormor- 
ant. It  is  estimated 
that  the  expanded  FOSSIL  SKELETON  OF  THE  PTERODACTYLE. 

wings  of  this  creature  measured  six  feet  in  width. 

Another  reptile  allied  to  the  pterodactyle  lived  in  this  epoch.  It  wa.s 
the  ramphorynchus,  and  was  distinguished  from  the  former  by  a  long 
tail.  The  imprints  which  this  animal  has  left  upon  the  sandstone  of  the 
period  indicate  at  once  the  impression  of  its  feet  and  the  linear  furrow 
left  by  its  tail.  Like  the  pterodactyle,  the  ramphorynchus,  which  was 
a  very  strange  creature,  could  not  precisely  fly,  but,  aided  by  the  natural 
parachute  formed  by  the  membrane  connecting  the  fingers  and  the  body, 
it  could  throw  itself  from  a  height  upon  its  prey.  The  footprints  in  the 


MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD. 


41 


soil  are  those  which  always  accompany  the  remains  of  the  ramphorynchus 
in  the  rocks,  and  they  show  the  imprints  at  once  of  the  anterior  and  pos- 
terior feet  and  tail. 

Extraordinary  Land  Reptiles. 

Not  less  remarkable  than  these  inhabitants  of  the  ocean  and  the  air 
were  the  land  reptiles  of  the  same  period,  the  iguanodon  and  megalosau- 
rus.  The  iguanodon  had  a  very  singular  structure.  Although  the  size 
and  proportions  of  its  body  and  limbs  have  been  determined  from  numer- 
ous detached  bones,  and  the  few  specimens  in  which  several  are  collected 
in  the  same  block  of  stone,  yet  but  a  vague  idea  of  the  form  and  appear- 
ance of  the  original  animal  can  be  derived  from  the  relics  hitherto  discov- 
ered. We  may,  however,  safely  conclude  that  the  body  of  the  iguanodon 
was  equal  in  magnitude  to  that  of  the  elephant,  and  as  massive  in  its 


THE    RAMPHORYNCHUS    OR   CREEPING    BIRD. 

proportions;  for  being  a  vegetable  feeder,  a  large  development  of  the 
abdominal  region  may  be  inferred.  Its  limbs  must  have  been  of  a  propor- 
tionate size  to  sustain  so  enormous  a  bulk ;  one  of  the  thigh  bones,  if 
covered  with  muscles  and  tissues  of  suitable  proportions,  would  form  a 
limb  seven  feet  in  circumference.  The  hinder  extremities,  in  all  probability 
presented  the  unwieldy  shape  of  those  of  the  hippopotamus  or  rhinoceros, 
and  were  supported  by  very  strong,  short  feet,  the  toes  of  which  were  armed 
with  claws,  like  those  of  certain  turtles.  The  fore  legs  appear  to  have 
been  less  bulky,  and  were  furnished  with  hooked  claws.  The  teeth  dem- 
onstrate the  nature  of  the  food  required  for  the  support  of  this  herbivorous 
reptile,  and  the  power  of  mastication  it  enjoyed ;  and  the  ferns,  pines  and 
hemlock  trees,  with  which  its  remains  are  associated,  indicate  the  vegeta- 
tion adapted  for  its  sustenance.  But  the  physiognomy  of  this  creature, 


42  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

from  the  peculiar  shape  of  the  skull  and  jaws  required  for  the  attachment 
and  support  of  the  powerful  muscles  necessary  for  the  grinding  of  tough 
vegetable  substances,  must  have  differed  entirely  from  that  of  all  known 
reptiles. 

The  length  of  the  iguanodon  has  been  variously  estimated ;  the  differ- 
ence in  the  computation  depending  chiefly  on  the  extent  assigned  to  the 
tail,  which  in  many  lizards  is  much  longer  than  the  body.  If  the  tail  of  the 
fossil  reptile  was  slender,  and  of  the  same  relative  proportions  as  in  forms 
now  existing,  the  largest  individual  would  be  fifty  or  sixty  feet  long. 

Remains  of  the  megalosaurus  have  been  found  in  several  localities. 
So  many  perfect  bones  and  teeth  have  been  discovered  that  we  are  nearly 
as  well  acquainted  with  the  form  and  dimensions  of  the  limbs  as  if  they 
had  been  found  together  in  a  single  block  of  stone.  The  restoration  of 
the  animal  had  been  accordingly  effected  agreeably  with  the  proportions 
of  the  known  parts  of  the  skeleton,  and  in  harmony  with  the  general 
characters  of  the  order  of  reptiles  to  which  the  megalosaurus  belonged. 
Baron  Cuvier  estimated  this  animal  to  have  been  about  fifty  feet  in  length. 
Calculations  founded  on  more  complete  evidence  reduce  its  size  to  about 
thirty-five  feet ;  but  with  the  superior  proportional  height  and  capacity 
of  trunk  as  contrasted  with  the  largest  existing  crocodiles,  even  that 
length  gives  a  very  formidable  character  to  this  extinct  rapacious  reptile. 
The  restoration,  according  to  the  proportions  of  fossil  bones  of  the 
megalosaurus  hitherto  obtained,  yields  a  total  length  of  the  animal, 
from  the  muzzle  to  the  end  of  the  tail,  of  thirty-seven  feet,  the  length 
of  the  head  being  five  feet,  the  length  of  the  tail  fifteen  feet,  and  the 
greatest  girth  of  the  body  twenty-two  feet  six  inches.  As  the  thigh 
bone  and  leg  bone  measure  each  nearly  three  feet,  the  entire  hind  leg 
must  have  attained  a  length  of  two  yards,  and  indicated  a  foot,  with  the 
toes  and  claws  entire,  of  at  least  three  feet  in  length.  The  form  of  the 
teeth  shows  the  megalosaurus  to  have  been  strictly  a  flesh-eating  crea- 
ture, and  these  were  fearfully  fitted  to  the  destructive  office  for  which 
they  were  designed.  They  appear  straight  when  young,  but  become 
sligtly  bent  backwards  in  the  progress  of  growth,  and  the  fore  part  of 
the  crown,  below  the  summit  becomes  thick  and  convex.  They  present 
a  combination  of  contrivances  similar  to  those  which  human  ingenuity 
has  adopted  in  the  construction  of  the  knife,  the  sabre,  and  the  saw. 
Enormous  Lizards  of  the  Prehistoric  Age. 

The  world-renowned  naturalist,  Figuier,  thus  describes  this  gigantic 
reptile :  The  megalosaurus  was  an  enormous  lizard,  borne  upon  feet 
slightly  raised :  its  length  reached  about  forty-five  feet.  Cuvier  consider- 


MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD.  43 

•ed  that  it  partook  of  the  structure  of  the  reptiles  which  haunt  the  banks 
of  the  Nile  and  tropical  India.  The  complicated  structure  and  marvel- 
ous arrangement  of  the  teeth  prove  that  it  was  essentially  a  flesh-eating 
animal.  It  fed  probably  on  other  serpents  of  moderate  size,  such  as  the 
crocodiles  and  turtles  which  are  found  in  the  fossil  state  in  the  beds. 
The  lower  jaw  supports  many  teeth :  it  shows  that  the  head  terminated 
in  a  straight  muzzle,  thin  and  flat  on  the  sides,  like  that  of  the  gavial, 
the  crocodile  of  India.  The  teeth  of  the  megalosaurus  were  in  perfect 
accord  with  the  destructive  nature  of  this  formidable  creature.  They 
partake  at  once  of  the  knife,  the  sabre  and  the  saw.  Vertical  at  their 
junction  with  the  jaw,  they  assume  with  the  increased  age  of  the  animal 
a  backward  curve,  giving  them  the  form  of  a  gardener's  pruning-knife. 
After  insisting  upon  some  other  particulars  respecting  these  teeth, 
Buckland  says,  "  With  teeth  constructed  so  as  to  cut  with  the  whole  of 
their  concave  edge,  each  movement  of  the  jaws  produced  the  combined 
effect  of  a  knife  and  a  saw,  at  the  same  time  that  the  point  made  a  first 
incision  like  that  made  by  the  point  of  a  double-cutting  sword.  The 
backward  curvature  taken  by  the  teeth  at  their  full  growth  renders  the 
escape  of  the  prey  when  once  seized  impossible.  We  find  here,  then, 
the  same  arrangements  which  enable  mankind  to  put  in  operation  many 
of  the  instruments  which  they  employ." 

The  Colossal  Iguanodon. 

Figuier  also  says  concerning  the  iguanodon  that  it  was  more  gigantic 
than  the  megalosaurus :  the  most  colossal,  indeed,  of  all  the  reptiles  of 
the  ancient  world  which  research  has  yet  exposed  to  the  light  of  day. 
The  form  and  disposition  of  the  feet,  added  to  the  existence  of  a  horn 
on  the  upper  part  of  the  muzzle  or  snout,  render  this  creature  one  of 
the  marvels  of  the  ancient  world.  The  bone  of  its  thigh  surpasses  that 
of  the  elephant ,  the  shape  of  this  bone  and  feet  demonstrates  that  it 
was  formed  for  travelling  inland ;  and  its  dental  system  shows  that  it 
was  herbivorous.  The  teeth  which  are  the  most  important  and  charac- 
teristic organs  of  the  whole  animal,  are  not  fixed  in  distinct  sockets  like 
the  cocodiles,  but  fixed  6n  the  internal  face  of  a  dental  bone  ;  that  is  to 
say,  in  the  interior  of  the  palate,  as  in  the  lizards.  The  place  thus 
occupied  by  the  edges  of  the  teeth,  their  trenchant  and  saw-like  form, 
their  mode  of  curvature,  the  points  where  they  become  broader  or 
narrower  which  turn  them  into  a  species  of  nippers  or  scissors — are  all 
suitable  for  cutting  and  tearing  the  resisting  plants  which  are  also  found 
among  the  remains  with  the  reptile. 

We  present  an  engraving  in  which  the  iguanodon  and  megalosaurus 


(44) 


MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD. 


45 


struggle  for  the  mastery  in  the  centre  of  a  forest,  which  enables  us 
also  to  convey  some  idea  of  the  vegetation  of  the  period.  Here  we  note 
a  vegetation  at  once  exotic  and  temperate — that  of  the  tropics,  and  a  flora 
resembling  our  own.  On  the  left  we  observe  a  group  of  trees,  which 
resemble  some  of  the  plants  of  our  forests.  An  entire  group  of  trees, 
composed  of  ferns,  are  in  the  background  ;  in  the  extreme  distance  are 
some  palms.  We  also  recognize  in  the  picture  the  alder,  the  wych-elm, 
the  maple,  and  the  walnut-tree,  or  at  least  species  similar  to  these. 

A  Marvelous  Reptile. 

The  hylaeosaurus  was  another  enormous  reptile,  whose  remains  were 
found  in  the  Tilgate  Forest.  This  animal  appears  to  have  combined  some 
of  the  features  both  of  the  crocodile  and  of  the  lizard.  It  was  covered 


A    HUGE    BONE-PLATED    ANIMAL THE    HYL^EOSAURUS. 

with  thick  scales,  and  along  the  back  was  a  row  of  long  conical  bones  or 
spikes,  resembling  the  crests.  This  animal  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  ter- 
restrial, herbivorous  reptile,  between  twenty  and  thirty  feet  in  length.  Alto- 
gether it  must  have  been  of  the  most  extraordinary  reptilian  organization. 
When  the  ichthyosaurus  and  plesiosaurus  ceased  to  rule  the  ocean 
and  become  extinct,  the  mososaurus  took  their  place,  to  keep  the  mul- 
tiplication of  the  species  of  other  animals  within  proper  limits.  The 
mososaurus  derives  its  name  from  the  locality,  Maastricht,  on  the  River 
Meuse,  in  Germany,  where  its  remains  have  been  chiefly  discovered, 


46  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

and  from  the  Greek  word  sauros,  a  lizard,  to  which  tribe  of  animals  it 
belongs.  The  occasional  discovery  of  bones  and  teeth  of  an  unknown 
animal  in  the  limestone  has  long  since  directed  the  attention  of  natural- 
ists to  the  quarries  of  St.  Peter's  Mountain. 

Discovery  of  an  Immense  Fossil  Skeleton. 

In  1770,  M.  Hoffmann,  who  was  forming  a  collection  of  organic  remains, 
discovered  a  specimen,  which  has  conferred  additional  interest  on  this 
locality.  Some  workmen,  on  blasting  the  rock  in  one  of  the  caverns  of 
the  interior  of  the  mountain,  perceived,  to  their  astonishment,  the  jaws  of 
an  enormous  animal  attached  to  the  roof  of  the  chasm.  The  discovery 
was  immediately  made  known  to  M.  Hoffmann,  who  repaired  to  the 
spot,  and  for  weeks  presided  over  the  arduous  task  of  separating  from^ 
the  rock  the  mass  of  stone  containing  the  remains.  His  labors  were  at 
length  repaid  by  the  successful  extrication  of  the  specimen,  which  he 
conveyed  triumphantly  to  the  house.  Unfortunately,  the  canon  of  the 
cathedral,  which  stands  on  the  mountain,  claimed  the  fossil  in  right  of 
being  lord  of  the  manor,  and  succeeded,  by  a  most  unjust  and  expen- 
sive lawsuit,  in  obtaining  this  precious  relic.  It  remained  in  his  posses- 
sion for  years,  and  Hoffmann  died  without  regaining  his  treasure,  or 
receiving  any  compensation.  The  French  revolution  broke  out,  and 
the  armies  of  the  republic  advanced  to  the  gates  of  Maestricht;  the 
town  was  bombarded,  but  by  the  desire  of  the  committee  of  scientific 
men  who  accompanied  the  French  troops,  the  artillery  was  not  allowed 
to  play  on  that  part  of  the  city  in  which  the  celebrated  fossil  was  known 
to  be  contained.  In  the  meanwhile,  the  canon,  shrewdly  suspecting  why 
such  peculiar  favor  was  shown  to  his  residence,  concealed  the  specimen  in 
a  secret  vault ;  but  when  the  city  was  taken,  the  French  authorities  com- 
pelled him  to  give  up  his  ill-gotten  prize,  which  was  immediately  trans- 
mitted to  the  zoological  garden  at  Paris,  where  it  still  forms  one  of  the 
most  striking  objects  in  that  magnificent  collection.  '  The  entire  length  of 
the  mososaurus  has  been  estimated  at  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  feet ;  the 
number  of  its  spinal  joints  is  one  hundred  and  thirty-three.  Its  skull 
measures  four  and  a  half  feet  in  length,  and  two  and  a  half  feet  in  width. 
\ln  the  more  recent  deposits,  the  remains  of  immense  animals  are 
found  in  great  numbers;  among  the  most  remarkable  of  these  is  the 
mammoth  or  fossil  elephant.  Bones  and  tusks  of  elephants  or  mastadons 
occur  throughout  Russia,  and  more  particularly  in  Eastern  Siberia  and  the 
arctic  marshes.  The  tusks  are  very  numerous,  and  in  so  high  a  state  of 
preservation  that  they  form  an  article  of  commerce,  and  are  employed  in 
the  same  works  as  what  may  be  termed  the  living  ivory  of  Asia  and 


Q 


(47) 


48  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Africa,  though  the  fossil  trunks  fetch  an  inferior  price.  Siberian  fossil 
ivory  forms  the  principal  material  on  which  the  Russian  ivory-turner 
works.  The  tusks  most  abound  on  the  shores  of  the  Frozen  Sea,  and 
the  best  are  found  in  the  countries  near  the  arctic  circle,  and  in  the  most 
eastern  regions,  where  the  soil  in  the  very  short  summer  is  thawed  only 
.at  the  surface ;  in  some  years  not  at  all. 

Discovery  of  an  Enormous  Mammoth. 

In  1799  a  Tungusian  named  Schumachoff,  who  generally  went  to  fish 
and  hunt  at  the  peninsula  of  Tamut  after  the  fishing  season  of  the  Lena 
was  over,  had  constructed  for  his  wife  some  cabins  on  the  banks  of  Lake 
Oncoul,  and  had  embarked  to  seek  along  the  coasts  for  tusks,  called 
horns  by  the  people  of  that  region.  One  day  he  saw  among  the  blocks 
of  ice  a  shapeless  mass,  but  did  not  then  discover  what  it  was.  In  1800 
he  perceived  that  this  object  was  more  disengaged  from  the  ice,  and  that 
it  had  two  projecting  parts,  and  towards  the  end  of  the  summer  of  1801 
the  entire  side  of  the  animal  and  one  of  his  tusks  was  quite  free  from 
ice.  The  summer  of  1 802  was  cold,  but  in  1 803  part  of  the  ice  between 
the  earth  and  the  mammoth,  for  such  was  the  object,  having  melted 
more  rapidly  than  the  rest,  the  plane  of  its  support  became  inclined,  and 
the  enormous  mass  fell  by  its  own  weight  on  a  bank  of  sand.  In  March, 
1 804,  Schumachoff  came  to  his  mammoth,  and  having  cut  off  the  tusks, 
exchanged  them  with  a  merchant  for  goods  of  the  value  of  forty  dollars. 
'For  some  years  the  flesh  of  this  animal  was  cut  off  for  dog-meat  by  the 
people  around,  and  bears,  wolves,  gluttons,  and  foxes  fed  upon  it  till 
the  skeleton  was  nearly  cleared  of  its  flesh.  About  three-fourths  of  the 
skin,  which  was  of  a  reddish-gray  color,  and  covered  with  reddish  wool 
and  black  hairs  about  eight  inches  long,  was  saved,  and  such  was  its 
weight  that  it  required  ten  men  to  remove  it;  the  bones  of  the  head, 
with  the  tusks,  weighed  four  hundred  and  sixteen  pounds.  The  skele- 
ton was  taken  to  St.  Petersburg,  where  it  may  still  be  seen  in  the  Museum 
of  Natural  History.  This  animal  must  have  -been  twice  the  ordinary  size 
of  the  existing  elephant,  and  it  must  have  weighed  at  least  twenty  thou- 
sand pounds. 

There  is  not  in  the  whole  of  Asiatic  Russia  any  brook  or  river,  especially 
of  those  which  flow  in  the  plains,  on  the  banks  of  which  some  bones  of 
elephants  and  other  animals  foreign  to  the  climate  have  not  been  found. 
But  in  the  more  elevated  regions,  they  are  wanting,  as  are  the  marine 
petrifactions.  But  in  the  lower  slopes  and  in  the  great  muddy  and  sandy 
plains,  above  all,  in  places  which  are  swept  by  rivers,  they  are  sure 
to  be  found,  which  proves  that  we  should  not  the  less  find  them 


MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD.  49 

throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  country  if  we  had  the  same  means 
of  searching  for  them.  Every  year  in  the  season  of  thawing,  the  vast 
rivers  which  descend  to  the  Frozen  Ocean  in  the  north  of  Siberia  sweep 
down  with  their  waters  numerous  portions  of  the  banks,  and  expose  to 
view  the  bones  buried  in  the  soil  and  in  the  excavations  left  by  the  rush- 
ing waters.  It  is  curious  that  the  more  we  advance  towards  the  north  of 
Russia  the  more  numerous  and  extensive  do  the  bone  repositories  become. 
In  spite  of  the  undoubted  testimony,  often  repeated,  of  numerous  travellers, 
we  can  scarcely  credit  the  statements  made  respecting  some  of  the  islands 
of  the  glacial  sea  near  the  poles,  situated  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Lena 
and  of  the  Indigirska.  All  the  islands  nearest  to  the  main  land,  which 
is  about  thirty-six  leagues  in  length,  except  three  or  four  small  rocky 
mountains,  are  a  mixture  of  sand  and  ice,  so  that  when  the  thaw  sets  in 
and  their  banks  begin  to  fall  many  mammoth  bones  are  found.  All  the  isle 
is  formed  of  the  bones  of  this  extraordinary  animal,  of  the  horns  and 
skulls  of  buffaloes,  or  of  an  animal  which  resembles  them,  and  of  some 

rhinoceros  horns. 

Quarries  of  Fossil  Ivory. 

New  Siberia  and  the  Isle  of  Lachon  are  for  the  most  part  only  a  mass  of 
sand,  of  ice,  and  of  elephants'  teeth.  At  every  tempest  the  sea  casts  ashore 
new  quantities  of  mammoths'  tusks,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Siberia  carry 
on  a  profitable  commerce  in  this  fossil  ivory.  Every  year  during  the 
summer  innumerable  fishermen's  barks  direct  their  course  towards  this 
isle  of  bones,  and  during  winter  immense  caravans  take  the  same  route, 
all  the  convoys  drawn  by  dogs,  returning  laden  with  the  tusks  of  the 
mammoth,  weighing  each  from  150  to  200  pounds.  The  fossil  ivory,  thus 
withdrawn  from  the  frozen  north  is  imported  into  China  and  Europe,  where 
it  is  employed  for  the  same  purpose  as  ordinary  ivory,  which  is  furnished, 
as  we  know,  by  the  elephant  and  hippopotamus  of  Africa  and  Asia.  The 
isle  of  bones  has  served  as  a  quarry  of  this  valuable  material  for  export  to 
•China  for  five  hundred  years,  and  it  has  been  exported  to  Europe  for 
upwards  of  a  hundred.  But  the  supply  from  these  strange  mines  remains 
undiminished.  What  a  number  of  accumulated  generations  of  these  bones 
and  tusks  does  this  profusion  imply ! 

The  abundance  of  the  remains  of  fossil  elephants  in  the  Russian  steppes 
has  given  birth  to  a  legend  of  a  very  ancient  origin.  The  Russians  of 
the  north  believe  that  these  bones  proceed  from  an  enormous  animal 
which  lived,  like  the  mole,  in  holes  which  it  dug  in  the  earth ;  it  could 
not  bear  the  light,  says  the  legend,  but  died  when  exposed  to  it.  A 
•circumstance  curious  enough  is  that  this  same  legend  of  an  animal  living 
4 


50 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


underground  has  spread  to  China.  We  read  in  the  great  Chinese  work 
on  Natural  History,  composed  in  the  sixteenth  centuiy,  of  an  animal  that 
was  called  by  a  name  signifying  the  mouse,  which  hides  itself.  The  descrip- 
tion says,  it  constantly  confines  itself  to  subterranean  caverns ;  it  resem- 
bles a  mouse,  but  is  of  the  size  of  a  buffalo  or  ox.  It  has  no  tail ;  its 
color  is  dark ;  it  is  very  strong  and  excavates  caverns  in  places  full  of 
roots,  and  covered  with  forests.  Another  writer  thus  expresses  himself: 
This  monster  haunts  obscure  and  unfrequented  places.  It  dies  as  soon  as  if 
is  exposed  to  the  rays  of  the  sun  or  moon ;  its  feet  are  short  in  proportion 
to  its  size.  Its  tail  is  as  long  as  that  of  a  Chinese.  Its  eyes  are  small,  its 
neck  short.  It  is  very  stupid  and  sluggish. 


I.    FOOTPRINTS  OF  THE  LABYRINTHODON  IN  SANDSTONE.       2.    FOOTPRINTS  OF 
A  BIRD.       3.    FOOTPRINTS  OF  A  BIRD  AND  IMPRESSION  OF  RAIN  DROPS. 

In  1834  an  account  was  published  of  some  remarkable  fossil  footsteps 
in  the  new  red  sandstone  in  Saxony.  The  largest  track  appears  to  have 
been  made  by  an  animal  whose  hind  foot  was  eight  inches  long,  the 
fore  foot  being  much  smaller.  It  received  the  name  of  chirotherium, 
owing  to  the  resemblance  of  its  impressions  to  the  shape  of  the  human 
hand.  Fossil  skulls,  jaws,  teeth,  and  a  few  other  bones  of  this  animal, 
have  since  been  discovered,  and  from  some  characteristics  which  they 
possess — found  at  the  present  day  only  in  frogs  and  salamanders,  and 
from  the  proportionate  size  of  its  fore  and  hind  feet,  also  a  characteristic 


MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD.          51' 

of  the  toad  and  frog — this  extinct  animal  is  supposed  to  have  been  a 
huge  frog.  It  has  more  recently  received  the  name  of  labyrinthodon, 
from  the  peculiar  structure  of  its  teeth,  which,  under  the  microscope, 
present  a  series  of  irregular  folds,  resembling  the  labyrinthic  windings 
of  the  human  brain.  The  pictorial  representation  in  the  following  chap- 
ter is  from  a  model  at  the  London  Crystal  Palace.  Later  a  variety  of 
tracks,  referred  to  the  chirotherium,  tortoises,  and  reptiles  were  discov- 
ered in  the  new  red  sandstone  in  the  neighborhood  of  Liverpool.  The 
largest  footprint  was  nine  inches  long,  and  six  inches  broad,  the  length 
of  the  step  approaching  to  two  feet.  Abundant  footprints  along  with 
ripple  marks,  have  been  found  on  layers  of  the  forest  marble,  to  the 
north  of  Bath.  A  communication  to  the  Journal  of  Science,  in  1836,  by 
President  Hitchcock,  of  Amherst  College,  called  attention  to  some  very 
distinct  tracks  in  the  red  sandstone  of  the  Connecticut  valley,  resembling 
the  impressions  left  on  the  muddy  banks  of  the  river  by  the  aquatic  birds 
now  common  to  the  locality. 

Marks  of  Rain  Drops  in  Solid  Rocks. 

Similar  impressions  of  rain  drops  occur  in  the  Storeton  quarries, 
where  tracks  of  the  chirotherium  are  found.  The  under  surface  of  the 
strata,  at  the  depth  of  thirty-two  or  thirty-five  feet,  presents  a  remarkably 
blistered  or  watery  appearance,  being  densely  covered  by  minute  hem- 
ispheres of  the  same  substance  as  the  sandstone.  The  impressions 
are  sometimes  perfect  hemispheres,  indicating  a  vertical  fall  of  rain; 
but  in  other  cases  they  are  irregular  and  elongated  in  a  particular 
direction,  as  if  the  drops  had  struck  the  surface  obliquely,  indicating  a 
wind  accompanying  the  rain.  President  Hitchcock  mentions  specimens 
of  sandstone  in  his  possession,  obtained  from  various  parts  of  the  United 
States,  which  show  footprints,  ripple  marks  and  rain  drops,  the  latter 
evincing,  by  a  uniform  elongation  of  shape,  the  direction  of  the  wind 
when  the  rain  fell. 

Walking  along  our  shores  in  the  present  day,  we  observe  a  well- 
defined  cast  of  our  own  footstep  left  in  the  sand  still  wet  from  the 
retreating  tide,  and  similar  distinct  impressions  made  by  the  passage  of 
animals  and  birds  across  it,  and  by  the  descent  of  a  shower  of  rain  upon 
it.  In  the  same  manner  it  is  probable  that  the  tracks  which  the  new 
red  sandstone  presents  were  formed  on  the  shores  of  an  estuary,  or  a 
tidal  river,  between  high  and  low  water  mark — then  dried  and  hardened 
by  the  action  of  the  sun  and  air  during  the  subsiding  of  the  waters — 
the  returning  waves  washing  up  mud  to  cover  up  the  impressions,  the 
two  layers  uniting,  to  exhibit,  if  ever  separated,  the  one  a  mould,  and 


52 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


the  other  a  cast  from  it,  of  the  forms  that  have  been  there.  The  obser- 
vation of  like  phenomena,  now,  to  these  unfolded  by  this  geological 
formation,  are  of  no  mean  importance  and  interest  to  mankind,  in  every 
condition  of  society.  Many  a  depredator  has  been  detected  by  the 
correspondence  of  his  foot  to  its  imprint  in  the  snow  or  loose  earth 
near  the  place  of  his  crime.  The  North  American  Indian  finds  his 
enemy  by  his  trail,  and  can  not  only  distinguish  between  the  elk  and 
the  buffalo  by  the  marks  of  their  hoofs,  but  determine  with  great  exact- 
ness the  space  of  time  that  has  elapsed  since  the  animals  have  passed. 
In  the  deserts  of  Africa,  the  track  of  the  camels  proclaims  to  the  Arab 
whether  a  heavily  or  lightly  laden  caravan  has  crossed  the  sands.  But 

from  the  imprints  pre- 
sented by  the  sandstone 
formation,  we  gather  in- 
fo rmati  on  respecting 
what  transpired  many 
thousands  of  years  ago, 
catch  a  glimpse  of  the  gi- 
gantic birds  and  strangely 
formed  quadrupeds  that 
then  existed,  and  even 
have  indicated  to  us,  in 
a  manner  so  plain  as  not 
to  be  mistaken,  the  di- 
rection from  which  the 
wind  blew  while  a  shower 
of  rain  was  falling. 

We  find  embedded  in 
the  earth   the  fossil    re- 

CHALK    UNDER    THE    MICROSCOPE.  mains    of  yast   quantities 

of  animals  no  less  remarkable  for  their  minuteness  and  construction  than 
those  already  described  in  the  preceding  pages  are  for  their  colossal  size. 
They  are  called  animalcules,  or  infusoria.  Their  skeletons  constitute  nearly 
the  whole  mass  of  some  soils  and  rocks,  many  feet  in  thickness,  and  extend- 
ing over  areas  of  several  miles.  Such  is  the  polishing  slate,  in  Bohemia, 
which  occupies  a  surface  of  great  extent,  probably  the  site  of  an  ancient 
lake,  and  forms  slaty  strata  of  fourteen  feet  in  thickness,  almost  wholly  com- 
posed of  the  shields  of  animalcules.  The  size  of  a  single  one,  forming 
the  polishing  slate,  amounts  upon  an  average,  and  in  the  greatest  part,  to 
one-sixth  of  the  thickness  of  a  human  hair.  Such  is  the  statement  of 


MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD. 


53 


Ehrenberg,  which  naturally  suggests  the  reflection  of  the  French  phi- 
losopher, that  if  the  Almighty  is  great  in  great  things,  he  is  still  more 
so  in  those  which  are  minute ;  and  furnishes  additional  data  for  the  well 
known  moral  argument  of  the  theologian,  derived  from  a  comparison  of 
the  telescope  and  the  microscope :  The  one  led  me  to  see  a  system  in  every 
star ;  the  other  leads  me  to  see  a  world  in  every  atom.  The  one  taught 
me  that  this  mighty  globe,  with  the  whole  burden  of  its  people  and  of  its 
countries,  is  but  a  grain  of  sand  on  the  high  field  of  immensity;  the  other 
teaches  me  that  every  grain  of  sand  may  harbor  within  it  the  tribes  and 
the  families  of  a 
busy  population. 
The  one  told  me 
of  the  insignifi- 
cance of  the 
world  I  tread 
upon;  the  other 
redeems  it  from 
all  insignificance 
— for  it  tells  me 
that  in  the  leaves 
of  every  forest 
and  in  the  flow- 
ers of  every  gar- 
den, and  in  the 
waters  of  every 
rivulet,  there  are 
worlds  teeming 
with  life,  and 
numberless  as 
the  stars  above.  FOSSIL  REMAINS  IN  CHALK. 

The  composition  of  the  polishing  slate  of  Bohemia  is  far  from  being 
unique;  for  in  several  other  European  localities,  and  very  largely  in  Amer- 
ica, strata  consisting  mainly  of  fossil  animalcules  have  been  observed.  This 
is  the  case  with  the  infusorial  earth  of  Virginia,  a  yellowish  clay,  form- 
ing a  deposit  from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  in  thickness,  upon  which  the 
towns  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg  are  built.  The  surface  of  the  country 
over  which  it  extends  is  characterized  by  a  scanty  vegetation,  owing  to 
the  nature  of  the  soil  dependent  on  the  minute  organisms  of  which  it 
almost  entirely  consists.  When  a  few  grains  of  this  earth  are  properly 
prepared  for  microscopic  examination,  immense  numbers  of  the  shields  or 


54  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

cases  of  animalcules  are  visible  under  a  magnifying  power  of  three  hun- 
dred diameters ;  in  fact,  the  merest  stain  left  by  the  evaporation  of  water 
in  which  some  of  the  marl  has  been  mixed,  teems  with  these  fossil  re- 
mains. The  farther  we  pursue  our  investigations  in  this  direction,  the 
more  wonderful  do  the  discoveries  become. 

These  organisms  are  of  exquisite  structure  and  comprise  many  species 
and  genera.  The  most  beautiful  and  abundant  are  the  circular  shields, 
which  are  elegant  saucer-shaped  cases,  elaborately  ornamented  with  open- 
ings disposed  in  curves,  somewhat  resembling  the  machine-turned  sculp- 
turing of  a  watch.  These  shells  are  from  one-hundredth  to  one-thousandth 
of  an  inch  in  diameter.  The  body  of  the  living  animalcule  was  protected 
and  enclosed  by  a  pair  of  these  concave  shells. 

The  Smallest  Creatures  ever  Discovered. 

Beds  of  infusorial  earth  occur  in  almost  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  A 
large  proportion  of  the  sand  of  the  Libyan  desert  consists  of  microscopic 
fossil  remains ;  and  the  marine  sands  of  the  Paris  basin  are  in  some  locali- 
ties so  full  of  microscopic  forms,  that  it  is  calculated  that  a  cubic  inch  of 
the  mass  contains  sixty  thousand.  Many  of  the  peat  bogs  of  Ireland 
contain  layers  of  a  white,  earthy  substance,  which,  when  dry,  is  of  the 
appearance  and  consistence  of  brittle  chalk,  and  this  consists  of  the  cases 
of  animalcules. 

Infusoria  abound  also  at  the  present  time.  They  are  generally  to  be 
found  in  stagnant  pools,  and  not  unfrequently  in  springs,  rivers,  lakes  and 
seas;  also  in  the  internal  moisture  of  living  plants  and  animal  bodies,  and 
are  probably  at  times  carried  about  in  the  vapor  and  dust  of  the  atmos- 
phere. Unlike  the  larger  animals,  throughout  the  whole  of  which  we 
can  trace  one  common  type,  the  forms  of  these  minute  creatures  are 
varied  and  singular.  Some  are  egg-shaped,  others  resemble  spheres; 
others  again  different  kinds  of  fruit,  funnels,  tops,  cylinders,  pitchers, 
wheels,  flasks,  eels,  serpents  and  many  classes  of  animals  with  jointed 
skeletons. 

Some  of  the  animalcules  are  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  as  moving  points 
though  the  smallest  are  not  more  than  the  24,oooth  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  a  single  drop  of  water  having  been  estimated  to  contain  many 
thousands  of  them.  They  were  formerly  supposed  to  be  little  more  than 
mere  particles  of  matter  endowed  with  vitality ;  but  Ehrenberg  has  dis- 
covered in  them  an  apparatus  of  muscles,  intestines,  teeth,  different  kinds  of 
glands,  eyes,  nerves,  and  organs  of  reproduction.  They  not  only  propagate 
by  eggs,  but  by  self-division ;  and  are  the  most  reproductive  of  all  organ- 
ized bodies.  They  possess  a  comparatively  long  life,  and  in  general  main- 


MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD.  55 

tain  themselves  pretty  uniformly  against  all  external  influence,  as  do  larger 
animals.     As  far  as  is  yet  known,  they  appear  to  be  sleepless. 

It  cannot  but  be  a  matter  of  great  interest  to  learn,  if  possible,  the  use 
of  these  minute  animals  in  the  economy  of  nature.  That  they  are  not 
merely  accidents  in  creation  we  may  be  quite  certain,  and  that  they  simply 
enjoy  life  and  do  not  contribute  to  the  well-being  of  the  whole,  may  be 
Considered  equally  improbable,  and  too  unlike  the  ordinary  course  of 


A    DROP   OF   WATER    AS    SEEN   UNDER    THE    MICROSCOPE. 

nature  to  be  admitted  for  a  moment.  All  things  work  together,  and  we 
may  in  all  cases,  safely  inquire  concerning  the  adaptation  of  any  group, 
however  minute  or  apparently  unimportant  it  may  at  first  appear. 

It  has  been  ingeniously  suggested  by  Professor  Owen  that  these  little 
creatures  are  the  appointed  devourers  of  organic  matter  immediately  be- 
fore its  final  decomposition  into  inorganic  elements.  For,  consider,  says 
he,  their  incredible  numbers,  their  universal  distribution,  their  insatiable 


56  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

voracity,  and  their  invariable  presence  wherever  animal  or  vegetable  mat- 
ter is  undergoing  decomposition  in  water.  Surely  we  must  be  indebted 
to  them — the  ever  active  and  invisible  scavengers  of  the  world — for  the 
salubrity  of  our  atmosphere';  but  they  perform  a  still  more  important 
office,  perhaps,  in  preventing  the  gradual  diminution  of  the  present 
amount  of  organized  matter  upon  the  earth.  And  it  is  not  difficult  to 
understand  in  what  way  this  result  is  produced,  for,  when  the  organic 
matter  is  in  that  state  of  comminution  and  decay  which  immediately 
precedes  its  return  from  the  organic  to  the  inorganic  world,  these  wakeful 
members  of  nature's  invisible  police  are  everywhere  ready  to  arrest  the 
fugitive  particles,  and  turn  them  back  into  the  ascending  stream  of  animal 
life.  Becoming  the  food  of  the  smaller  infusorial  animalcules,  they  again 
supply  the  voracity  of  the  larger  ones,  and  of  numerous  other  small 
animals,  which  in  their  turn  are  devoured  by  larger  ones,  and  so,  by  de- 
grees, the  substance  fit  for  the  nourishment  of  the  most  highly  organized 
classes  is  brought  back  by  a  short  route  from  the  extremity  of  the 
realms  of  organized  matter. 

Skeletons  Traveling  in  the  Air. 

It  is  a  remarkable  and  very  interesting  fact  with  regard  to  these 
animalcules,  that  their  light  skeletons,  are  capable 'of  being  transported 
by  the  air  in  the  form  of  fine  dust  to  the  distance  of  many  hundred  miles 
out  at  sea ;  and  the  quantity  so  transported  is  often  sufficient  to  cloud  the 
air,  and  form  a  sensible  deposit  on  the  decks  and  rigging  of  ships.  The 
microscope  alone  is  capable  of  proving  whence  this  dust  comes,  but,  with 
its  aid,  they  can  be  recognised,  identified,  and  traced  to  that  continent  or 
island,  which  is  not  always  the  one  nearest  at  hand,  where  they  are  in- 
digenous. It  will  not  be  surprising,  also,  since  we  thus  find  the  bodies  of 
the  animalcules  themselves  carried  along  by  millions  through  the  air,  that 
their  eggs  may  be  carried  yet  farther,  and  prove  a  bond  of  union  between 
distant  lands,  whose  other  inhabitants  have  no  relation.  Who  could  have 
imagined  that  the  atmosphere  is  in  this  way  the  means  of  conveying  to 
distant  spots  the  invisible  stony  frame-work  and  the  eggs  of  these  little 
bodies  ?  And  yet  it  is  impossible  to  doubt  the  importance  of  such  a  mean: 
of  communication  in  the  animal  economy. 

The  first  animals  produced,  after  the  infusorias  and  microscopic  plant- 
animals,  in  the  still  warm,  dense  waters  of  the  primeval  seas,  were  such  as 
sea-stars  and  sea-hedgehogs,  whose  very  numerous  organs  present  a  sym- 
metry absent  in  the  infusorias.  These  beautiful  flower-like  zoophytes, 
covered  the  bottom  of  the  sea  where  they  were  planted,  rising,  like  a  sub- 
marine forest,  to  an  elevation  of  several  yards.  The  various  solid  parts  of 


MARVELS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIAN  WORLD.  57 

their  bodies  had  already  some  analogy  with  those  constituting  the  skele- 
ton of  the  superior  animals,  and  thus  formed,  around  a  stem  or  vertebral 
column,  a  complex  framework  destined  to  protect  the  vital  organs. 
Innumerable  Insects  Building-  Islands. 

Animals  of  this  low  organization  multiply  rapidly,  and  are  capable  of 
making  very  important  geological  deposits.  While,  indeed,  the  verte- 
brated  animals  and  the  larger  and  more  complicated  molluscs  live  for 
some  considerable  time,  and  modify  during  that  time  the  general  condi- 
tions of  organic  existence,  these  little  creatures  may,  by  their  rapid  secre- 
tion of  solid  matter  from  the  water,  and  (owing  to  their  brief  existence) 
equally  rapid  deposition  of  it  in  a  solid  form,  lay  the  foundation  of  islands,, 
and  even  of  new  continents.  The  land  thus  formed  may,  when  brought 
above  the  sea  level,  be  destined  to  last,  with  little  change,  throughout 
many  successive  geological  epochs,  during  which  group  after  group  of 
species  of  the  higher  animals  may  be  introduced  and  destroyed,  some  of 
which  leave  no  indication  of  their  ever  having  existed,  while  others  are 
represented  by  a  few  bones,  a  tooth,  a  scale,  or  perhaps  only  by  the  faint 
impress  of  a  footstep. 

How  important,  then,  it  becomes  that  we  should  understand  these,  the 
common  hieroglyphics,  even  if  their  meaning  is  less  full,  and  when  they 
speak  an  earlier  and  a  simpler  language  than  the  others,  since  the  sacred 
characters  which  tell  of  higher  events  are  so  infinitely  more  rare,  and  for 
that  reason  also  more  difficult  to  render.  The  most  enduring  monuments 
of  man  himself — his  cities,  his  pyramids,  and  his  lofty  columns — are,  in 
many  cases,  built  of  these  far  more  ancient  and  far  more  lasting  objects, 
which  withstand  the  shock  of  earthquakes  and  the  hand  of  time,  and 
which  scarcely  yield,  even  at  last,  to  the  slow  influence  of  crystalline 
forces,  re-arranging  the  particles  by  the  aid  of  heat  and  electricity. 


CHAPTER  II. 
PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA. 

Astonishing  Convulsions  and  Physical  Revolutions — Fabulous  Traditions — Histories 
of  Reptiles  Written  in  Stone — Gigantic  Inhabitants  of  the  Ancient  Globe — 
Skeletons  of  Extinct  Animals  found  in  Rocks — A  Winged  Monster — Combat 
Between  Enormous  Reptiles— The  Huge  Megalosaurus— A  Vampire  of  the  Pre- 
Historic  Age — A  Creature  Curiously  Constructed — The  Wing-Fingered  Bird — 
The  Famous  Iguanodon — A  Vivid  Picture  of  the  Early  Ages— Animal  Life  in 
the  Oolitic  Period— A  Dragon  on  Wings— The  Remarkable  Dinotherium— The 
Strange  Hand-Animal— The  Glyptoden — The  Primeval  Armadillo — A  Creature 
that  could  Swallow  an  Ox  —Megatherium — Animals  in  Mortal  Combat — A  Bird 
Without  Wings— Flowers  and  Plants  in  Stone— Fossil  Fishes— Beautiful  Shells. 

HE  observer  who  glances  over  a  rich  and  fertile  plain,  watered 
by  rivers  and  watercourses  which  have,  during  a  long  course  of 
ages,  pursued  the  same  uniform  and  tranquil  course ;  the  travel- 
ler who  contemplates  the  walls  and  monuments  of  a  great  city, 
whose  foundations  are  lost  in  the  night  of  ages,  witnessing,  apparently,  to 
the  unchangeableness  of  things  and  places ;  the  naturalist  who  examines 
a  mountain  or  other  locality,  and  finds  the  hills  and  valleys  and  other  ac> 
cidents  of  the  soil  in  the  very  spot  and  condition  in  which  they  are  des- 
cribed by  history  and  tradition  ; — neither  of  these  inquirers  would  at  first 
suspect  that  any  serious  subversion  had  ever  occurred  to  disturb  the  sur- 
face. Nevertheless,  the  spot  has  not  always  presented  the  calm  aspect  of 
stability  which  it  now  exhibits ;  in  common  with  every  spot  of  earth,  it 
has  had  its  convulsions,  its  physical  revolutions,  whose  story  we  are  about 
to  trace.  Buried  in  the  depths  of  the  soil,  for  example,  in  one  of  those 
vast  excavations  which  the  intrepidity  of  the  miner  has  dug,  in  search  of 
coal  and  other  minerals  and  metals,  there  are  numerous  phenomena  which 
strike  the  mind  of  the  inquirer,  and  carry  their  own  conclusions  with 
them.  A  striking  increase  of  temperature  occurring  in  these  subterra- 
nean places  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  these.  It  is  found  that  the 
temperature  of  the  earth  rises  one  degree  for  every  sixty  or  seventy  feet 
of  descent  from  its  surface. 

If  the  interior  of  the  beds  be  examined  minutely,  if,  armed  with  the 
miner's  pick  and  shovel,  the  surrounding  earth  is  dug  up,  it  is  not  impos- 
sible that  the  very  first  efforts  at  mining  may  be  rewarded  by  the  discovery 
of  some  fossil  form  no  longer  found  in  the  living  state.     The  remains  of 
(58) 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA.  59 

plants,  and  animals  belonging  to  the  first  ages  of  the  world,  are,  in  fact, 
very  common  ;  entire  mountains  are  formed  of  them,  and,  in  some  local- 
ities, the  soil  can  scarcely  be  touched  at  a  certain  depth  without  yielding 
fragments  of  bones  and  shells,  or  the  impression  of  fossilized  animals  and 
vegetables,  the  buried  remains  of  extinct  creations.  These  bones — these 
remains  of  animals  or  vegetables  which  the  pick  of  the  young  geologist 
has  torn  from  the  soil — belong  probably  to  some  organic  species  which 
no  longer  exists  anywhere  :  it  cannot  be  compared  to  any  animal  or  plant 
living  in  our  times  ;  but  it  is  evident  that  these  beings,  whose  remains  are 
now  so  deeply  buried,  have  not  always  been  so  covered ;  they  lived  on 
the  surface  of  the  earth  as  plants  and  animals  do  in  our  days,  for  their  or- 
ganization is  essentially  the  same.  The  beds  in  which  they  now  repose, 
then,  must  in  other  times  have  formed  the  surface ;  and  the  presence  of 
these  bones  and  fossils  proves  that  the  earth  has  suffered  great  changes. 

These  remains  of  the  primitive  creation  had  long  been  examined  and 
classed  scientifically  as  freaks  of  nature,  for  so  we  find  them  described  in 
the  works  of  the  ancient  philosophers  who  wrote  on  natural  history,  and 
in  the  few  treatises  on  natural  history  which  the  middle  ages  have  be- 
queathed to  us.  Fossil  bones,  especially  those  of  elephants,  were  known 
to  the  ancients,  giving  birth  to  all  sorts  of  legends  and  fabulous  histories : 
the  tradition  which  attributed  to  Achilles,  to  Ajax,  and  the  other  heroes  of 
the  Trojan  war,  a  height  of  twenty  feet,  was  traceable  no  doubt  to  the 
discovery  of  the  bones  of  elephants  near  their  tombs.  In  the  time  of  Pericles 
we  are  assured  that  in  the  tomb  of  Ajax  a  knee-bone  of  that  hero  was 
found,  which  was  as  large  as  a  dinner-plate.  This  was  probably  only  the 
fossilized  knee-bone  of  an  elephant. 

Tracks  of  Reptiles  in  Stone. 

The  imprints  left  upon  the  earth  or  sand,  which  time  has  hardened  into 
sandstone,  furnish  to  the  geologist  a  series  of  valuable  indications.  The 
reptiles  of  the  ancient  world,  the  turtles  in  particular,  have  left  upon  the 
sands,  which  time  has  transformed  into  blocks  of  stone,  imprints  which 
evidently  represent  the  exact  mould  of  the  feet  of  these  animals.  These 
impressions  have  sometimes  been  sufficient  for  naturalists  to  determine  to 
what  species  the  animal  belonged  which  thus  left  its  impress  on  the  wet 
soil.  Some  of  these  present  traces  of  the  steps  of  the  great  reptile  known 
as  the  labyrinthodon  or  cheirotherium,  whose  foot  resembles  the  hand  of 
a  man.  Another  well-known  impression  is  supposed  to  have  been  the 
impress  of  the  foot  of  some  great  turtle. 

The  historian  and  antiquarian  may  traverse  the  battle  fields  of  the  Greeks 
and  Romans,  and  search  in  vain  for  traces  of  these  conquerors,  whose 


60  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

armies  ravaged  the  world.  Time,  which  has  overthrown  the  monuments 
of  their  victories,  has  also  effaced  the  imprint  of  their  footsteps ;  and  of 
millions  of  men  besides,  whose  invasions  have  spread  desolation  over 
Europe,  there  is  not  even  a  trace  of  their  footsteps.  These  reptiles,  on  the 
contrary,  which  ranged  for  thousands  of  years  on  the  surface  of  our 
planet  when  still  in  its  infancy,  have  impressed  on  the  soil  indelible  recol- 
lections of  their  existence.  Hannibal  and  his  legions,  the  barbarians  and 
their  savage  hordes,  have  passed  over  the  land  without  leaving  a  material 
mark  of  their  passage,  while  the  poor  turtle  which  drags  itself  along  on 
the  silent  shore  of  the  primitive  seas  has  bequeathed  to  learned  posterity 
the  image  and  imprint  of  a  part  of  its  body.  These  imprints  may  be 
perceived  as  distinctly  marked  on  the  rocks  as  the  traces  left  in  moist  sand 
or  in  newly-fallen  snow  by  some  animal  under  our  own  eyes.  What  grave 
reflections  should  be  awakened  within  us  at  the  sight  of  these  blocks  of 
hardened  earth,  which  thus  carry  back  our  thoughts  to  the  first  ages  of 
the  world,  and  how  insignificant  the  discoveries  of  the  archaeologist  who 
throws  himself  into  ecstacies  before  some  piece  of  Greek  or  Etruscan 
pottery,  when  compared  with  these  veritable  antiquities  of  the  earth ! 

Vast  Antediluvian  Forests. 

As  already  observed,  the  products  of  the  first  epoch  of  the  globe  were 
vegetable,  consisting  of  immense  forest  growths,  from  which  vast  coal- 
beds  were  formed  to  furnish  fuel  for  the  subsequent  races  of  men.  The 
secondary  epoch  contrasted  strongly  with  that  which  preceded  it,  for  now 
the  wonders  of  animal  life  burst  upon  us  with  their  unique  and  fantastic 
shapes.  The  reptiles  astonish  us  by  their  number,  their  gigantic  size,  and 
their  unwonted  forms ;  antique  and  incomprehensible  inhabitants  of  the 
globe,  reproduced  in  all  their  parts  to  our  wondering  eyes  by  the  genius 
of  a  Cuvier  and  an  Owen !  It  is  to  this  epoch  that  the  name  of  the  rep- 
tilian age  may  be  most  appropriately  given,  so  completely  did  these 
creatures  then  predominate  on  the  globe;  it  was  the  age  of  a  throng  of 
frightful  lizards,  compared  to  which  our  own  are  mere  pigmies,  and  which 
possessed  a  form  and  character  of  their  own.  At  this  time  lived  the 
ichthyosauri,  veritable  fish-lizzards,  as  is  indicated  by  their  name.  These 
reptiles,  which  must  have  spread  terror  through  the  ancient  seas,  attained 
an  enormous  length.  Their  whole  organization  is  a  series  of  surprises. 
With  the  vertebras  of  the  fish  they  have  the  fins  of  a  dolphin;  and 
while  armed  with  the  teeth  of  a  crocodile,  they  display  an  optic  globe 
which  is  without  any  parallel.  This  eye,  the  bulk  of  which  was  some- 
times as  large  as  a  man's  head,  was  protected  in  front  by  a  framework  of 
bony  plates,  and  was  beyond  all  doubt  the  most  powerful  and  perfect 


(61) 


62  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

visual  apparatus  ever  seen  in  creation.  Hence  the  ichthyosauri  could 
discover  their  prey  at  the  greatest  as  well  as  the  shortest  distances ;  in  the 
profound  darkness  of  night,  and  in  the  depths  of  the  ocean ;  the  delicate 
structure  of  the  organ  of  vision  being  protected  from  the  shock  of  the 
waves  by  the  bony  buckler  which  surrounds  the  transparent  globe. 

Naturalists  have  investigated  the  remains  of  these  animals  with  such 
skill,  that  in  spite  of  the  destruction  of  the  softer  organs  thousands  of 
years  ago,  they  have  been  enabled  to  make  out  the  structure  of  the  intes- 
tinal tube !  It  has  been  shown  that  this  was  formed  exactly  like  an 
Archimedian  screw,  and  was  strictly  analogous  to  that  of  our  sharks  and 
rays.  At  the  same  time  the  nature  of  the  food  of  these  voracious  reptiles 
has  been  discovered.  The  petrified  remains  of  food  which  were  found 
proved  that  they  devoured  an  enormous  quantity  offish,  and  even  occasion- 
ally their  own  species,  for  small  ichthyosauri  have  been  met  with,  in  the 
inclosed  remains  of  the  large  ones. 

Freaks  of  the  Animal  Kingdom. 

With  these  terrible  rulers  of  the  ancient  seas  lived  the  plesiosauri,  rep- 
tiles equally  strange,  and  which  Cuvier  considered  as  the  most  singular 
races  of  the  early  world.  They  were  remarkable  for  their  turtle-like  fins, 
and  especially  for  the  thinness  and  extreme  length  of  their  serpent-like 
necks.  The  arrangement  of  the  skeleton  in  the  plesiosaurus  indicates 
that  it  swam  ordinarily  on  the  surface  of  the  waves,  curving  back  its  long 
flexible  neck  like  a  swan,  and  darting  forward  with  it  from  time  to  time  in 
order  to  seize  the  fish  which  approached  it.  Their  paws,  similar  to  those 
of  the  sea  turtles,  show  that  the  plesiosauri,  like  these  reptiles,  sometimes 
issued  from  the  sea  and  sought  refuge  amid  the  plants,  in  order  to  evade 
their  dangerous  enemies,  which  were  beyond  all  doubt  the  ichthyosauri. 

If  any  of  the  animals  which  the  remote  periods  of  the  globe  present  to 
our  notice  are  to  be  looked  upon  as  monsters,  we  submit  that  in  this 
respect  the  first  place  is  due  to  the  pterodactyli,  which  remind  one  of  the 
ancient  dragons  of  legendary  tradition.  Their  structure  is  so  strange  that 
one  does  not  really  know  where  to  place  them ;  they  were  alternately 
looked  upon  as  birds,  mammals,  and  reptiles.  De  Blainville,  embarrassed, 
as  indeed  all  the  learned  world  were,  formed  a  separate  class  for  them  in^ 
the  animal  kingdom.  The  aspect  of  the  pterodactyl  was  necessarily  very 
strange.  When  naturalists  tried  to  restore  their  frames,  the  figures  they 
produced  were  more  like  the  offspring  of  some  diseased  imagination  than 
realities.  They  were  really  reptiles  furnished  with  large  wings,  and 
resembled  enormous  bats,  having  a  very  pointed  head  supported  on  a 
slender  neck. 


FIERCE   COMBAT   BETWEEN    THE   MEGALOSAURUS   AND    IGUANODON. 

(63) 


64  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

At  the  period  in  the  history  of  the  world  when  the  ocean  swarmed  with 
such  monsters  as  the  ichthyosaurus,  the  land  was  tenanted  by  huge  croco- 
dile-like lizards.  These  were  reptiles  provided  with  feet;  while  those 
inhabiting  the  sea  were  partly  like  fishes,  and  had  paddles  to  enable  them 
to  swim.  The  largest  of  the  land  species  was  the  iguanodon,  so  called 
because  it  resembled  in  structure,  and  in  the  character  of  its  teeth,  the 
iguana,  a  lizard  common  in  the  tropical  parts  of  America.  The  iguana  of 
the  present  day  only  grows  to  the  length  of  four  or  five  feet,  while  the 
iguanodon  of  former  ages  reached  astonishing  dimensions.  The  small 
horn  on  its  nose  gave  it  a  strange,  dragon-like  aspect ;  but,  notwithstand- 
ing its  enormous  size  and  formidable  look,  it  was  probably  a  harmless 
creature,  like  its  modern  relative,  feeding  only  on  vegetable  substances. 

A  Terrible  Monster. 

The  megalosaurus,  or  "  great  lizard,"  was,  on  the  other  hand,  a  dreadful 
carnivorous  monster,  almost  as  huge  as  the  iguanodon,  but  far  more  terrible; 
for  its  immense  jaws  look  as  if  they  could  have  crushed  through  a  bar  of 
iron,  and  its  formidable  rows  of  teeth  were  specially  adapted  for  cutting 
and  tearing  flesh :  for  some  were  arranged  like  those  of  a  saw,  while  others 
were  curved  backward  like  a  sabre,  and  sharp  all  along  the  inner  edge,  so 
that  when  an  animal  was  seized  by  them  it  could  not  possibly  escape. 
The  body  of  the  megalosaurus  was  covered  with  strong  plates  like  armor, 
and  its  legs  were  longer  in  proportion  to  its  size  than  those  of  other  lizards. 
As  these  monsters  were  not  sluggish  like  the  crocodile  and  alligator,  but, 
from  their  flexible,  lizard-like  structure,  probably  swift  and  sudden  in  their 
motions,  the  destruction  of  animal  life  by  such  must  have  been  immense ; 
.and,  indeed,  their  voracity  may  have  been  one  cause  of  their  extinction, 
for  when  other  food  failed  them  they  may  have  attacked  each  other,  the 
large  herbivorous  animals,  such  as  the  mastodon  and  mammoth,  not  being 
then  in  existence.  From  the  plants  preserved  in  the  same  rocks  which 
contain  the  remains  of  these  creatures,  we  know  that  they  must  have  lived 
in  a  tropical  climate,  for  the  vegetation  chiefly  consists  of  tree-ferns  and 
palms,  such  as  only  grow  in  hot  countries. 

The  megalosaurus  received  its  name  from  its  gigantic  size,  although  the 
size  is,  in  some  respects,  the  character  of  least  importance.  The  tribe  of 
lizards,  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  existing  reptilian  groups,  forms 
a  link  in  the  chain  by  which  the  animal  we  are  now  describing  was  con- 
nected with  known  forms;  but,  although  analogies  unquestionably  exist 
between  the  lizard  and  the  megalosaurus,  and  also  between  this  animal 
and  the  crocodiles,  there  yet  remain  marked  and  peculiar  features  sep- 
arating it  from  both.  It  is  now  considered  as  one  of  an  extinct  family, 


(65) 


66  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

pre-eminently  remarkable  for  the  great  height  at  which  all  the 
species  stood  above  the  ground  in  proportion  to  all  other  reptiles ;  and  the 
height  is  indicated  not  less  by  the  actual  size  of  the  bones  of  the  extremi- 
ties, than  by  the  provision  made  in  the  skeleton  to  resist  the  pressure  of 
an  enormous  weight. 

The  megalosaurus  was  a  gigantic  carnivorous  land  reptile,  its  body 
being  of  enormous  size.  It  was  clothed  in  scaly  armor  and  stood  with 
its  whole  body  considerably  above  the  ground,  in  bulk  and  general  ap- 
pearance rather  resembling  the  hippopotamus  than  the  gigantic  alligators 
of  the  present  day.  It  was  provided  with  a  true  reptillian  tail,  the  length 
of  which  was  considerable,  although  not  nearly  so  great  in  proportion  as  that 
of  existing  crocodiles  and  alligators.  The  head  was  terminated  by  a  straight, 
narrow,  and  long  snout,  not  tapering,  but  compressed  laterally.  The  teeth 
were  of  moderate  size.  They  formed,  however,  strong  and  powerful  cut- 
ting instruments,  for  the  fore  part  was  sharp  and  jagged,  and  the  hind  part 
much  thicker  and  blunt,  while  one  set  succeeded  another. 
An  Ingenious  Arrangement. 

The  vertebrae  are  somewhat  peculiar  in  form,  and  present  nearly  flat 
surfaces  to  one  another ;  but  it  is  chiefly  one  group,  consisting  of  five, 
firmly  cemented  together  into  a  solid  mass,  and  distributing  the  weight  of 
the  body  upon  the  hinder  extremities,  that  forms  an  exception  to  the  ordi- 
nary reptilian  character.  Except  the  megalosaurus,  and  the  two  or  three 
extinct  species  now  grouped  with  it,  and  belonging  to  the  same  period,  no 
reptile  has  more  than  two  bones  cemented  together  for  this  purpose ;  and 
this  is  found  sufficient,  because  much  of  the  weight  is  supported  directly 
upon  the  ground  either  by  the  body  or  tail  of  the  animal.  On  the  other 
hand,  all  the  heavy  land  quadrupeds  exhibit  great  strength  and  solidity  in 
this  part.  It  is  interesting  to  find  the  long  and  powerful  extremities  of 
this  monstrous  reptile  thus  combined  with  a  structure  altogether  different 
from  that  of  other  reptiles,  but  manifestly  related  to  its  habits.  The  ver- 
tebrae of  the  megalosaurus  thus  united  are  not  in  a  straight  line,  but 
describe  a  gentle  curve  with  the  concavity  downwards. 

The  bones  of  the  extremities  are  long,  large,  and  hollow,  resembling  in 
this  the  corresponding  bones  of  land  quadrupeds.  They  exhibit,  however, 
a  mixture  of  the  characters  observed  in  the  crocodile  and  in  some  lizards. 
They  are  so  large,  compared  with  the  bones  of  animals  most  nearly  allied, 
that,  if  the  same  proportions  had  held  throughout,  the  megalosaurus  might 
be  compared  with  a  crocodile  sixty  or  seventy  feet  long,  did  such  a  mon- 
ster exist ;  but  the  whole  structure  of  the  animal  indicates  considerably 
greater  bulk  and  height  in  proportion  to  length  than  is  seen  in  other  rep- 


(67) 


68  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

tiles.  The  trunk  was  broad  and  deep,  the  tail  comparatively  short,  and 
the  limbs  unusually  long.  We  have  no  means  of  deciding  in  what  man- 
ner the  tail  was  carried. 

A  Peculiar  Skeleton. 

This  gigantic  land  reptile  was  accompanied  by  another,  and  still  more 
oddly  constituted  animal,  connecting  the  reptiles  with  birds  in  a  manner 
not  less  remarkable  than  that  by  which  the  megalosaurus  unites  them  with 
quadrupeds.  The  pterodactyl  is  a  true  flying  reptile.  It  exhibits,  how- 
ever, in  the  various  parts  of  its  skeleton  such  strange  resemblances  to 
other  and  very  widely  separated  groups,  that  it  was  successively  described 
as  a  bird  and  a  bat,  before  it  was  acknowledged  according  to  its  true 
analogies ;  and  this  not  without  some  ground,  since  the  mistake  arose 
from  the  presence  of  peculiarities  of  structure  considered  in  each  case  as 
characteristic  of  the  two  great  classes  of  vertebrata  to  which  it  was  referred. 
It  is,  perhaps,  the  most  extraordinary  of  all  the  beings  of  whose  former 
existence  the  study  of  fossils  has  made  us  aware,  and  is  that  which  if 
living  would  appear  most  unlike  any  thing  that  exists  in  the  known  world. 
In  tjie  external  form  of  the  body  the  pterodactyli  probably  resemble  the 
bats  or  vampires ;  and  some  of  the  species  attain  the  size  of  a  cormorant, 
although  others  were  not  larger  than  a  snipe.  The  resemblance,  however, 
to  the  bat  tribe,  was  limited  to  the  form  of  the  body,  for  the  head  was 
totally  different,  the  snout  being  enormously  elongated,  and  the  eyes 
exceedingly  large ;  while  the  organs  of  flight  or  wings  were  even  more 
powerful  in  proportion,  and  the  legs  were  probably  capable  of  being  used 
in  the  water,  assisting  the  animal  to  swim.  Let  us  now  consider  a  little 
more  in  detail  some  of  the  peculiarities  of  structure  of  this  strange  monster. 

In  the  first  place,  the  skull,  far  from  resembling  that  of  a  bat  or  bird, 
resembles  in  its  general  proportions,  and  even  in  some  points  of  detail, 
that  of  the  crocodiles ;  and  the  reptilian  analogies  are  completely  pre- 
served in  the  position  and  small  size  of  the  cranium,  and  in  the  enormous 
length  of  the  snout.  The  lower  jaw  is  not  less  reptilian,  and  is  provided, 
as  well  as  the  upper  jaw,  with  a  long  row  of  powerful  teeth  implanted  in 
sockets,  and  successively  replaced  as  they  were  worn  and  lost.  The  num- 
ber of  these  teeth  was  about  sixty ;  they  were  conical  like  those  of  the 
crocodile,  but  larger  compared  with  the  size  of  the  jaw.  The  whole  of  the 
other  proportions  of  the  head  indicate  a  creature  of  great  strength,  capable 
of  darting  down  upon  fishes  or  preying  upon  the  smaller  land  animals. 
A  Strangely  Formed  Creature. 

The  neck  of  the  pterodactyl,  although  it  contains  only  the  usual  num- 
ber of  vertebrae  (seven,)  must  have  been  of  great  length,  and  well  fitted  to 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA.  69 

support  and  move  the  powerful  head  just  described,  but  an  unusual  pro- 
vision is  observable  in  the  neck,  assisting  to  give  additional  strength  to  the 
head,  a  set  of  bony  tendons  running  along  the  vertebrae  for  this  purpose. 
The  length  of  the  neck  corresponds  with  what  we  see  in  birds,  and  indi- 
cates a  perfect  adaptation  of  the  animal  for  rapid  and  long-continued 
flight.  In*  one  specimen  the  head  is  thrown  back  so  far,  that  the  base  of 
the  skull  almost  touches  the  tail,  without  the  bones  appearing  to  be  in  an 
unnatural  position.  But  it  is  chiefly  in  the  bones  of  the  extremity,  by 
means  of  which  the  animal  was  enabled  to  fly,  at  the  same  time  retaining 
the  power  of  walking  and  in  all  probability  of  swimming,  that  we  find 
the  most  singular  of  the  mechanical  contrivances,  and  observe  a  structure 
different  from  that  of  any  other  species,  either  living  or  extinct 
A  Bird  and  Reptile  Combined. 

The  bones  which  support  the  wings  of  a  bird  exhibit,  in  spite  of  great 
external  difference,  a  good  deal  of  similarity  to  the  bones  of  the  fore  ex- 
tremities of  quadrupeds,  and  even  reptiles  ;  and  it  might  have  been  expec- 
ted, that,  in  adapting  a  species  of  either  of  these  latter  classes  for  flight, 
and  enabling  it  to  live  chiefly  in  the  air,  similar  modifications  would  have 
been  adhered  to.  But  the  fact  is  not  so.  The  wings  of  a  bird  owe  a 
great  part  of  their  efficacy  to  the  feathers  with  which  they  are  covered ; 
and  as  it  did  not  enter  into  the  plan  of  nature  to  provide  quadrupeds  or 
reptiles  with  these  appendages,  other  mechanical  contrivances  are  resorted 
to  by  which  the  power  of  flight  is  obtained,  and  the  common  integument 
preserved  in  the  bat  and  pterodactyl.  In  bats,  which  are  flying  quadrupeds, 
this  modification  consists  in  the  extraordinary  development  of  all  the 
fingers,  upon  which  skin  is  stretched  like  the  silk  on  the  rods  of  an 
umbrella;  and  this  skin  extends  not  merely  between  the  elongated  fingers, 
but  also  from  the  last  finger  to  the  legs  and  feet,  and  so  to  the  tail.  The 
thumb  is  partially  free,  and  serves  as  a  hook  for  suspending  the  animal. 

There  is  no  really  flying  reptile  now  existing,  but  in  one  species,  which 
is  able  to  support  itself  for  a  short  time  in  the  air ;  there  is  a  very  imper- 
fect flying  apparatus,  which  chiefly  acts  as  a  parachute,  supporting  the 
animal  in  its  long  leaps.  This  consists  of  an  expansion  of  the  skin  over 
a  series  of  false  ribs  extending  horizontally  from  the  back  bone.  In  the 
pterodactyl,  however,  which  is  evidently  and  expressly  contrived  for  flight 
a  very  singular  contrivance  is  introduced,  and  it  is  one  which  seems  to 
have  ensured  to  the  animal  the  power  of  walking  and  swimming,  as  well 
as  flying. 

In  order  to  effect  this,  the  bones  of  the  fore  extremity,  so  far  as  regards 
the  shoulder  and  arm-bones,  the  wrist  and  the  hand,  scarcely  differ  from 


70  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  ordinary  proportions  of  those  bones  in  lizards,  and  correspond  with 
the  dimensions  of  the  hinder  extremity,  so  that  up  to  this  point  there  is 
no  peculiar  adaptation  for  flying.  On  examining  the  bones  of  the  fingers, 
'however,  we  find  that  the  number  of  joints  in  that  which  corresponds  to 
the  little  finger  is  increased  to  five,  and  each  joint  is  enormously  length- 
ened. To  the  whole  of  the  little  finger,  thus  produced  till  it  has  become 
longer  than  the  body  and  neck  together,  a  membranous  wing  was  attached, 
which  was  also  fastened  to  the  rest  of  the  arm,  to  the  body,  and  to  a  por- 
tion of  the  hinder  extremity.  When,  therefore,  the  arm  was  extended, 
the  wing  was  not  necessarily  expanded,  and  only  became  so  on  the  little 
finger  being  also  stretched  out  so  as  to  be  at  right  angles  to  the  arm ; 
and  the  membrane  was  then  nearly  surrounded  on  four  sides  by  bone. 
By  this  contrivance  the  necessity  of  employing  the  whole  arm  in  the 
mechanism  of  flying  as  in  the  bird,  or  the  whole  hand  as  in  the  bat,  was 
done  away  with,  and  the  flying  apparatus  being  confined  to  one  finger, 
the  arms  and  hands  could  be  readily  and  conveniently  made  use  of  like 
the  corresponding  extremities  of  other  animals. 

A  Creature  with  Remarkable  Agility. 

The  great  peculiarity,  then,  in  the  pterodactyl,  with  regard  to  the 
organs  of  locomotion,  is  the  freedom  with  which  the  arms  and  legs  could 
act  when  the  wings  were  not  in  use — and  this  extends  even  to  the  struc- 
ture of  the  toes,  which  in  the  bat  form  only  a  single  hook,  but  in  the 
pterodactyl  were  free,  and  would  allow  the  animal  to  stand  firmly  on  the 
ground,  to  walk  about  like  a  bird,  to  perch  on  a  tree,  to  climb  rocks  and 
cliffs,  and  possibly  also  to  swim  in  the  ocean. 

We  have,  therefore,  in  this  singular  genus  an  animal  which,  in  all 
points  of  bony  structure,  from  the  teeth  to  the  extremity  of  the  nails, 
presents  the  characteristics  of  a  reptile,  being  even  perhaps  covered  with 
scaly  armor,  and  which  was  also  a  true  reptile  in  the  important  pecu- 
liarities of  the  structure  of  the  heart  and  circulating  organs.  But  it  was  at 
the  same  time  provided  with  the  means  of  flying ;  its  wings,  when  not  in 
use,  might  be  folded  back  like  those  of  a  bird ;  and  it  could  suspend  itself, 
by  claws  attached  to  the  fingers,  from  the  branches  of  a  tree.  Its  usual 
position,  when  not  in  motion  or  suspended,  would  probably  be  standing 
on  its  hind  feet,  with  its  neck  curved  backwards,  lest  the  weight  of 
the  enormous  head  should  disturb  the  equilibrium  of  the  animal. 

Reverting  now  to  the  megalosaurus,  its  gigantic  companion  received 
the  name  of  iguanodon.     This  has  already  been  mentioned,  but  we  give 
here  a  full  description  of  this  marvelous  creature.     It  is  known  to  us  by ' 
the  teeth  and  a  considerable  part  of  the  skeleton.     The  teeth  of  the  igu- 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA.  71 

anodon  are  partly  composed  of  bone,  gradually  becoming  softer  from  the 
edge  inwards,  and  partly  of  enamel,  by  which  they  are  surrounded ;  the 
result  of  this  contrivance  being  the  formation  of  a  slant  surface  of  the 
crown  of  the  tooth,  and  therefore  of  a  sharp  cutting  edge.  While  young, 
the  tooth  presents  a  sharp  edge,  and  is  lancet-shaped  as  it  grows  further 
out  from  the  jaw,  and  is  then  a  powerful  instrument,  well  adapted  to  sepa- 
rate tough  vegetable  fibres ;  while  in  its  most  advanced  state  it  ceases  to 
be  adapted  to  this  purpose,  but  is  strong  and  flat,  and  at  the  same  time 
uneven,  the  pulp  of  the  tooth  projecting  from  the  surface,  which  is  worn 
so  as  to  be  nearly  horizontal,  and  forming  a  transverse  ridge.  The  teeth 
therefore  begin  by  being  incisors,  and  in  the  course  of  time,  as  they  become 
worn,  they  pass  into  the  condition  of  grinders — a-  curious  change,  pro- 
viding for  the  animal  a  perpetual  supply  of  teeth  of  all  kinds,  some 
enabling  it  to  nip  off  tough  vegetable  food,  and  others  helping  to  grind 
that  food  properly  before  it  is  committed  to  the  stomach. 
A  Bony  Structure  of  Great  Strength. 

The  vertebral  column  of  the  iguanodon  is  on  a  scale  commensurate 
with  the  vast  bulk  of  the  animal.  The  vertebrae  themselves  have  nearly 
flat  surfaces,  and  are  large  and  somewhat  wedge-shaped  like  those  of  the 
crocodile.  The  neck  is  not  known,  since  no  vertebrae  have  yet  been  found 
belonging  to  this  part.  The  sarcum,  or  that  part  of  the  back-bone, 
cemented  together  to  distribute  the  weight  of  the  body  on  the  hinder 
extremities,  includes  five  vertebrae,  as  in  the  megalosaurus;  and  in  one 
specimen  this  continuous  solid  ridge  of  bone  measures  seventeen  inches 
in  length,  and  its  breadth,  though  only  eight  inches  at  the  fore  part,  be- 
comes as  much  as  thirteen  inches  towards  the  hinder  part.  The  magni- 
tude, both  in  diameter  and  length,  of  the  thigh  and  leg  bones,  corresponds 
well  with  the  large  portion  of  the  spine  thus  grasped,  as  it  were,  by  the 
bones  of  the  pelvis,  and  strongly  points  to  the  terrestrial  habits  of  the  an- 
imal. The  total  length  of  the  extremities  seems,  in  some  cases,  to  have 
exceeded  eight  or  even  nine  feet,  and  the  bones  of  the  foot  are  gigantic 
even  beyond  the  proportions  thus  indicated,  since  one  of  the  separate  bones 
measures  thirty  inches  in  length,  and  the  last  joint  of  the  toe,  to  which  a 
claw  was  attached,  is  five  inches  and  a  half  long.  There  was  thus  an 
ample  base  for  the  vast  column  supporting  the  body. 

The  tail  of  the  iguanodon  was  probably  very  much  shorter  in  propor- 
tion than  that  of  crocodiles,  and  was  very  dissimilar.  It  must,  notwith- 
standing, have  been  large,  and  flattened  laterally,  being  of  considerable 
breadth  in  the  vertical  direction  near  its  attachment  to  the  body.  The 
ribs  were  very  large,  broad,  and  long. 


72 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


While  the  bones  01  the  extremities  were  perhaps  six  or  eight  times 
larger  than  those  of  the  most  gigantic  alligator,  the  whole  length  of  the 
iguanodon  is  not  likely  to  have  exceeded  thirty  feet.  Even  then,  how- 
ever, allowing  about  three  feet  for  the  head,  and  assuming  that  the  neck 
was  short,  and  that  the  tail  was  about  thirteen  feet  long,  which  it  is  calcu- 
lated would  be  the  extreme  size,  we  still  have  a  length  of  twelve  feet  for 
the  body,  and  this  is  much  more  than  is  seen  in  the  trunk  of  any  living 
animal.  The  body  being  of  this  length,  and  perhaps  of  more  than  cor- 
responding bulk,  and  lifted  many  feet  from  the  ground,  reaching  perhaps 
to  the  height  of  twelve  or  fifteen  feet,  must  have  indeed  been  sufficiently 
monstrous,and  departed  widely  enough  from  any  known  animal  to  justify 


THE  PONDEROUS  IGUANODON. 

the  accounts  that  have  been  given  of  its  strange  and  marvelous  propor- 
tions. 

It  is  difficult  to  confine  the  imagination  within  due  bounds  when  we 
endeavor  to  recall  scenes  enacted  during  the  earlier  periods  of  the  earth's 
history,  and  to  picture  these  past  events  without  running  into  extrava- 
gance, and  without  overstepping  the  limits  of  simplicity  and  probability, 
which  should  always  characterize  natural  history.  There  is,  however,  no 
need  of  exaggeration  in  depicting  the  wonders  of  those  ancient  periods, 
Let  us  imagine  ourselves  placed  on  a  projecting  headland  or  hill  of 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA.  73 

mountain  limestone,  anciently,  as  now  forming  a  prominent  and  pictur- 
esque object,  but  commanding  a  view  of  the  open  sea,  which  then  covered 
the  greater  part  of  our  island.  Placed  in  imagination  in  this  command- 
ing position,  let  us  endeavor  to  recall  the  scenes  once  enacted  near  some 
tract  of  low  flat  land — a  sandy  shore  of  the  oolitic  period — on  which,  at  a 
distance,  a  few  solitary  palm  trees  stand  out  against  the  blue  sky,  but 
which  is  backed  by  a  more  luxuriant  growth  of  pines  and  ferns,  extend- 
ing towards  the  interior,  and  crowning  the  tops  of  distant  high  ground. 

The  first  object  that  attracts  attention  might  be  one  of  the  crocodilian 
animals  with  its  long  slender  snout,  and  with  extremities  admirably- 
adapted  for  swimming,  combining  those  peculiarities  of  structure  which. 
distinguish  the  teleosaurus.  This  animal  might  be  seen  moving  slowly,. 
and  not  without  difficulty,  towards  the  water,  but  when  there,  darting  ab- 
ruptly along,  pursuing  and  devouring  the  small  fishes  that  swarmed  about 
the  shallows ;  these  fishes,  sluggish  in  their  nature,  and  chiefly  feeding  on 
the  molluscs  which  live  near  the  shore,  falling  a  ready  and  abundant 
prey.  Many  other  crocodilian  monsters,  of  similar  habits,  but  more  or 
less  adapted  for  a  marine  life,  might  also  have  been  seen  wandering  about. 
.Leviathans  of  the  Antediluvian  Seas. 

While,  however,  this  was  going  on  in  the  near  vicinity  of  land,  our 
supposed  position  would  enable  us  to  watch  also  the  open  sea  at  a  little . 
distance.  Here  we  could  not  fail  being  struck  with  that  gigantic  reptile,, 
the  cetiosaurus,  easily  recognized  by  the  dark  outline  of  its  huge  head 
raised  partly  above  the  surface  to  enable  the  animal  to  breathe,  while  at 
the  distance  of  some  twenty  yards  from  this  would  be  seen  its  great  fish- 
like  tail.  Could  our  power  of  vision  enable  us  to  see  beneath  the  sur- 
face, there  might  also  be  observed  those  singular  webbed  feet,  and  enor- 
mous toes  armed  with  long  powerful  claws,  which  so  strikingly  charac- 
terize this  creature. 

But  another  of  the  monsters  of  the  deep  demands  our  notice — a  truly 
marine  reptile — gigantic  in  its  proportions,  admirably  adapted  for  rapid 
motion,  and  combining  some  of  the  terrestrial  and  crocodilian  peculiari- 
ties of  the  long-necked  plesiosaurus,  with  the  compact  proportions  of  the 
great  fish-lizard.  Its  huge  crocodilian  head  contrasts  strongly  with  the 
porpoise-like  body,  which  is  attached  without  any  intervening  neck ;  and 
its  powerful  elongated  extremities  make  up  for  the  absence  of  a  vertical 
tail-fin.  The  sharks,  which  were  still  abundant  and  powerful,  and  even 
the  ichthyosaurus  itself,  could  scarcely  have  escaped  from  these  terrible 
enemies. 

Having  thus  obtained  glimpses  of  the  sea  and  its  inhabitants,  let  us 


THE    ICHTHYOSAURUS   AND    PLESIOSAURUS    IN    MORTAL   COMBAT. 
(74) 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA.  75 

next  turn  our  attention  to  the  adjacent  land.  The  long-snouted  and 
other  crocodiles,  which  have  gorged  themselves  with  fish  in  the  shallow 
water,  now  sleep  half  buried  in  the  muddy  and  naked  plains  on  shore. 
Some  of  them,  eighteen  or  twenty  feet  long,  advance  on  land  with  diffi- 
culty, their  extremities  being  far  better  adapted  to  swimming  than  walking. 
Presently  a  noise  is  heard,  and  a  huge  animal  advances,  whose  true  nature 
and  habits  we  are  at  first  at  a  loss  to  understand.  In  its  general  propor- 
tions it  is  far  longer  and  also  taller  than  the  largest  elephant;  its  body 
hangs  down  near  the  ground,  but  its  legs  are  like  the  trunks  of  great 
forest  trees,  and  its  feet  form  an  ample  base  for  the  vast  columns  which 
press  upon  them.  Instead  of  long  tusks,  large  grinding  teeth,  and  a 
trunk  like  that  of  the  elephant,  this  animal  has  an  exceedingly  elongated 
and  narrow  snout,  armed  throughout  with  ranges  of  sharp  and  strong 
knife-like  teeth.  The  monster  approaches,  and  trodden  down  with  one 
of  its  feet,  armed  with  powerful  claws,  or  caught  between  its  long  and 
narrow  iaws,  our  crocodile  is  devoured  in  an  instant. 
Insects  of  Marvelous  Brilliancy. 

But  there  is  yet  another  scene  for  us  to  contemplate.  Still  remaining 
.at  no  great  distance  from  the  shore,  but  advancing  inland  towards  the 
forest,  let  us  watch  the  golden  beetles,  and  the  beautiful  dragon-flies  and 
other  insects  as  they  flit  past  in  all  the  brilliancy  and  cheerfulness  of  lux- 
uriant and  untamed  nature.  The  lofty  forest  trees,  perhaps  not  much 
unlike  some  existing  but  southern  pines,  are  woven  together  with  thick 
underwood;  and  the  open  country,  where  it  is  not  wooded,  is  brown  with 
numerous  ferns,  still  the  preponderating  vegetation,  and  distributed  in 
extensive  groups.  Here  and  there  a  tree  is  seen,  overturned  and  lying 
at  its  length  upon  the  ground,  preserving  its  shape,  although  thoroughly 
rotten,  and  serving  as  the  retreat  of  the  scorpion,  the  centipede  and  many 
beetles.  A  few  quadrupeds,  not  larger  than  rats,  are  distinguished  at 
intervals,  timid  even  in  the  absence  of  danger,  and  scarcely  appearing 
from  their  shelter  without  great  precaution. 

A  strangely  formed  animal,  however,  is  perceived  running  along  upon 
the  ground:  its  general  appearance  in  motion  is  that  of  a  bird,  but  its 
body  and  long  neck,  its  head  and  wings,  are  not  covered  with  feathers, 
but  are  either  quite  bare,  or  perhaps  resplendent  with  glittering  scales ;  its 
proportions  are  quite  unlike  those  of  any  known  animal;  its  head 
is  enormously  long,  and  like  that  of  a  crocodile;  its  neck  long  and  out- 
stretched, or  thrown  back  on  the  body;  its  fore  extremities  have  four  free 
toes,  but  the  fifth  toe  folded  down  on  the  body ;  its  hind  legs  are  short, 
and  its  feet  perhaps  webbed.  This  animal,  running  along  upon  the 


(76) 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA.  77 

ground,  pursues  and  devours  the  little  quadruped  we  have  been  watching, 
and  then  perhaps  darts  off  towards  the  sea  to  feed  upon  the  fishes,  which 
its  peculiar  powers  would  enable  it  to  take,  either  pouncing  upon  and  so 
transfixing  the  victim,  or  even  occasionally  diving  in  search  of  prey. 

The  Flying  Lizard. 

But  we  have  not  yet  noticed  the  strangest  phenomenon.  This  mailed 
reptile,  four  of  its  fingers  still  free,  but  the  fifth  opened  out,  and  by  a 
connecting  membrane  forming  a  wing  of  very  large  size,  rises  into  the 
air,  and  flits  about  or  hovers  over-head,  realizing  and  even  surpassing,  in 
the  conditions  of  its  existence,  the  wildest  mythological  accounts  of  fly- 
ing dragons  which  we  read  of,  or  those  representations  which  we  see  pic- 
tured by  the  pencil  of  the  Chinese.  Of  all  the  strange  creatures  that 
have  ever  appeared  in  the  world,  perhaps  the  strangest  was  this  pterodac- 
tyl, or  wing-fingered  reptile.  The  remains  of  one  have  been  found  whose 
wings  had  a  spread  of  twenty-seven  feet,  thus  exceeding  in  size  the  larg- 
est condor  of  the  Andes.  But  it  could  fly  in  the  air  or  walk  on  the 
ground,  climb  trees  and  rocks  by  means  of  its  strong  claws,  and  most 
likely  it  could  swim  in  the  water.  Its  wings  consisted  of  a  membrane  ex- 
tending from  what  we  must  call  its  fingers  all  along  the  body  to  the 
hinder  limbs,  and  from  the  size  and  form  of  these  latter  it  is  evident  that 
it  must  have  walked  or  perched  in  the  manner  of  a  bird,  to  which  its  long 
neck  also  gave  some  resemblance.  But  it  was  a  flying  dragon,  and  had 
jaws  like  a  crocodile's,  armed  with  sharp-pointed  teeth  ;  and  its  eyes  were 
very  large,  probably  adapted  for  seeing  at  night.  From  its  remains  be- 
ing found  together  with  those  of  dragon-flies  and  beetles,  it  appears  to 
have  lived  mostly  on  insects,  while  the  larger  kind  are  supposed  to  have 
eaten  fish,  which  they  may  have  seized  like  the  sea-gull  whilst  flying  over 
the  water.  The  pterodactyl  has  utterly  passed  away  with  the  age  in 
which  it  lived,  and  there  is  nothing  like  it  now  in  nature.  In  its  time,  it 
seems  to  have  filled  the  same  place  in  the  natural  economy  that  bats  do 
now.  But  the  pterodactyl  was  a  reptile,  a  flying  lizard,  while  the  bats  be- 
long to  quite  a  different  order  of  animals. 

Modified,  no  doubt,  by  considerable  and  even  important  changes  in 
matters  of  detail,  but  still  remaining  in  all  essential  points  the  same,  the 
picture  thus  given  may  be  looked  on  as  neither  false  nor  exaggerated, 
however  imperfect,  and  as,  to  a  certain  extent,  characterizing  the  whole 
of  the  long  period  during  which  the  oolites  were  being  deposited.  From 
time  to  time,  in  various  places  during  this  period,  coral  reefs  were  formed, 
mud-banks  accumulated,  and  occasionally  a  considerable  quantity  of 
sand  was  also  brought  in  ;  and  thus  there  went  on  a  series  of  changes, 


(78) 


THE    FLYING    DRAGON. 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA.  7£ 

resulting  in  the  formation  of  many  important  beds  of  limestone  and  much 
clay,  along  a  coast-line  gradually  advancing  eastwards,  and  probably  un- 
dergoing numerous  alterations  of  level. 

Surrounded  with  a  constantly  renewed  vegetation,  in  an  atmosphere 
and  with  climatic  conditions  probably  admirably  adapted  to  its  habits, 
there  existed  another  monstrous  animal,  more  unweildy  even  than  the 
megalosaurus  and  treading  down  whole  forests  in  its  advance,  organized 
so  as  to  clear  away  a  portion,  at  least,  of  the  results  of  a  rapid  growth  of 
vegetable  matter.  These  animals  must  have  been  very  numerous  where 
their  remains  have  been  found;  they  have  furnished  sufficient  material  to 
enable  us  to  complete,  in  imagination,  their  singular  forms. 
A  Colossus  of  the  Antediluvian  Age. 

The  dinotherium  is  the  most  remarkable  of  the  ancient  animals,  and  the 
largest  which  has  ever  lived.  For  a  long  time  we  possessed  very  imper- 
fect portions  of  its  skeleton,  and  Cuvier  was  induced  erroneously  to  place 
it  among  the  tapirs.  The  discovery  of  a  lower  jaw  nearly  perfect,  armed 
with  defensive  tusks  descending  from  its  under  side,  demonstrated  that  this 
hitherto  mysterious  animal  was  the  type  of  a  genus  altogether  new  and 
singular.  Nevertheless,  as  it  was  known  that  there  were  some  animals  of 
the  ancient  world  in  which  both  jaws  were  armed,  it  was  thought  for  some 
time  that  such  was  the  case  with  the  dinotherium.  But  in  1836  a  head, 
nearly  entire,  was  found,  and  this  fine  fragment  was  carried  to  Paris,  and 
exposed  to  public  view.  It  was  nearly  a  yard  and  a  half  long.  The 
defences,  it  was  found,  were  enormous,  and  were  carried  at  the  extremity 
of  the  lower  jaw-bone,  and  much  curved  inwards.  The  molar  teeth  were 
in  many  respects  analogous  to  those  of  the  tapir,  and  the  great  holes  under 
the  orbits,  joined  to  the  form  of  the  nasal  bone,  rendered  the  existence  of" 
a  proboscis  or  trunk  very  probable. 

This  colossus  of  the  ancient  world,  respecting  which  so  much  has  been 
said,  somewhat  approaches  the  mastodon:  it  seems  to  announce  the  ele- 
phant, but  its  dimensions  were  vastly  greater  than  the  living  elephants, 
superior  even  to  that  of  the  mastodon  and  the  mammoth,  both  fossil 
elephants.  From  its  kind  of  life,  and  frugal  habits  this  monster  scarcely 
merited  the  formidable  name  imposed  on  it  by  naturalists,  of  "  terrible  ani- 
mal." Its  size  was,  no  doubt,  frightful  enough,  but  its  habits  seem  to 
have  been  harmless.  It  is  supposed  to  have  inhabited  the  fresh  water 
lakes,  or  marshes  and  the  mouths  of  great  rivers,  by  preference.  Herbiv- 
orous like  the  elephant,  it  employed  its  proboscis  probably  in  seizing  the 
herbage  suspended  over  the  waters,  or  floating  on  their  surface.  We  know 
that  the  elephants  are  very  partial  to  the  roots  of  vegetables  growing  in 


(80) 


THE    IMMENSE    DINOTHERIUM. 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA. 


81 


flooded  plains.  The  dinotherium  appears  to  have  been  similarly  organized, 
and  probably  sought  to  satisfy  the  same  tastes.  With  the  powerful  mat- 
tock which  Nature  had  supplied  him  for  penetrating  the  soil,  he  would  be 
able  to  tear  from  the  bed  of  the  river  or  lake  nourishing  roots,  for  which 
the  mode  of  articulation  in  the  jaws,  and  the  powerful  muscles  intended  to 
move  them,  as  well  as  the  large  surface  of  the  teeth,  so  well  calculated 
for  grinding,  were  evidently  intended. 

The  more  ancient  of  the  secondary  rocks  have  interested  geologists  on 
.account  of  the  innumerable  remains  of  shells  which  they  contain.  At 
the  time  when  these  strata  were  being  deposited  lived  one  of  the  most 
extraordinary  reptiles  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge.  It  was  a  kind 


AN  EXTRAORDINARY  REPTILE THE  LABYRINTHODON. 

of  monster  toad,  so  enormous  as  to  equal  an  ox  in  size,  the  teeth  of 
which,  resembling  the  windings  of  a  maze,  have  procured  for  it  the  name 
of  labyrinthodon.  The  rocks  of  this  ancient  epoch  have  taught  us  some- 
thing even  of  the  anatomical  details  of  this  animal,  having  preserved  the 
impressions  of  its  footsteps.  On  the  same  beds  have  been  observed  the 
prints  of  three-toed  feet,  considered  by  some  geologists  as  traces  of  the 
first  birds  on  our  globe. 

The  armadillo,  ant-eater  and  pangolins,  are  the  living  examples  of  an 
ancient  order  of  creatures  which  were  characterized  by  largely  developed 
claws  at  the  extremities  of  the  toes.     The  order  seems  thus  to  establish 
6 


A   GROUP   OF    CURIOUS    HAND-ANIMALS. 


(82) 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA. 


83 


itself  as  a  zoological  link  in  the  chain  between  the  hoofed  animals  and 
those  armed  with  claws.  All  these  animals  belonged  to  the  American 
continent.  The  glyptodon,  which  appears  during  this  period,  belonged 
to  the  family  of  armadillos,  and  their  most  remarkable  feature  was  the 
presence  of  a  hard  scaly  shell  composed  of  numerous  scales,  which  cover 
the  entire  upper  surface  of  the  animal  from  the  head  to  the  tail ;  in  short, 
a  mammiferous  animal,  which  appears  to  have  been  enclosed  in  a  shell 
like  the  turtles :  it  resembles  in  many  respects  the  ant-eater,  and  had  six- 
teen teeth  in  each  jaw.  These  teeth  were  channeled  with  two  broad  and 
deep  lines,  which  divided  the  surface  of  the  molars  into  three  parts.  The 
hind  feet  were  broad  and  massive,  and  evidently  designed  to  support  a 
vast  incumbent  mass ;  it  presented  phalanges  armed  with  nails  or  claws. 


THE    ARMADILLO    OF   THE    ANCIENT   WORLD. 

short,  thick  and  depressed.  The  animal  was  enveloped  in,  and  protected 
by,  a  solid  case,  composed  of  plates  which,  seen  from  beneath,  appeared 
to  be  hexagonal  in  shape.  The  glyptodon  had  a  near  relative  which  is 
represented  in  the  accompanying  engraving.  This  armadillo  of  the  early 
world  was  supposed  to  have  been  a  different  member  of  the  same  species, 
the  chief  difference  in  the  two  animals  being  in  the  structure  of  the  tail, 
which  is  massive  in  the  first,  and  in  the  other  is  composed  of  half  a  score 
of  rings.  In  other  respects  the  structure  and  habits  are  the  same,  both 
being  herbivorous  and  feeding  on  roots  and  other  vegetable  products. 

Another  family  of  reptiles  appears  in  this  epoch,  and  their  relics  show 
that  they  had  a  very  singular  construction.     This  is  the  teleosaurus,  which 


84  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

recent  investigations  permit  us  to  reconstruct.  The  teleosaurus  allows  us 
to  form  a  pretty  exact  idea  of  the  crocodiles  of  the  ancient  seas — those 
curiassed  reptiles,  which  the  German  geologist  Cotta  describes  as  the 
great  barons  of  the  kingdom  of  Neptune,  armed  to  the  teeth  and  clothed 
in  an  impenetrable  panoply ;  the  true  filibusters  of  the  primitive  seas.  The 
teleosaurus  has  an  anatomical  resemblance  to  some  of  the  present  reptiles 
of  India.  They  inhabited  the  banks  of  rivers,  perhaps  the  sea  itself;  they 
were  longer,  more  slender,  and  more  active  than  the  living  species  ;  they 
were  about  thirty  feet  in  length,  of  which  the  head  was  from  three  to 
four  feet,~with  their  enormous  jaws  well  defended  beyond  the  ears,  some- 
times with  an  opening  of  six  feet,  through  which  they  could  engulph,  in 
the  depths  of  their  enormous  throat,  animals  of  the  size  of  an  ox.  In  the 
river  Ganges,  in  India,  there  is  a  huge  reptile  called  the  gavial,  dis- 
tinguished from  the  Egyptian  crocodile  by  the  extraordinary  shape  of 
head  and  jaiws :  there  is  no  other  living  species  of  crocodile  like  it ;  but 
Britain  once  possessed  a  crocodile  resembling  that  of  the  Ganges,  and  of 
even  larger  dimensions.  The  teleosaurus  was  a  reptile  of  that  remote 
period  that  preceded  the  age  of  the  great  elephants  and  tigers.  Its  teeth 
were  more  numerous,  and  set  closer  together,  than  those  of  the  Egyptian 
crocodile ;  and  it  was  covered  with  plates  on  its  under  side  as  well  as  on 
its  back.  Though  it  was  longer  and  more  slender  than  the  crocodile  of 
the  Ganges,  and  the  vertebrae  of  its  back-bone  were  united  by  flat  plates 
instead  of  a  ball  and  socket,  it  resembled  it  more  than  any  other  animal. 
An  Oddity  of  the  Animal  Creation. 

In  those  ages,  so  long  passed  away,  when  such  monstrous  creatures 
lurked  amongst  the  reed-like  plants  of  the  rivers,  and  the  forests  of 
strange  trees  were  haunted  by  reptiles  of  still  more  vast  dimensions,  how 
different  must  the  aspect  of  the  country  have  been  from  what  it  is  now! 

The  megatherium,  or  animal  of  Paraguay,  as  it  was  called,  is,  at  first 
view,  the  oddest  and  most  extraordinary  being  we  have  yet  had  under 
consideration,  where  all  have  been  strange,  fantastic  and  formidable.  The 
animal  creation  still  goes  on  as  if — 

Nature  made  them  and  then  broke  the  die. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  last  century,  an  almost  perfect  skeleton  of  this 
gigantic  animal  was  dug  up,  at  the  depth  of  one  hundred  feet,  in  a  bed  of 
clay  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Luxon,  near  Buenos  Ayres.  This  skele- 
ton was  sent  to  the  museum  at  Madrid,  where  it  now  remains.  The 
megatherium  was  armed  with  claws  of  enormous  length  and  power,  its 
whole  frame  possessing  an  extreme  degree  of  solidity.  With  a  head  and 
neck  like  those  of  the  sloth,  its  legs  and  feet  exhibit  the  character  of  the 


THE  FAMOUS  ANTEDILUVIAN  CROCODILE. 


(85) 


86 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


armadillo  and  the  anteater.  Some  specimens  of  the  animal  give  the  meas- 
urement of  five  feet  across  the  haunches,  and  the  thigh  bone  was  nearly 
three  times  as  thick  as  that  of  the  elephant.  The  spinal  marrow  must 
have  been  a  foot  in  diameter,  and  the  tail,  at  the  part  nearest  the  body, 
twice  as  large,  or  six  feet  in  circumference.  The  girth  of  the  body  was 
fourteen  feet  and  a  half,  and  the  length  eighteen  feet.  The  teeth  were 
admirably  adapted  for  cutting  vegetable  substances,  and  the  general  struct- 
ture  and  strength  of  the  frame  for  tearing  up  the  ground  in  search  of 
roots,  wrenching  off  the  branches  of  trees,  and  uprooting  their  trunks,  on 
which  it  principally  fed. 


THE   GIGANTIC    MEGATHERIUM. 

Heavily  constructed,  and  ponderously  accoutred,  it  could  neither  run, 
nor  leap,  nor  climb.  It  was  an  unwieldy  monster,  and  all  its  movement 
must  have  been  necessarily  slow.  But  what  need  of  rapid  locomotion  to 
an  animal  whose  occupation,  of  digging  roots  for  food,  was  almost  sta- 
tionary? And  what  need  of  speed,  for  flight  from  foes,  to  a  creature 
which,  by  a  single  pass  of  his  paw,  or  lash  of  his  tail,  could  in  an  instant 
have  demolished  the  cougar  or  crocodile  ?  Where  was  the  enemy  that 
would  dare  encounter  this  leviathan  of  the  pampas  ?  Or  in  what  more 


PRE-H1STORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA.  87 

powerful  creature  can  we  find  the  cause  that  has  effected  the  extirpation 
of  his  race  ?  His  entire  frame  was  an  apparatus  of  colossal  mechanism, 
.adapted  exactly  to  the  work  it  had  to  do — strong  and  ponderous  in  pro- 
portion as  this  work  was  heavy,  and  calculated  to  be  the  vehicle  of  life 
and  enjoyment  to  a  gigantic  race  of  quadrupeds,  which,  though  they  are 
extinct,  have  in  their  fossil  bones  left  behind  them  imperishable  monu- 
ments of  the  consummate  skill  with  which  they  were  constructed. 

A  Gigantic  Sloth. 

If  we  glance  at  the  skeleton  of  this  animal,  it  is  impossible  to  avoid 
being  struck  with  its  unusually  heavy  form,  at  once  awkward  and  fantastic 
in  all  its  parts.  It  is  allied  to  the  sloths,  which  Buffon  tells  us  are  of  all 
the  animal  creation  those  which  have  received  the  most  vicious  organ- 
ization— beings  to  which  nature  has  forbid  all  enjoyment:  which  have 
only  been  created  for  hardships  and  misery.  An  attentive  examination  of 
the  animal  of  Paraguay  shows  that  its  organization  cannot  be  considered 
so  odd  or  awkward  when  viewed  in  connection  with  its  kind  of  life  and 
individual  habits.  The  special  organization  which  renders  the  movements 
•of  the  sloths  so  heavy,  and  apparently  so  painful  on  the  level  ground, 
gives  them,  orr  the  other  hand,  marvelous  assistance  when  they  live  in 
trees,  whose  leaves  form  their  exclusive  food.  In  the  same  manner,  if  we 
consider  that  the  megatherium  was  created  to  burrow  in  the  earth  and 
feed  upon  the  roots  of  trees  and  shrubs,  every  organ  of  its  heavy  frame 
would  appear  to  be  perfectly  appropriate  to  its  kind  of  life  and  well  adapted 
to  the  special  purpose  which  has  been  assigned  to  it.  We  ought  to  place 
the  megatherium  between  the  sloths  and  ant-eaters.  Like  the  first,  it  fed 
•exclusively  on  the  leaves  of  trees ;  like  the  second,  it  burrowed  deep  in 
the  soil,  finding  there  at  once  nourishment  and  shelter.  It  was  large  as 
an  elephant  or  rhinoceros  of  the  largest  species.  The  remains  collected 
were  found  in  the  river  Luxon,  which  runs  through  the  great  plains  to 
the  south  of  Buenos  Ayres.  A  succession  of  three  unusually  dry  sea- 
sons had  left  the  waters  so  low  as  to  expose  the  skeleton  to  view  as  it 
stood  upright  in  the  mud  in  the  bed  of  the  river.  Further  inquiries  led 
to  the  discovery  of  two  other  complete  skeletons,  not  far  from  the  spot 
where  the  first  had  been  found ;  and  not  far  from  them  an  immense  shell, 
the  bones  connected  with  which  crumbled  to  pieces  after  exposure  to  the 
air.  It  is  probable  that,  like  the  armadillo,  the  megatherium  employed 
the  tail  to  support  the  enormous  weight  of  its  body :  it  was  also  a  for- 
midable defensive  arm  when  used  as  it  is  by  crocodiles.  The  hind  feet 
were  about  three  feet  long  and  one  foot  broad.  They  formed  a  powerful 
implement  for  excavating  the  earth  at  great  depths  where  the  roots  of 


88 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


vegetables  penetrated.  Solidly  supported  by  the  two  hind  feet  and  the 
tail,  and  in  advance  by  one  of  the  fore  feet,  the  animal  employed  the  fore 
foot  at  liberty  in  hollowing  out  the  earth  or  tearing  up  the  roots  of  trees ; 
the  toes  of  the  fore  feet  were  for  this  purpose  furnished  with  large  and 
powerful  talons,  which  lay  at  an  oblique  angle  in  relation  to  the  soil,  much 
like  the  burrowing  talons  of  the  mole.  The  anatomical  organization 
denotes  heavy,  slow,  and  powerful  locomotion,  but  solid  and  admirable 
combinations  for  supporting  the  weight  of  an  enormous  creature ;  a  sort 
of  excavating  machine,  nearly  immovable,  and  of  incalculable  power  for 
its  own  purposes. 

The  skeleton  of  an  animal  similar  to  the  megatherium  has  been  found  in 


SKELETON  OF  THE  MEGATHERIUM. 

our  own  country.  In  consequence  of  some  hints  given  by  Washington, 
Thomas  Jefferson  discovered  in  a  cavern  of  Western  Virginia  some  bones 
which  he  declared  to  be  the  remains  of  some  carnivorous  animal.  These 
bones  Mr.  Jefferson  believed  to  be  similar  to  those  of  the  lion.  Cuvier  saw 
at  once  the  true  analogies  of  the  animal.  The  bones  were  the  remains  of 
a  species  of  gigantic  sloth,  the  complete  skeleton  of  which  was  subse- 
quently discovered  in  the  Mississippi,  in  a  state  of  preservation  so  com- 
plete that  the  cartilages  still  adhering  to  the  bones  were  not  decomposed. 
Jefferson  called  this  species  the  megalonyx.  It  partook  of  the  character- 
istics of  the  sloth ;  its  size  was  that  of  the  largest  ox ;  the  muzzle  was 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA.  89' 

pointed;  the  jaws  armed  with  cylindrical  teeth;  the  anterior  members 
much  longer  than  the  posterior;  two  great  toes,  short,  armed  with  long 
and  very  powerful  claws ;  the  index  ringer  more  slender,  furnished  with  a 
claw  less  powerful  also ;  the  tail  strong  and  solid :  such  were  the  salient 
points  of  the  organization  of  the  megalonyx,  whose  form  was  a  little 
lighter  than  the  megatherium. 

Singular  Habits  of  Pre-historic  Animals. 

The  habits  of  these  megatheroid  animals,  says  Mr.  Darwin,  were  a 
complete  puzzle  to  naturalists,  until  Professor  Owen,  with  remarkable  in- 
genuity, solved  the  problem.  The  teeth  indicate  that  they  lived  on 
vegetable  food,  and  probably  on  the  leaves  and  small  twigs  of  trees. 
Their  ponderous  forms  and  great  curved  claws  seem  so  little  formed  for 
locomotion,  that  some  naturalists  have  actually  believed  that,  like  the 
sloths,  to  which  they  are  intimately  related,  they  subsisted  by  climbing, 
back  downwards,  on  trees,  and'feeding  on  the  leaves.  It  was  a  bold,  not 
to  say  preposterous  idea,  to  conceive  even  antediluvian  trees,  with  branches 
strong  enough  to  bear  animals  as  large  as  elephants.  Professor  Owen,, 
with  far  more  probability,  believes  that,  instead  of  climbing  on  the  trees,, 
they  pulled  the  branches  down  to  them  and  tore  the  smaller  ones  up  by 
the  roots,  and  so  fed  on  their  leaves.  The  collossal  breadth  and  weight 
of  their  hind  quarters,  which  can  hardly  be  imagined  without  being  seen, 
become,  on  this  view,  of  obvious  service  instead  of  being  an  incumbrance; 
their  apparent  clumsiness  disappears.  With  their  great  tails  and  huge 
heels  firmly  fixed  like  a  tripod  in  the  ground,  they  could  freely  exert  the 
full  force  of  their  powerful  arms  and  great  claws.  One  species  was  fur- 
nished with  a  long  tongue,  capable  of  great  extension  like  that  of  the 
giraffe,  which,  by  a  beautiful  provision  of  nature,  thus  reaches  its  leafy  food. 
An  Extraordinary  Neck. 

It  has  already  been  intimated  that  the  destruction  of  animal  life  in  the 
early  ages  was  partially  due  to  the  warfare  waged  by  one  species  upon 
another.  This  is  illustrated  strikingly  by  two  monsters  to  which  we 
have  previously  referred.  The  plesiosaurus  is  the  name  given  to  one  of 
these  animals.  The  name  is  applied  in  consequence  of  its  offering  in 
many  points  strong  analogies  to  the  other  reptiles ;  but  these  are  not 
sufficiently  close  to  prevent  it  from  exhibiting  a  form  most  strange  and 
anomalous,  and  a  structure  equally  remarkable,  and  differing  considerably 
from  that  of  any  other  animal.  The  most  striking  and  manifest  peculi- 
arity in  the  plesiosaurus  consists  in  the  enormous  length  of  the  neck,, 
which,  in  some  species,  not  only  exceeds  in  absolute  dimensions,  but  also 
in  its  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  animal,  that  of  the  longest-necked 


DO  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

quadruped  or  bird.  But  the  perfect  mobility  of  this  neck,  of  which  we 
may  form  an  idea  by  the  number  of  joints  it  possesses,  was  no  less  remark- 
able. The  giraffe,  the  longest-necked  quadruped  we  are  acquainted  with, 
has  only  seven  vertebrae  of  the  neck,  not  differing  in  this  respect  from  the 
other  mammals;  the  swan,  the  longest-necked  bird,  has  twenty-three: 
but  the  plesiosaurus  is  known,  from  some  admirably  preserved  specimens, 
to  have  had  upwards  of  thirty,  and  perhaps  as  many  as  forty.  In  its  pro- 
portions, the  neck  in  one  species  measures  four  times  the  length  of  the 
head,  and  actually  exceeds  the  entire  length  of  the  body  and  tail.  It 
was  apparently  thick  and  muscular  near  the  body,  but  gradually  became 
slender  towards  the  head,  which  was  small,  and  sometimes  singularly  dis- 
proportioned  in  size  to  the  other  parts  of  the  animal.  The  head  thus 
reduced  in  size  exhibits,  however,  rather  a  high  type  of  organization.  It 
offers  some  of  the  peculiarities  which  characterize  the  lizard,  especially  in 
the  wide  interspaces  left  between  the  bones ;  in  the  existence  of  a  strong 
•crest  along  the  middle  of  the  skull,  indicating  that  the  jaws  were  worked 
-as  in  lizards  and  not  as  in  crocodiles ;  in  the  structure  of  the  lower  jaw ; 
and  in  the  absence  of  a  cross  ridge  on  the  fore  part  of  the  skull.  But  in 
its  general  form,  in  the  strength  and  size  of  the  bones  of  the  face  and 
jaws,  in  the  rugged  outer  surface  of  the  bones,  and  in  the  sockets  of  the 
teeth,  there  is  a  distinct  and  well-marked  approximation  to  the  crocodile. 

An  Admirable  Contrivance. 

In  the  size  and  position  of  the  breathing-holes,  or  external  nostrils,  we 
find,  however,  a  marked  and  interesting  difference  from  all  existing  rep- 
tiles, and  a  strong  analogy  to  the  corresponding  part  in  animals  allied  to 
the  whale,  offering  a  beautiful  example  of  adaptation  of  structure 
presented  in  very  different  animals,  but  producing  similar  results  and 
supplying  similar  exigencies.  These  apertures  are  placed  near  the 
highest  part  of  the  head,  where  they  would  enable  the  animal  most 
readily  to  breathe,  without  exposing  anything  more  than  the  apertures 
themselves  above  the  water,  corresponding  admirably  with  the  marine 
habits  of  the  animal,  as  indicated  by  the  structure  of  its  extremities.  The 
jaws  of  the  plesiosaurus  are  strong  and  rather  spoon-shaped ;  they  were 
provided  with  a  large  number  of  teeth — probably  not  less  than  a  hun- 
dred— which  were  conical,  slender,  long,  and  pointed,  slightly  bent 
inwards,  and  deeply  grooved.  These  teeth  had  long  fangs,  and  were 
planted  in  separate  sockets,  as  in  the  crocodile.  They  could  also  be 
repeated  and  indefinitely  renewed.  It  is  probable  that  the  animal  could, 
like  some  serpents,  swallow  prey  actually  larger  than  the  size  of  its  head, 

the  bones  being  so  little  attached  that  the  cavity  of  the  mouth  could 
\ 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA.  91 

become  greatly  dilated  by  a  violent  effort.     There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
the  habits  of  the  animal  were  strictly  carnivorous. 

The  plesiosaurus  no  doubt  fed  indiscriminately  on  whatever  came 
within  reach,  whether  living  or  dead.  Its  powers  of  locomotion  in  the 
water  were  great,  and  its  strength  must  have  been  formidable ;  but  it  had 
an  enemy  in  the  ichthyosaurus,  from  which  there  was  probably  little 
chance  of  escape.  We  have  good  reason  to  suppose  that  it  could  move 
about  on  shore,  and  it  probably  did  so  with  greater  facility  than  the  seal 
or  walrus ;  but  it  is  not  likely  that  it  resorted  frequently  to  the  land,  since 
the  sea  appears  to  have  been  its  more  congenial  abode.  The  animal  just 
mentioned  as  the  fierce  and  powerful  enemy  of  the  plesiosaurus,  which 
was  itself  a  voracious  reptile,  belongs  unquestionably  to  the  most  remark- 
able and  anomalous  species,  but  departed,  perhaps,  much  less  considerably 
than  the  other  from  the  present  external  form  of  marine  animals.  With 
the  exception  of  a  larger  head,  and  paddles  somewhat  more  developed,  it 
was  not  very  unlike  the  porpoise  in  its  appearance,  but  it  was  a  true  rep- 
tile, adapted  for  constant  residence  in  the  sea,  and  in  that  respect  claims 
-comparison  as  being  the  ancient  representative  of  the  great  existing  tribe 
of  marine  animals,  of  which  the  whale  is  perhaps  the  best  known  type. 
Jaws  Armed  with  Frightful  Teeth. 

The  head  of  the  ichthyosaurus  was  in  all  cases  large  compared  with  the 
general  proportions  of  the  body,  and  in  general  form  it  resembled  that  of 
the  dolphin,  the  chief  part  of  its  magnitude  consisting  of  a  greatly  elon- 
gated snout,  like  that  of  some  of  the  aquatic  crocodiles  of  the  present  day. 
The  jaws  are  long,  comparatively  slender,  and  tapering  to  the  extremity. 
Along  their  whole  length  on  both  sides  there  is  a  continuous  row  of  coni- 
ical  teeth  of  large  size,  not  inserted  in  separate  sockets,  but  placed  in  a 
kind  of  trough  cut  in  the  jaw,  and  merely  separated  from  one  another  by 
a  ridge  of  bone.  These  teeth  were  constantly  removed  and  replaced  by 
new  ones  during  the  whole  life  of  the  animal,  an  instance  of  those  won- 
derful provisions  of  nature  which  meet  us  on  every  hand,  and  which 
show  the  principle  of  all-wise  design. 

The  structure  of  the  lower  jaw  indicates  a  mechanical  contrivance  of 
some  interest,  intimately  connected  with  the  wants  and  habits  of  the 
animal.  The  jaws  themselves  are,  as  we  have  seen,  long  and  slender. 
The  teeth  show  that  the  animal  was  fierce  and  voracious,  and  analogy 
teaches  us  that  in  such  cases  the  jaws  must  close  suddenly  on  their  prey 
with  a  snap,  in  order  to  ensure  a  proper  hold  being  obtained.  But  a 
.slender  lower  jaw,  however  strong,  would  be  very  easily  broken  when 
ibrought  in  contact  with  hard  bodies,  such  as  the  solid  enamelled  plates  en- 


92  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

closing  some  of  the  fish  of  the  liassic  period.  By  a  complicated  appara- 
tus of  several  pieces  of  bone,  arranged  so  as  to  distribute  in  some  measure 
the  necessary  shock  arising  from  the  convulsive  jerk  made  while  the  ani- 
mal was  in  the  act  of  seizing  its  prey,  we  have  this  purpose  effected  in 
several  of  the  existing  reptiles;  but  something  more  than  this  seems  to 
have  been  needed  by  the  icthyosaurus,  since  it  exhibits  an  example  of 
cross  bracing,  adding  greatly  to  the  effective  strength  without  increasing 
the  weight.  By  simply  introducing  a  change  of  direction  in  the  grain,  as 
it  is  called,  or  fiber  of  the  bone,  this  purpose  is  accomplished,  so  that  the 
animal  was  enabled  to  snap  with  safety  at  the  hardest  and  most  solid  sub- 
stance that  came  within  its  reach.  The  jaws  of  some  specimens  must 
have  been  upwards  of  six  feet  in  length. 

A  Telescopic  Eye. 

The  most  remarkable  peculiarity  in  the  head  of  the  fish-reptile  besides 
the  jaws  is  the  size  and  structure  of  the  eye.  The  eyes  were  placed  far 
back  on  the  head  and  behind  the  snout,  with  the  nostrils  or  breathing 
holes  just  in  front,  so  that  each  time  the  animal  came  to  the  surface 
to  breathe,  the  eyes  and  nostrils,  but  no  other  parts  of  the  head  or  body,, 
would  be  brought  into  the  air.  There  can  be  no  question  that  a  voracious- 
animal  like  the  ichthyosaurus,  obliged  from  time  to  time  to  appear  above 
water,  and  perhaps  occasionally  to  come  on  shore,  required  an  extraordin- 
ary provision,  enabling  it  not  only  to  see  but  to  see  distinctly,  every  thing- 
passing  around  it.  It  was  thus  provided  with  a  peculiar  apparatus,  en- 
abling it  to  adapt  its  vision  not  only  to  shallow  but  to  deep  water,  and  not. 
only  to  water  but  to  air.  This  apparatus  effected  its  purpose  by  permit- 
ting a  change  of  shape  of  the  pupil  of  the  eye,  according  as  circumstances 
required;  the  pupil  dilating  at  great  depths,  where  but  little  light  is 
transmitted,  the  shape  flattening  to  allow  of  distant  vision  on  shore,  and 
the  whole  eye  pushed  forwards  to  enable  its  owner  to  see  objects  close  at 
hand,  thus  affording  every  variety  of  action  to  this  important  organ.  The 
bony  scales  which  enclosed  and  defended  the  soft  ball  of  the  eye  most 
resemble  what  is  seen  in  the  golden  eagle  and  some  other  birds  of  prey, 
and  may  be  best  understood  by  a  comparison  with  the  scales  of  the  arti- 
choke. The  structure  is  characteristic  of  reptiles  rather  than  of  fishes,, 
and  amongst  reptiles  is  most  remarkably  shown  in  the  lizard  tribe. 

A  Gigantic  Bird. 

The  marvels  of  the  pre-historic  world  are  not  confined  to  quadrupeds 
nor  swimming  monsters.  Other  curiosities  have  been  discovered,  al- 
though some  of  them  must  be  assigned  to  periods  less  remote  than  those 


THE  DINORNIS — A  BIRD  WITHOUT  WINGS. 


(93) 


94  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

in  which  the  animals  lived  which  have  already  been  described.  Very- 
few  of  the  islands  near  Australia,  except  Van  Diemen's  Land,  and  very 
few  indeed  of  those  other  islands  which  form  the  numerous  archipelagos 
of  the  eastern  and  southern  seas,  are  sufficiently  well  known,  or  have 
such  an  extent  of  superficial  deposit,  that  we  could  with  any  reason  ex- 
pect them  to  furnish  many  fossil  relics.  New  Zealand  is,  in  point  of  fact,, 
the  only  island  from  which  such  remains  have  been  obtained ;  and  the 
condition  of  the  bones,  and  the  circumstances  under  which  they  are 
found,  render  it  impossible  to  state  very  decidedly  in  what  bed  they  there 
occur.  It  is,  however,  something  to  know  that  in  these  islands  there  ex- 
isted formerly,  and  possibly  not  very  long  ago,  a  considerable  and  impor- 
tant group  of  wingless  birds,  of  which  one  representative,  the  apteryx, 
still  remains,  although  apparently  that  also  will  soon  be  lost.  Many  ex- 
tinct species  of  these  strange  animals  have  been  found  in  the  gravel  of 
the  northern  island,  and  they  vaiy  greatly  in  size,  some  having  been  far 
larger  than  the  largest  ostrich,  while  others  were  very  small.  In  all  these 
the  general  character  is  nearly  the  same,  the  animals  being  much  stouter 
and  more  powerful  in  proportion  than  the  ostrich,  and  absolutely  without 

any  trace  of  wings. 

Great  Power  and  Speed. 

An  outline  of  one  of  these  extraordinary  animals,  will  afford  some 
notion  of  the  vast  proportions  attained.  The  various  species  hitherto 
determined  have  all  been  referred  to  a  single  genus,  under  the  name 
dinornis.  The  legs  of  the  dinornis  were  powerful,  and  were  no  doubt 
well  adapted  for  rapid  locomotion ;  and  in  the  apteryx  similar  power- 
ful extremities  enable  the  animals  to  run  swiftly,  and  when  attacked 
to  defend  itself  with  great  vigor.  The  apteryx  is  nocturnal  in  its 
habits,  and  dwells  in  the  deepest  recesses  of  the  forest,  where  gigantic 
trees  are  interwoven  almost  inpenetrably  with  climbing  plants,  and 
where,  deeply  secluded  in  the  mountains,  there  occur  open  swampy  spots 
covered  with  bulrushes.  It  feeds  on  insects  and  seeds. 

The  islands  of  New  Zealand,  situated  to  the  east  of  Australia,  are  still 
further  removed  than  that  continent  from  the  groups  of  islands  in  the 
Indian  Ocean ;  but,  in  spite  of  their  distance,  it  is  in  these  latter  that  we 
find  the  nearest  approach  to  the  singular  wingless  birds  just  described. 
The  dodo,  whieh  was  brought  to  England  and  preserved  in  museums 
more  than  two  centuries  ago,  and  figures  of  which  have  been  given,  ap- 
pears to  have  inhabited  the  Mauritius  and  the  island  of  Bourbon  at  no 
distant  period,  although  for  some  centuries  it  has  not  been  seen  in  a  living 
state.  Like  the  extinct  wingless  birds  of  New  Zealand,  it  was  nearly  al- 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA. 


95 


lied  to  the  cassowary,  also  an  inhabitant  of  the  Mauritius,  but  it  was  more 
massive,  and  of  more  clumsy  proportions. 

There  were  also  creatures  in  those  early  ages  which  dwelt  exclusively 
in  the  ocean,  some  traces  of  which  have  come  down  to  us,  and  enable  us 
to  understand  the  nature  and  characteristics  of  the  tribes  that  wandered 
through  the  great  deep.  Professor  Agassiz  discovered,  on  looking  care- 
fully at  the  numerous  species  of  fish,  the  fossil  fragments  of  which  are 
found  in  the  older 

rocks,   that   all,  Jd^z^z&a*** — ~^r^  S 

without  a  single 
exception,  belong- 
ed to  one  of  two 
groups.  One  of 
these  groups  is 
called  ganoid, 
from  a  Greek 
word  signifying 
splendor,  the 
scales  of  these 
fishes  being  gene- 
rally coated  with 
polished  enamel, 
and  often  exhibit- 
ing a  very  brilliant 
lustre.  It  is  chiefly 
the  ganoid  fishes 
whose  remains  are 
handed  down  to 
us  in  the  old  red 
sandstone  and 
other  rocks  of 
that  period.  Sixty  FOSSIL  FISHES  BEDDED  IN  ROCK. 

distinct  species  of  these  fish  have  been  mentioned  and  most  of  them 
are  remarkable  for  exhibiting  strange  peculiarities  of  shape,  approximating 
in  some  instances  the  structure  of  the  lower  order  of  animals,  combined 
with  some  apparent  likeness  to  the  class  of  reptiles. 

The  most  extraordinary  of  these  fishes,  "  the  buckler-headed,"  has  a 
head  from  which  its  name  is  taken.  This  has  been  compared  to  the  cres- 
cent-shaped blade  of  a  saddler's  cutting-knife,  the  body  forming  the 
handle.  It  is  extremely  broad  and  flat,  extending  on  each  side  consider- 


96  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

ably  beyond  the  body,  and  the  bones  appear  to  have  been  firmly  soldered 
together,  so  as  to  form  one  shield,  the  whole  head  thus  being  apparently 
covered  by  a  single  plate  of  enamelled  bone.  The  body  compared  with 
this  singular  head  appears  extremely  diminutive ;  the  back  is  arched  and 
gradually  recedes  in  elevation  towards  the  tail,  which  is  of  moderate 
length ;  the  fins  are  few  in  number,  and  not  very  powerful,  but  appear  to 
have  possessed  a  bony  ray  in  front,  the  rest  of  the  fin  being  more 
fibrous.  The  whole  body  was  covered  with  scales,  which  varied  in 
shape  in  different  parts,  and  seemed  to  have  been  disposed  in  series.  It 
has  been  supposed  by  Professor  Agassiz  that  the  singular  shape  of  the 
head  served  as  a  sort  of  defence  to  this  animal  in  case  of  attack  ;  and  one 
can  readily  imagine  that  the  soft  substance  of  the  largest  and  most  for- 
midable of  its  enemies,  would  be  injured  by  any  attempt  to  swallow  so 
singular  and  knife-like  an  animal  as  the  one  before  us. 

Like  many,  and  indeed  most  of  the  species  belonging  to  the  ganoid 
order  of  fishes,  and  common  in  the  older  rocks,  the  bones  of  the  head, 
and  the  scales  of  this  strange  monster,  were  composed  internally  of  a 
comparatively  soft  bone,  but  each  was  coated  with  a  thick  and  solid  plate 
of  enamel,  of  extreme  hardness,  and  almost  incapable  of  injury  by  any 
ordinary  amount  of  violence.  The  detached  scales,  the  buckler-head, 
and  sometimes  the  complete  outline  of  the  animal,  have  thus  been  able  to 
resist  destruction,  and  are  found  in  sandy  rocks,  composed  of  such  coarse 
fragments  that  their  accumulation  would  seem  to  have  been  accompanied 
with  violence  sufficient  to  have  crushed  to  powder  almost  any  remains  of 
organized  matter,  and  from  which,  indeed,  we  never  obtain  any  fragments 
of  shells  or  other  easily  injured  substances. 

Beautiful  Forms  in  Stone. 

The  muddy  beds  deposited  after  the  sandstones,  although  they  con- 
tained a  considerable  proportion  of  carbonate  of  lime,  were  not  in  a  con- 
dition favorable  for  the  development  of  coral  existence,  and  the  remains 
of  such  animals  are  accordingly  rare.  This  is  not  the  case,  however,  with 
one  group  of  zoophytes,  for  they  were  singularly  abundant,  and  were 
manifestly  an  important  group,  perhaps  assisting  to  clear  the  seas  of  an 
undue  proportion  of  the  minuter  particles  of  decaying  animal  matter. 
The  most  singular  of  all  these  is  the  pentacrinite,  an  animal  so  compli- 
cated that  the  number  of  separate  pieces  of  stone  of  which  its  singular 
skelelon  is  made  up  has  been  calculated  to  amount  to  many  thousands. 

It  was  provided  with  a  long  and  powerful  but  movable  column,  made 
up  of  a  vast  multitude  of  lozenge-shaped  pieces,  each  marked  with  a 
•curious  set  of  indentations,  and  each  pierced  with  a  central  aperture  by 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA. 


97 


means  of  which  a  communication  was  kept  up  during  life,  enabling  the 
animal  probably  to  attach  itself  to  some  marine  substance,  or  a  floating 
log  of  wood.  In  the  pentacrinite  the  stem  was  five-sided,  and  the  body 
was  partly  defended  by  a  small  cup  formed  of  regular  plates  rising  from 
the  column,  and  partly  enclosed  by  a  multitude  of  very  minute  and  angu- 
lar plates  fixed  on  a  tough 
membranous  pouch  termin- 
ating with  an  extensive  pro- 
boscis. The  body  was  sur- 
rounded also  by  an  incredi- 
ble multitude  of  branching 
arms,  forming  a  complicated 
stony  net-work,  intended  to 
intercept  and  convey  to  the 
stomach  the  particles  of 
food  fit  for  the  animal, 
which  were  floating  in  the 
water  within  reach.  Many 
specimens  of  this  fossil  are 
often  found  together,  at- 
tached, it  would  seem,  to 
what  was  once  under  surface 
of  decayed  wood  drifting 
through  the  water. 

Fossil  shells  make  up  a 
large  part  of  the  relics  de- 
posited by  the  ancient  seas, 
and  in  numerous  instances 
these  appear  to  be  scarcely 
altered  from  their  original 
pattern.  In  other  cases  only 
an  impression  of  the  exter- 
nal form  is  left ;  sometimes 
an  entire  cast  of  the  shell, 
exterior  and  interior.  In  A  ZOOPHYTE  WITH  FIVE-SIDED  STEM. 

other  cases  the  shell  has  left  a  perfect  impression  of  its  form  in  the 
imbedding  mud,  and  has  then  been  dissolved  and  washed  away,  leaving 
its  mould.  This  mould,  again,  has  sometimes  been  filled  up  by  soft  sub- 
stances, and  an  exact  cast  of  the  original  shell  obtained — a  petrified  shell, 
in  short.  Petrified  wood  is  equally  common.  The  existence  of  marine 
7 


98 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


shells  upon  the  summits  of  mountains  had  already  struck  the  mind  of  the 
ancient  authors.  Witness  Ovid,  who  in  his  celebrated  book  called  the 
"  Metamorphoses,"  tells  us  he  had  seen  land  formed  at  the  expense  of  the 
sea,  and  marine  shells  lying  dead  far  from  the  ocean ;  and  more  than  that, 
an  ancient  anchor  had  been  found  on  the  very  summit  of  a  mountain. 
The  Danish  geologist  Steno,  who  published  his  principal  works  in  Italy 
about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  had  deeply  studied  the  fossil 
shells  discovered  in  that 
country.  The  Italian 
Painter  Scilla  produced 
a  Latin  treatise  on  the 
fossils  of  Calabria,  in 
1760,  in  which  he  estab- 
lished the  organic  char- 
acter of  fossil  shells. 

In  France  the  celebra- 
ted BufTon  gave,  by  his 
eloquent  writings,  great 
popularity  to  the  notions 
of  the  Italian  naturalists 
concerning  the  origin  of 
fossil  remains.  In  his 
admirable  'Epoques  de 
la  Nature'  he  sought  to 
establish  that  the  shells 
found  in  great  quantities 
buried  in  the  soil,  and 
even  on  the  summit  of 
mountains,  belonged,  in 
reality,  to  species  not 
living  in  our  days.  But 
this  idea  was  yet  too  EXQUISITE  FOSSIL  SHELLS. 

new  not  to  find  objectors :  it  counted  among  its  adversaries  the  hardy 
philosopher  who  might  have  been  expected  to  adopt  it  with  most  ardor. 
Voltaire  attacked,  with  his  jesting  and  biting  criticism,  the  doctrines 
of  the  illustrious  innovator.  Buffon  insisted,  reasonably  enough,  on 
the  existence  of  shells  on  the  summit  of  the  Alps,  as  a  proof  that 
the  sea  had  at  one  time  occupied  that  position.  But  Voltaire  as- 
serted that  the  shells  found  on  the  Alps  and  Apennines  had  been  thrown 
there  by  pilgrims  returning  from  Rome.  Buffon  might  have  replied 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA.  99 

to  his  opponent  by  pointing  out  whole  mountains  formed  by  the  accu- 
mulation of  shells.  He  might  have  sent  him  to  the  Pyrenees,  where 
shells  of  marine  origin  form  immense  mountains  rising  six  thousand  six 
hundred  feet  above  the  present  sea  level.  But  his  genius  was  averse  to 
controversy ;  and  the  philosopher  himself  put  an  end  to  a  discussion  in 
which  perhaps  he  would  not  have  had  the  best  of  the  argument.  "  I  have 
no  wish,0  he  wrote,  "to  embroil  myself  with  Mr.  Buffon  for  a  few  shells." 

The  vale  in  which  the  brilliant  city  of  Paris  now  stands  was  once  a 
lake  or  bay,  whose  shores  were  fringed  with  forests  of  palms.  Strange 
animals,  whose  species  have  long  since  passed  away,  sported  in  its  waters, 
whilst  huge  crocodiles  lurked  amongst  the  thick  reeds  and  large 
water-lilies  watching  for  their  prey.  The  valley  is  known  in  geology  as 
the  Paris  basin,  just  as  the  corresponding  formation  in  the  Thames  is 
named  the  London  basin.  They  both  belong  to  the  tertiary  period,  so 
called  because  it  was  the  third  in  three  great  systems  of  rock  formation ; 
the  rocks  being  composed  of  the  sedimentary  deposit  of  water,  and  not, 
as  in  those  of  the  first  ages,  produced  by  the  action  of  fire :  those  in  the 
vicinity  of  Paris  being  in  strata  or  layers,  containing  alternately  fresh-water 
and  marine  shells,  showing  that  the  valley  of  the  Seine  was  at  one  time  a 
fresh-water  lake,  and,  at  another,  an  arm  of  the  sea. 

Skeletons  of  Animals  Found  Near  Paris. 

At  Montmartre,  a  hill  a  little  to  the  north  of  Paris,  there  are  extensive 
quarries  of  gypsum,  the  material  known  to  us  as  plaster  of  Paris.  Gyp- 
sum is  composed  of  sulphate  of  lime,  deposited  by  fresh  water;  and  in 
digging  these  quarries  a  great  number  of  skeletons  of  various  animals 
were  discovered,  some  of  them  being  nearly  perfect,  having  been  preserved 
by  the  gypsum  which  had  hardened  about  them.  And  Cuvier,  the  great 
French  naturalist,  restored  them,  and  we  can  have  a  distinct  idea  of  what 
these  strange  creatures  were  like,  in  every  particular  except  their  color. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  tertiary  period,  the  heat,  though  not  so 
intense  as  it  had  been  in  the  preceding  ages,  when  the  tepid  swamps 
teemed  with  monstrous  reptiles,  was  still  as  great  in  England  and  France 
as  it  is  now  in  the  tropics.  But  the  temperature  was  slowly  cooling,  and 
the  forests  of  palms  were  mixed  with  trees  which  still  flourish  in  these 
climates,  such  as  the  oak,  wych-elm,  alder,  cypress,  walnut,  and  others. 
The  gigantic  saurians  of  the  red  sandstone  age  were  extinct  and  appeared 
no  more  in  the  earth,  and  there  grew  into  life  the  great  pachyderms,  or 
thick-skinned  animals;  instead  of  the  dragon-like  pterodactyle,  the  air 
was  filled  with  quails,  woodcocks,  and  curlews,  and  all  nature  wore  a  new 
aspect. 


ANTEDILUVIAN   ANIMALS    OF   THE   VALLEY    OF   PARIS. 


(100) 


PRE-HISTORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA  101 

The  animals  which  were  so  abundant  in  the  Paris  basin  belonged  chiefly 
to  two  genera :  the  palaeotheria,  or  ancient  animals,  and  the  anoplotheria 
or  unarmed  animals ;  these  latter,  were  so  called  from  the  Greek  words 
for  "  unarmed,"  and  for  "  beast,"  because  their  teeth  were  arranged  in  an 
even  line  all  round,  just  as  in  man ;  the  canine  teeth  not  projecting  be- 
yond the  others,  as  they  do  in  animals  which  can  bite  and  tear,  so  that 
they  were  defenceless.  There  were  several .  species  of  palaeotheria,  the 
largest,  or  great  palaeotherium,  being  about  the  size  of  a  horse,  but  it  was 
much  heavier  and  clumsier,  having  a  very  thick  body,  supported  on  short, 
stout  legs,  and  its  feet  were  divided  into  three  rounded  toes.  Its  head  was 
large,  and  was  provided  with  a  short  trunk,  or  proboscis,  like  that  of  the 
tapir ;  and  altogether  it  formed  a  link  between  that  animal  and  the  rhinoc- 
eros, and  probably  resembled  them  in  its  habits. 

The  anoplotheria  also  comprise  several  species,  differing  greatly  from 
each  other.  The  largest  was  about  the  size  of  a  donkey  but,  though  be- 
longing to  the  pachydermata,  the  anoplotherium  was  like  no  one  animal 
now  existing,  for  whilst  in  some  respects  it  resembled  the  hippopotamus, 
its  skull  partook  of  the  character  of  that  of  the  horse,  and  its  upper  lip  was 
divided,  like  the  camel's ;  and  the  bones  of  the  feet,  which  were  separated 
into  toes  sheathed  in  hoofs,  were  like  those  of  the  hog.  The  body 
was  about  four  feet  long,  and  it  had  a  thick  tail  of  equal  length,  prob- 
ably to  assist  it  in  swimming;  and  its  hair  was  smooth,  like  that  of  the 

otter. 

The  Gazelle  of  the  Early  Ages. 

Another  kind,  the  xiphodon  gracile,  was  about  the  size  of  a  chamois, 
and  was  as  light  and  slender  as  a  gazelle;  and  instead  of  swimming  in 
the  water,  it  bounded  over  the  plains ;  but  though  in  this  respect  it  re- 
sembled a  deer,  and  had  a  long  neck  and  a  short  tail,  its  lip  also  was  di- 
vided like  the  camel's.  Some  of  the  species  were  very  small,  one  being 
only  as  large  as  a  hare,  whilst  another  was  no  bigger  than  a  rat.  It  is 
difficult  to  imagine  creatures  more  defenceless  than  these  animals  were, 
possessing  neither  horns  nor  claws,  nor  teeth  that  they  could  tear  with  ; 
and  they  were  probably  soon  exterminated  when  the  large  beasts  of  prey 
came  into  existence.  As  it  was,  the  chief  enemies  of  those  that  frequented 
the  water  must  have  been  the  crocodiles.  The  anoplotheria  were  all  herbi- 
vorous, living  on  seeds  and  green  twigs,  or  the  succulent  roots  of  plants. 

Remains  of  the  palseotherium  and  an  aplotherium  have  been  discovered 
in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  in  strata  similar  to  that  of  the  Paris  basin,  but  not  in 
such  abundance.  Altogether,  Cuvier  found  the  bones  of  about  fifty  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  animals,  embedded  in  the  gypsum,  all  of  which  are  extinct, 


102  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

besides  turtles,  and  crocodiles,  and  bats,  and  various  birds  of  kinds  which 
still  exist  on  the  earth. 

Though  Britain  is  now  an  island  it  was  not  always  so.  The  researches 
of  geologists  show  that  it  was  once  united  to  the  continent  of  Europe. 
The  fossil  remains  of  animals  discovered  in  many  parts  of  England  are 
the  same  as  those  found  in  France,  and  a  species  of  fresh-water  mussel, 
now  extinct  in  that  country,  still  lives  in  the  river  Seine.  The  flint  imple- 
ments, too,  which  prove  that  even  at  that  early  age  human  beings  existed 
on  the  earth,  though  there  was  no  historian  to  chronicle  their  deeds,  are 
found  to  be  of  a  similar  type  in  England  and  France,  and  seem  to  show 
that,  at  a  far  distant  time,  the  same  race  of  people  inhabited  both  countries. 
But  these  men  were  not  our  ancestors;  they  died  out,  or  were  extermi- 
nated by  the  influx  of  tribes  superior  to  them  in  intelligence,  and  the 
shape  of  their  skulls,  which  have  been  dug  up  out  of  the  gravel  beds  in 
France,  shows  that  they  belonged  to  a  different  race  from  any  now  inhabi- 
ting either  country. 

London  Once  a  Great  Menagerie. 

At  that  time  the  valley  of  the  Thames  must  have  presented  a  very 
different  aspect  from  what  it  does  now,  and  it  is  supposed  that  the  river 
Thames  was  then  a  tributaiy  of  the  Rhine.  The  vegetation  was  of  much 
the  same  character  as  at  present,  for,  after  lasting  countless  ages  the  great 
tertiary  period  had  come  to  an  end ;  England  was  no  longer  covered  with 
groves  of  palm-trees  and  tropical  ferns,  and  the  strange  animals  of  the 
Paris  basin  were  already  extinct.  The  temperature,  that  had  been  gradu- 
ally cooling,  at  length  became  so  cold  that  what  is  known  as  the  glacial 
period,  or  age  of  ice,  ensued.  After  a  long  interval,  the  climate  grew 
warm  again,  and  it  was  at  this  time  that  man  came  into  existence ;  at 
least  we  may  conclude  so,  for  there  are  no  certain  vestiges  of  human 
beings  before  the  age  of  ice.  The  forest  trees  such  as  we  still  now  have, 
appeared,  and  dense  forests  of  oak,  and  elm  and  thickets  of  alder  grew  to 
the  water's  edge.  The  climate  too  was  probably  not  very  different  to 
what  it  is  now,  except  that  the  winter  was  colder  and  the  summer  hotter 
than  in  our  day. 

But  if  the  trees  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames  were  of  the  same  kind 
as  at  present,  it  was  far  otherwise  with  the  animal  kingdom,  for  the 
gigantic  mammoth  browsed  on  the  young  shoots  of  the  oak,  whose 
branches  gave  shelter  to  troops  of  apes,  whilst  the  woolly  rhinoceros  wal- 
lowed in  the  mud  and  the  huge  hippopotamus  came  swimming  up  the 
river.  The  wild  horse  and  the  ass  scoured  the  plains,  and  herds  of  bisons 
and  wild  bulls  roamed  through  the  woods,  that  at  night  echoed  with  the 


ANCIENT   ANIMALS    IN   THE   THAMES    VALLEY. 


(103) 


104  EARTH,  SEA  AND  SKY. 

cries  of  the  hyena  or  the  growling  of  immense  tigers.  There  were  sev- 
eral distinct  species  of  rhinoceri  natives  of  Britain  and  other  parts  of 
Europe,  but  they  were  not  all  co-existent.  They  first  appear  about  the 
middle  of  the  tertiary  period,  but  the  species  that  lived  then  appears  to 
have  given  place  to  other  kinds.  Of  these  the  woolly  rhinoceros,  which 
had  two  horns,  was  the  most  common,  and  its  remains  have  been  found 
in  an  entire  state  in  the  ice  of  northern  Asia.  Besides  its  woolly  coat  it 
had  another  peculiarity,  which  does  not  exist  in  every  living  species — 
its  nostrils  were  separated  by  a  bony  partition.  There  was  also  a  smaller 
and  more  slender  species,  which  had  two  horns,  and  another  kind,  no 
larger  than  a  hog.  The  hippopotamus,  of  which  there  were  two  species, 
did  not  differ. much  from  that  of  Africa.  Its  bones  have  been  found,  to- 
gether with  those  of  the  rhinoceros,  in  many  parts  of  London ;  and  a  jaw- 
bone of  a  hippopotamus,  armed  with  a  formidable  pair  of  tusks,  was  dug 
up  at  Peckham,  and  is  now  in  the  geological  collection  of  the  British 

Museum. 

A  Multitude  of  Savage  Creatures. 

It  was  at  the  close  of  the  tertiary  period,  and  just  before  the  appearance 
of  man,  that  many  of  the  animals  appeared  which  still  inhabit  Britain, 
such  as  the  hog  and  the  horse ;  but  the  first  horses  were  very  small,  being 
no  larger  than  the  donkey :  there  are  no  fossil  remains  of  such  horses  as 
we  see  now-a-days.  One  species  of  the  deer  was  of  gigantic  size,  and 
there  was  a  large  serpent,  and  the  caves  were  the  abode  of  huge  bears, 
that  exceeded  the  grizzly  bear  of  North  America  in  size ;  and  a  terrible 
creature,  called  the  machairodus,  now  totally  extinct,  preyed  on  the  deni- 
zens of  the  woods.  Flocks  of  birds  flew  through  the  air,  and  vultures 
brooded  on  the  rocks.  Beavers  constructed  their  dwellings  in  the  stream, 
and  were  not  extinct  till  historic  times. 

In  the  valley  of  the  Thames  the  remains  of  both  arctic  and  tropical  ani- 
mals are  found,  and  the  reindeer,  glutton,  musk-sheep,  and  even  the  lem- 
ming, once  frequented  Britain.  It  might  be  imagined  that  these  animals 
lived  at  different  periods,  but  the  bones  of  hippopotami  are  found  with 
those  of  the  reindeer,  and  it  is  probable  that  as  England  was  then  united 
to  the  Continent,  and  the  land  continuous,  the  animals  migrated  accord- 
ing to  the  change  of  the  seasons,  and  the  'hippopotamus  swam  up  the 
rivers  from  France  and  Spain.  The  reindeer  extended  its  wanderings  as 
far  as  the  south  of  France,  where  it  was  at  one  time  very  common. 

Amid  the  multitude  of  savage  animals  which  then  swarmed  in  these 
countries,  the  primitive  human  beings  must  have  led  a  precarious  exist- 
ence. Armed  only  with  flint-headed  arrows  and  axes,  or  bone-pointed 


PRE-H1STORIC  MONSTERS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA.  105 

spears,  they  doubtless  frequently  fell  a  prey  to  the  tiger  or  terrible  cave- 
bear.  Their  skeletons  show  that  they  were  a  small  race  o'f  men,  with 
round  heads  and  low  foreheads,  and  very  prominent  ridges  over  the  orbit 
of  the  eye.  They  were  probably  something  like  the  Eskimo  or  Lapland- 
ers, and  their  lives  were  spent  in  hunting  or  in  resisting  the  attacks  of 

wild  beasts. 

Remarkable  Products  of  Land  and  Sea. 

The  shores  of  the  islands  or  of  the  tract  of  main  land  then  existing  were 
apparently  low  and  swampy.  Deep  inlets  of  the  sea,  bays,  and  the 
shifting  mouths  of  a  river,  were  also  affected  by  numerous  alterations  of 
level  not  sufficient  to  destroy,  but  powerful  enough  to  modify  the  animal 
and  vegetable  species  then  existing;  and  these  movements  were  continued 
for  a  long  time.  The  seas  were  tenanted  by  sharks,  gigantic  rays,  and 
many  other  fishes  of  warm  latitudes,  and  abounded  also  with  large  car- 
nivorous mollusca,  capable  of  living  either  in  fresh  or  brackish  water. 
The  shelving  land  was  clothed  with  rich  tropical  vegetation  to  the  water's 
edge,  presenting  to  view  the  palm  and  the  cocoa-nut,  besides  many  of 
those  trees  which  now  lend  a  charm  to  the  Spice  Islands  of  the  Indian 
seas.  All  these  abounded  also  with  indications  of  animal  life. 

The  large  rivers  were  peopled  with  crocodiles;  turtles  and  tortoises 
floated  upon  them;  and  these  tenants  of  the  waters,  strange  and  varied  as 
they  were,  and  unlike  the  present  inhabitants  of  the  district,  were  not 
without  resemblance  to  many  species  still  met  with  on  the  earth.  The 
interior  of  the  land,  of  which  the  surrounding  waters  were  thus  peopled, 
was  no  less  remarkable,  and  exhibited  appearances  equally  instructive. 
Troops  of  monkeys  might  be  seen  skipping  lightly  from  branch  to  branch 
in  the  various  trees,  or  heard  mowing  and  chattering  and  howling  in  the 
deep  recesses  of  the  forest.  Of  the  birds,  some  clothed  in  plumage  of 
almost  tropical  brilliancy,  were  busy  in  the  forests,  while  others,  such  as 
the  vulture,  hovered  over  the  spots  where  death  had  been  busy.  Gigantic 
serpents  might  have  been  seen  insidiously  watching  their  prey.  Other 
serpents  in  gaudy  dress  were  darting  upon  the  smaller  quadrupeds  and 
birds,  and  insects  glittered  brightly  in  the  sun. 


CHAPTER  III. 
THE  TERRIBLE  PHENOMENA  OF  EARTHQUAKES. 

Nature's  Destructive  Agencies — Tremendous  Forces  Pent  up  Within  the  Earth — 
Frequency  of  Earthquake  Shocks — A  Country  in  South  America  Never  Quiet — 
Signs  of  the  Approaching  Disaster — A  Part  of  our  own  Country  Sunk  by  a 
Convulsion— The  Great  Earthquake  of  Calabria— Human  Beings  Tossed  in  the 
Air — Heavy  Objects  Whirling  About — Farms  Changing  Places— Jamaica  Visited 
—Destruction  of  the  City  of  Lisbon— The  Sea  Rushing  Madly  on  the  Shore- 
Terrible  Loss  of  Life — Horrors  Multiplied — Immense  Fissures  in  the  Earth — 
Great  Calamity  at  Messina — Statistics  Showing  Appalling  Destruction  of  Life 
— 'Charleston  in  Terror — Java  and  Southern  Europe  Shaken. 

ARTH QUAKES  are  the  most  fearful,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
most  destructive,  phenomena  of  nature.  They  are  motions 
produced  on  the  earth's  solid  surface  by  a  force  originating  in 
the  interior  of  the  globe,  and  thence  acting  upward.  This  force 
appears  to  be  subject  to  great  variations  in  its  intensity.  In  most  cases 
the  commotions  occasioned  by  it  on  the  earth's  surface  are  exceedingly 
slight.  The  motion  is  scarcely  felt,  and  passes  away  in  the  same  moment. 
The  larger  number  of  earthquakes  consist  of  a  slight  trembling  of  the 
ground,  which  can  only  be  perceived  by  attentive  observation,  and  then 
only  under  very  favorable  circumstances.  When  they  have  passed  away, 
it  is  impossible  to  discover  the  slightest  traces  of  their  transitory  activity. 
But  at  other  times  they  are  attended  with  effects  so  terrible  and  destruc- 
tive, that  no  other  calamity  can  be  compared  with  them.  When  the 
subterraneous  force  to  which  they  owe  their  origin  acts  with  a  violent 
degree  of  energy,  it  produces  such  convulsions  on  the  earth's  surface, 
that  not  only  are  the  works  destroyed  that  men  have  raised  to  render 
their  lives  comfortable,  and  the  buildings  levelled  to  the  ground  that  they 
have  erected  to  protect  them  against  the  inclemency  of  the  seasons,  but 
in  some  cases  the  face  of  the  country  is  changed  that  has  been  subjected 
to  their  operation.  It  is  happily  the  case  that  earthquakes  attended  with 
such  fearful  effects  are  not  of  frequent  occurrence ;  they  would  other- 
wise render  the  countries  visited  by  them  uninhabitable  for  man  and 
beast. 

Frequency  of  Earthquakes. 

In  countries  frequently  subject  to  earthquakes,  only  those  convulsions 
which  are  attended  by  destructive  consequences  are  remembered  by  the 
(106) 


THE  TERRIBLE  PHENOMENA  OF  EARTHQUAKES. 


107 


inhabitants  for  any  long  time  after.  The  slight  ones  are  hardly  noticed, 
or  are  only  recorded  by  some  curious  observer.  It  appears,  therefore,  to- 
persons  living  at  a  great  distance  from  such  places,  and  receiving  infor- 
mation of  them  only  when  producing  some  great  calamity,  that  earth- 
quakes are  not  frequent,  and  occur  only  at  periods  remote  from  each 
other.  This,  however,  is  an  error.  Earthquakes  are  very  frequent.  By 
an  exact  observer  not  less  than  fifty-seven  earthquakes  have  been  noticed 
within  the  space  of  forty  years  in  the  town  of  Palermo,  in  Sicily,  which 
were  attended  by  such  smart  shocks  as  to  be  sensibly  felt. 


EFFECT  OF  AN  EARTHQUAKE  ON  THE  SEA. 

In  the  town  of  Copiapo,  in  the  extreme  northern  province  of  Chile,  one 
or  more  shocks  are  felt  almost  every  day;  and  though  they  commonly 
pass  off  without  causing  any  damage,  the  town  has  suffered  by  them  so 
frequently,  and  so  many  lives  have  been  lost  by  the  downfall  of  build- 
ings, that  the  inhabitants  rush  out  of  their  houses  as  soon  as  the  least 
commotion  of  the  earth  is  perceived.  If  it  were  possible,  says  Humboldt, 
to  obtain  daily  information  respecting  the  state  of  the  whole  surface  of 
our  globe,  we  probably  should  convince  ourselves  that  this  surface  is 


108  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

nearly  always  shaken  at  some  point  or  other,  and  that  it  is  subject  to  an 
uninterrupted  reaction  between  the  interior  and  the  exterior. 
Signs  of  Coming"  Destruction. 

Many  persons  are  apt  to  suppose  that  those  countries  which  are  situ- 
ated in  the  vicinity  of  active  volcanoes  are  more  frequently  subject  to 
violent  concussions  than  those  which  lie  at  greater  distances  from  them. 
This  opinion  is  not  correct;  but  it  is  true  that  earthquakes  are  common 
in  the  neighborhood  of  volcanoes.  Every  eruption  of  the  mountain,  and 
even  every  new  flow  of  lava,  or  every  ejection  of  ashes,  is  accompanied 
by  a  shock,  which,  however,  is  so  slight,  that  it  can  only  be  perceived 
by  persons  who  are  near  the  crater,  or  on  the  declivities  of  the  volcano. 
These  slight  shocks  can  hardly  be  considered  as  earthquakes,  as  they 
are  not  felt  in  the  plain  at  its  base.  But  many  eruptions  are  preceded 
by  real  earthquakes.  When  the  inhabitants  of  a  country  surrounding 
an  active  volcano  observe  that  the  mountain  has  ceased  to  emit  smoke 
from  its  crater,  they  consider  it  as  a  sign  of  an  approaching  earthquake, 
and  in  many  cases  their  fear  has  not  proved  unfounded.  It  may  be 
true  that  earthquakes  are  most  frequent  in  countries  lying  in  the  vicinity 
of  a  volcano  ;  but  few  of  the  more  disastrous  convulsions  of  this  descrip- 
tion have  occurred  in  such  localities.  The  greater  number  have  hap- 
pened at  considerable  distances  from  any  active  volcano,  and  even  from 
places  which  by  the  nature  of  the  rocks  show  that  they  have  once  been 
the  seat  of  volcanic  activity.  It  is  also  observed  that  earthquakes  occur- 
ring at  no  great  distance  from  volcanoes  are  of  comparatively  short  du- 
ration, whilst  the  convulsions  visiting  countries  lying  far  from  them  are 
repeated  almost  daily  for  months  together,  and  frequently  several  times 
in  one  day.  Of  such  a  description  were  the  earthquakes  which  were  ex- 
perienced during  more  than  a  whole  year  (1812)  in  the  plains  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  those  which  shook,  in  1808,  the  Alpine  valleys  lying  at 
the  base  of  Mount  Cenis. 

A  Country  Sunk  by  a  Convulsion. 

That  part  of  the  plain  of  the  Mississippi  River,  which,  in  1812,  exper- 
ienced a  great  number  of  strong  concussions,  and  those  repeated  for  sev- 
eral months  together,  extends  between  New  Madrid,  on  the  Mississippi, 
to  the  Little  Prairie,  north  of  Cincinnati.  The  principal  seat  of  the 
earthquake  was  consequently  nearly  equi-distant  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
and  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  The  following  particulars  respecting  this 
earthquake  are  from  Sir  Charles  Lyell :  Flint,  the  geographer,  who  vis- 
ited the  country  seven  years  after  the  event,  informs  us  that  a  tract  of 


THE  TERRIBLE  PHENOMENA  OF  EARTHQUAKES.      109' 

many  miles  in  extent,  near  the  Little  Prairie,  became  covered  with  water 
three  or  four  feet  deep;  'and  when  the  water  disappeared  a  stratum  of  sand 
was  left  in  its  place.  Large  lakes,  of  twenty  miles  in  extent,  were  formed 
in  the  course  of  an  hour,  and  others  were  drained.  The  graveyard  at 
New  Madrid  was  precipitated  into  the  bed  of  the  Mississippi ;  and  it  is 
stated  that  the  ground  whereon  the  town  is  built,  and  the  river  bank  for 
fifteen  miles  above,  sank  eight  feet  below  their  former  level.  The  neigh- 
boring forest  presented  for  some  years  afterwards  a  singular  scene  of 
confusion  ;  the  trees  standing  inclined  in  every  direction,  and  many  hav- 
ing their  trunks  and  branches  broken. 

The  inhabitants  relate  that  the  earth  rose  in  great  undulations ;  and 
when  these  reached  a  certain  fearful  height,  the  soil  burst,  and  vast  vol- 
umes of  water,  sand,  and  pit  coal  were  discharged  as  high  as  the  tops  or 
the  trees.  Flint  saw  hundreds  of  these  deep  chasms  remaining  in  an 
alluvial  soil,  seven  years  after.  The  people  in  the  country,  although  in- 
experienced in  such  convulsions,  had  remarked  that  the  chasms  in  the 
earth  were  in  a  direction  from  S.  W.  to  N.  E. ;  and  they  accordingly 
felled  the  tallest  trees,  and  laying  them  at  right  angles  to  the  chasms, 
stationed  themselves  upon  them.  By  this  invention,  when  chasms  opened 
more  than  once  under  these  trees,  several  persons  were  prevented  from 
being  swallowed  up.  At  one  period  during  this  earthquake,  the  ground 
not  far  below  New  Madrid  swelled  up  so  as  to  arrest  the  Mississippi  in 
its  course,  and  to  cause  a  temporary  reflux  of  its  waves.  The  motion  of 
some  of  the  shocks  is  described  as  having  been  horizontal,  and  of  others 
perpendicular  ;  and  the  vertical  movement  is  said  to  have  been  much  less 
desolating  than  the  horizontal. 

Human  Beings  Hurled  Through  Space. 

The  upheaving  shocks  are  accompanied  by  violent  upliftings  of  the 
earth,  as  if  repeated  explosions  were  exerting  their  force  upon  the  roof  of 
a  hollow  cavern,  threatening  to  burst  open  the  ground  and  blow  into  the 
air  every  thing  placed  on  it.  They  may  also  be  compared  to  the  burst- 
ing of  a  mine,  which  explodes  with  great  force  and  removes  the  earth 
which  it  meets  within  its  passage.  When  the  surface  of  the  earth  is  split 
by  them,  it  is  hardly  to  be  conceived  what  terrible  destruction  must  be 
produced  in  a  few  minutes  by  such  convulsions  following  each  other  in 
quick  succession.  There  are  numerous  instances  on  record  which  prove 
the  immense  force  with  which  these  shocks  act  on  the  surface  and  on 
everything  on  it ;  some  of  them,  indeed,  appear  almost  incredible.  In 
the  great  earthquake  of  Calabria,  1873,  the  most  elevated  portion  of  the 
granite  mountain  mass  of  the  Aspromonte  was  seen  to  move  up  and  down 


110  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY, 

rapidly ;  persons  were  raised  from  the  ground  and  thrown  to  a  distance 
from  the  place  where  they  were;  houses  were  removed  from  their  site 
and  carried  to  places  higher  than  those  on  which  they  had  been  built. 
The  foundation  of  many  buildings  was  removed  from  beneath  the  ground 
with  such  violence,  that  the  stones  were  broken  to  pieces  and  scattered 
about,  and  the  hard  cement  which  had  united  them  was  crushed  into 
dust  After  the  great  earthquake  of  Riobama,  in  1797,  on  the  table  land 
of  Quito,  the  corpses  of  several  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  were  found 
on  the  top  of  a  hill,  separated  from  the  place  by  a  river,  and  several  hun- 
dred feet  higher  than  the  site  of  the  town.  These  persons  had  been 
hurled  to  the  top  of  the  hill  by  the  violent  upheavings  of  the  ground. 

The  rotatory  shocks  are  certainly  the  most  destructive,  but  are  those 
.also  which  occur  most  rarely.  They  have  only  been  observed  in  the 
most  calamitous  earthquakes,  and  not  in  all  of  them.  The  whirling 
motion  puts  the  surface  of  the  earth  into  a  movement  resembling  that  of 
the  sea  when  agitated  by  irregular  waves  crossing  and  repulsing  each 
other  indifferent  directions.  In  the  earthquake  of.  Catania, -in  Sicily,  in 
1818,  many  statues  were  turned  round,  and  a  large  piece  of  rock  had  its 
former  position  from  south  to  north  changed  to  that  of  east  to  west 
Several  instances  of  this  kind  were  observed  after  the  great  earthquake 
of  Valparaiso,  in  Chili,  when  that  town  was  levelled  to  the  ground.  The 
large  church  La  Merced  presented  the  most  remarkable  ruin.  The  tower 
was  built  of  bricks  and  mortar,  and  its  walls  up  to  the  belfry  were  six  feet 
thick.  They  were  shivered  into  blocks,  and  thrown  to  the  ground.  On 
each  side  of  the  church  were  a  number  of  square  buttresses  of  good  solid 
brick  work,  six  feet  square.  Those  on  the  western  side  were  all  thrown 
down,  as  were  all  but  two  on  the  eastern  side;  these  two  were  twisted 
from  the  wall  in  a  north-easterly  direction,  each  presenting  an  angle  to 
the  wall.  The  twisting  to  the  north-east  was  noticed  in  several  other 
places.  In  a  village  thirty  miles  north  of  Valparaiso,  the  largest  and 
heaviest  pieces  of  furniture  were  turned  in  the  same  direction. 

Singular  Confusion  Caused  by  the  Moving  of  the  Ground. 

In  some  instances  it  has  been  found  that  large  pieces  of  ground  had 
•exchanged  their  respective  situations.  This  was  the  case  at  several  places 
in  Calabria,  after  the  first  great  shock  had  passed  by.  A  plantation  of 
mulberry  trees  had  been  carried  into  the  middle  of  a  cornfield,  and  left 
standing  there;  and  a  piece  of  ground  sown  with  lupines  had  been  forced 
into  a  vineyard.  For  several  years  after  the  earthquake,  lawsuits  were 
brought  in  the  courts  of  Naples  to  decide  the  claims  which  had  origina- 
ted in  the  confusion  of  territorial  possessions  by  the  effects  of  that  terrible 


THE  TERRIBLE  PHENOMENA  OF  EARTHQUAKES.      Ill 

catastrophe.  Facts  of  a  similar  description  are  recorded  as  having 
resulted  from  other  earthquakes,  such  as  that  of  Riobamba,  where  also 
several  lawsuits  were  brought  in  the  courts  respecting  the  possession  of 
pieces  of  ground,  which  had  exchanged  their  positions.  But  Humboldt 
has  recorded  a  still  more  extraordinary  fact.  When  he  was  surveying 
the  ruins  of  the  destroyed  town  of  Riobamba  for  the  purpose  of  making 
a  map,  he  was  shown  the  place  where  the  whole  furniture  of  one  house 
was  found  buried  beneath  the  ruins  of  another.  The  upper  layer  of  the 
soil,  formed  of  matter  not  possessing  a  great  degree  of  coherency,  had 
moved  like  water  in  running  streams ;  and  we  are  compelled  to  suppose 
that  these  streams  flowed  first  downwards,  then  proceeded  horizontally, 
and  at  last  rose  upwards.  The  motion  in  the  shocks  which  were  experi- 
enced in  Jamaica,  1692,  must  have  been  not  less  complicated.  Accord- 
ing to  the  account  of  an  eye  witness,  the  whole  surface  of  the  ground  had 
assumed  the  appearance  of  running  water.  The  sea  and  the  land  appeared 
to  rush  on  one  another,  and  to  mingle  in  the  wildest  confusion.  Some 
persons,  who,  at  the  beginning  of  the  calamity,  had  escaped  into  the 
streets,  and  to  the  squares  of  the  town,  to  avoid  the  danger  of  being 
crushed  under  the  ruins  of  the  falling  houses,  were  so  violently  tossed 
from  one  side  to  the  other,  that  many  of  them  received  severe  contusions, 
and  some  were  maimed.  Others  were  lifted  up,  hurled  through  the  air, 
and  thrown  down  at  a  distance  from  the  place  where  they  had  been 
standing.  A  few  who  were  in  the  town  were  carried  away  to  the  harbor, 
which  was  rather  distant,  and  there  thrown  into  the  sea,  by  which  acci- 
dent, however,  their  lives  were  saved. 

Tlie  Terrible  Earthquake  of  Lisbon. 

The  earthquake  of  Lisbon  happened  on  the  1st  of  November,  1755. 
The  day  broke  with  a  serene  sky  and  a  fine  breeze  from  the  east.  About 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  sun  began  to  grow  dim,  and  about  half 
an  hour  later  a  rumbling  noise  was  heard,  which  proceeded  from  under 
ground,  and  resembled  that  made  by  heavy  carts  passing  over  a  distant 
ground  covered  with  pebbles.  This  subterraneous  noise  increased  gradu- 
ally, but  quickly,  so  that  after  a  few  seconds  it  resembled  the  firing  of 
cannons  of  heavy  calibre.  In  this  moment  the  first  shock  was  felt.  Be- 
fore its  violent  concussions  the  foundations  of  many  large  buildings, 
especially  the  palace  of  the  Inquisition  and  several  churches  gave  way, 
and  the  whole  of  these  edifices  were  levelled  to  the  ground.  After 
a  short  pause,  perhaps  of  not  more  than  a  minute's  duration,  three 
other  shocks  followed  in  quick  succession,  by  which  nearly  all  the  other 
larger  buildings,  palaces,  churches,  convents,  public  offices,  and  houses 


112 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


were  thrown  down.  All  these  shocks  occurred  in  a  space  of  less  than  five 
minutes. 

At  the  time  the  first  shock  was  felt  in  the  city,  some  persons  were  in 
a  boat  on  the  Tagus  River,  about  three  miles  distant  from  the  capital. 
They  were  astonished  at  hearing  the  boat  making  a  noise,  as  if  it  were 
running  aground,  as  they  knew  it  was  in  deep  water.  In  the  same 
moment  they  observed  on  both  banks  of  the  river  that  the  buildings 
were  tumbling  down.  About  four  minutes  later  a  similar  noise  was 


DESTRUCTION    OF    LISBON    BY    AN    EARTHQUAKE. 

heard  under  the  boats,  and  other  buildings  were  seen  falling  to  the 
ground.  During  this  time  a  strange  commotion  was  observed  in  the 
water  of  the  river.  It  appears  that  at  some  places  the  bottom  of  the  river 
was  raised  to  the  level  of  the  water.  Many  vessels  were  lying  in  the  har- 
bor opposite  the  town.  Some  of  them  were  torn  from  their  anchors  and 
dashed  against  each  other  with  great  violence;  in  others  the  sailors  drd 
not  know  whether  their  vessels  were  afloat  or  aground. 


THE  TERRIBLE  PHENOMENA  OF  EARTHQUAKES.  113 

The  minds  of  the  inhabitants  had  not  yet  had  time  to  recover  from  the 
terror  caused  by  this  terrible  and  quite  unexpected  catastrophe,  when 
they  were  again  plunged  into  dismay  by  a  phenomenon  of  a  different 
description,  but  hardly  less  terrible  and  destructive.  About  half  an  hour  af- 
ter the  most  severe  shocks  had  ceased,  the  sea  rushed  suddenly  with  incredi- 
ble velocity  into  the  river.  Although  the  water  had  been  ebbing  for  two 
hours,  and  the  wind  blew  fresh  from  the  east,  the  sea  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Tagus  rose  instantaneously  about  forty  feet  above  high  water  mark.  It 
would  certainly  have  laid  more  than  half  the  town  under  water,  and  com- 
pleted the  work  of  destruction,  had  not  the  large  bay,  which  the  river 
forms  opposite  the  capital  of  Portugal,  permitted  this  enormous  volume 
of  water  to  spread  itself  over  a  surface  of  many  square  miles.  But  even 
this  favorable  circumstance  did  not  entirely  exempt  the  city  from  the 
effects  of  an  inundation.  The  sea  entered  the  lower  streets,  and  a  large 
stone-built  quay,  which  .had  been  probably  detached  from  its  foundations 
by  the  earthquake,  and  on  which  about  three  thousand  people  had  taken 
refuge,  was  suddenly  hurled  bottom  upward,  and  every  soul  was  lost.  As 
quickly  as  the  water  had  filled  the  river,  so  quickly  did  it  retreat  to  the 
sea.  The  high  wave,  however,  returned  three  or  four  times  before  the 
water  attained  its  usual  level,  but  every  time  with  a  diminished  force  and 
a  less  volume  of  water. 

Frightful  Loss  of  Life. 

It  is  stated  that,  by  the  effects  of  the  earthquake  and  of  the  inunda- 
tion, not  less  than  sixty  thousand  persons  perished.  The  larger  number, 
it  appears,  were  crushed  by  the  ruins  of  the  falling  churches.  For  as  it 
was  a  holiday,  a  great  number  of  persons  were  at  their  devotions  in  the 
churches  and  convents,  which,  being  very  substantial  edifices  built  of 
stone,  suffered  much  more  than  the  houses  of  private  persons,  and  were 
reduced  to  heaps  of  ruins  by  the  first  shock.  Towards  evening  a  smart 
shock  was  felt;  it  was  strong  enough  to  split  the  walls  of  several  houses 
which  had  still  kept  their  position.  The  rents  caused  by  this  shock  in 
the  walls  of  these  houses  were  more  than  half  a  foot  wide ;  but  as  soon 
as  the  shock  had  passed  away,  they  closed  again,  and  so  firmly  that  it 
was  impossible  to  find  a  trace  of  them. 

In  addition  to  the  horrors  occasioned  by  the  shocks  of  the  earthquake 
and  the  inroads  of  the  sea,  the  devoted  inhabitants  were  exposed  to  the 
ravages  of  fire.  An  English  merchant  residing  in  Lisbon,  who  escaped, 
and  published  an  account  of  the  calamity,  says:  As  soon  as  it  grew 
dark  another  scene  presented  itself,  little  less  shocking  than  those  already 
described — the  whole  city  appeared  in  a  blaze,  which  was  so  bright  that  I 
8 


114  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

could  easily  see  to  read  by  it.  It  may  be  said  without  exaggeration,  it 
was  on  fire  in  a  hundred  different  places  at  once,  and  thus  continued  burn- 
ing for  six  days  together,  without  intermission,  or  the  least  attempt  being 
made  to  stop  its  progress.  It  went  on  consuming  everything  the  earth- 
quake had  spared,  and  the  people  were  so  dejected  and  terrified,  that  few 
or  none  had  courage  enough  to  venture  down  to  save  any  part  of  their 
substance ;  every  one  had  his  eyes  turned  towards  the  flames,  and  stood 
looking  on  with  silent  grief,  which  was  only  interrupted  by  the  cries  and 
shrieks  of  women  and  children  calling  on  the  saints  and  angels  for  suc- 
cor, whenever  the  earth  began  to  tremble,  which  was  so  often  this  night, 
and  indeed  I  may  say  ever  since,  that  the  tremors,  more  or  less,  did  not 
cease  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  together.  I  could  never  learn  that  this 
terrible  fire  was  owing  to  any  subterraneous  eruption,  as  some  reported. 
Horror  Added  to  Horror. 

The  ist  of  November  being  All  Saints  Day,  a  high  festival  among  the 
Portuguese,  every  altar  in  every  church  and  chapel  (some  of  which  have 
more  than  twenty)  was  illuminated  with  a  number  of  wax  tapers  and 
lamps,  as  customary ;  these  setting  fire  to  the  curtains  and  timber  work 
that  fell  with  the  shock,  the  conflagration  soon  spread  to  the  neighbor- 
ing houses,  and  being  there  joined  with  the  fires  in  the  kitchen  chimneys, 
increased  to  such  a  degree  that  it  might  easily  have  destroyed  the  whole 
city,  though  no  other  cause  had  occurred,  especially  as  it  met  with  no 
interruption.  The  nobility,  gentry,  and  clergy,  who  were  assisting  at 
divine  service  when  the  earthquake  began,  fled  away  with  the  utmost 
precipitation,  every  one  where  his  fears  carried  him,  leaving  the  splendid 
apparatus  of  the  numerous  altars  to  the  mercy  of  the  first  comer;  but 
this  did  not  so  much  affect  me  as  the  distress  of  the  poor  animals,  which 
seemed  sensible  of  their  hard  fate;  some  few  were  killed,  others  wounded, 
but  the  greater  part,  which  had  received  no  hurt,  were  left  there  to  starve. 

From  the  square  the  way  led  to  my  friend's  lodgings,  through  a  long, 
steep,  and  narrow  street;  the  new  scenes  of  horror  I  met  with  here 
exceed  all  description ;  nothing  could  be  heard  but  sighs  and  groans.  I 
did  not  meet  with  a  soul  in  the  passage  who  was  not  bewailing  the  death 
of  his  nearest  relations  and  dearest  friends,  or  the  loss  of  all  his  substance; 
I  could  hardly  take  a  single  step  without  treading  on  the  dead  or  the 
dying ;  in  some  places  lay  coaches,  with  their  masters,  horses,  and  riders, 
almost  crushed  in  pieces;  here  mothers  with  their  infants  in  their  arms; 
there  ladies  richly  dressed,  priests,  friars,  gentlemen,  merchants,  either  in 
the  same  condition  or  just  expiring;  some  had  their  backs  or  thighs 
broken,  others  vast  stones  on  their  breasts ;  some  lay  almost  buried  in 


THE  TERRIBLE  PHENOMENA  OF  EARTHQUAKES.      115 

the  rubbish,  and  crying  out  in  vain  to  the  passengers  for  succor,  were 
left  to  perish  with  the  rest. 

In  Asia,  Africa,  Europe  and  South  America,  as  we  have  seen,  earth- 
quakes have  levelled  whole  cities  and  numbered  their  victims  by  tens, 
and  in  some  instances  hundreds,  of  thousands.  In  Judea,  at  the  time  of 
the  battle  of  Actium,  31  B.C.,  an  earthquake  killed  ten  thousand  people. 
Antioch  has  been  visited  by  several  of  still  greater  magnitude,  one  of 
which,  526  A.D.,  is  said  by  Gibbon  to  have  slain  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  persons;  and  the  same  city  was  visited  about  sixty  years  later 
by  another  that  made  thirty  thousand  corpses.  The  earthquake,  with 
volcanic  eruption  of  Vesuvius,  that  wiped  out  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii 
in  the  year  63,  need  only  to  be  mentioned.  In  more  modern  times  earth- 
quakes have  slain  one  hundred  thousand  at  Calabria,  Sicily,  in  1783;  and 
twelve  thousand  in  the  Argentine  Republic  in  1861.  These  are  only  a 
few  of  the  great  calamities  of  this  kind  that  history  records. 
More  Recent  Convulsions. 

No  earthquake  has  visited  the  territory  of  the  United  States  within  the 
historical  period  which  can  be  compared  in  extent  or  energy  to  the  con- 
vulsion in  August,  1886,  that  was  felt  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Atlantic, 
and  which  wrought  such  terrible  disaster  in  Charleston,  yet  shocks  simi- 
lar in  character  but  less  in  degree  are  of  constant  occurrence.  Observations 
show  that  on  the  Atlantic  slope  there  is  on  an  average  one  disturbance  of 
this  kind  every  month.  These,  however,  as  compared  with  the  calami- 
ties which  have  desolated  other  parts  of  the  world  are  very  small  and 
insignificant.  In  the  Charleston  disaster  ninety-six  persons  lost  their 
lives,  a  very  insignificant  number  compared  with  the  destruction,  graphic 
accounts  of  which  come  to  us  from  other  quarters  of  the  globe.  In  the 
early  part  of  1887  a  frightful  earthquake  in  the  southern  part  of  Europe 
destroyed  more  than  2000  lives,  and  spread  desolation  and  suffering  over 
a  wide  territory.  Neither  cholera  nor  any  other  pestilence  has  more 
reason  to  be  dreaded  than  one  of  those  terrible  convulsions  which  demolish 
the  most  massive  buildings,  wreck  the  fairest  cities,  and  in  an  instant 
hurry  multitudes  of  human  beings  out  of  the  world.  • 

One  of  the  most  destructive  earthquakes  of  modern  times  was  that 
which,  in  the  Island  of  Java  in  1884,  destroyed  thirty  thousand  lives,  and 
engulfed  a  range  of  mountains  forty  miles  in  length,  leaving  no  trace  of 
the  line  along  which  it  extended.  Immense  clouds  of  dust  extended  even 
to  the  opposite  hemisphere.  The  whole  civilized  world  had  its  attention 
awakened  by  this  extraordinary  convulsion.  It  literally  buried  mountains 
as  we  bury  the  dead. 


116  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

In  the  earthquake  at  Charleston  many  buildings  were  demolished,  and' 
great  destruction  of  property  resulted  from  the  terrible  visitation,  yet 
considering  the  frightful  havoc  made  by  some  European  earthquakes,  our 
American  city  was  extremely  fortunate.  The  truth  of  this  statement  will 
appear  if  we  look  at  the  account  given  of  that  tremendous  convulsion  in 
the  island  of  Sicily  which  overthrew  nearly  the  whole  of  the  beautiful 
city  of  Messina,  with  a  great  loss  of  life.  The  shore  for  a  considerable 
distance  along  the  coast  was  rent,  and  the  ground  along  the  port,  which 
was  before  quite  level,  became  afterwards  inclined  towards  the  sea,  the 
depth  of  the  water  having,  at  the  same  time,  increased  in  several  parts, 
through  the  displacement  of  portions  of  the  bottom.  The  quay  also 
subsided  about  fourteen  inches  below  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  the  houses 
near  it  were  much  rent. 

A  Graphic  Description  of  the  Awful  Calamity. 

But  it  was  in  the  city  itself  that  the  most  terrible  desolation  was 
wrought — a  complication  of  disasters  having  followed  the  shock,  more 
especially  a  fierce  conflagration,  whose  intensity  was  augmented  by  the 
large  stores  of  oil  kept  in  the  place.  An  authentic  account  of  this  cal- 
amity has  been  preserved  in  a  report  sent  by  the  Senate  of  the  city  of 
Messina  to  the  King  of  Naples.  It  runs  as  follows :  Your  Majesty's 
feeling  heart  will,  we  doubt  not,  be  touched  by  the  deepest  sorrow  at  the 
harrowing  spectacle  of  a  splendid  city  instantaneously  changed,  by  a  ter- 
rible and  unexampled  event,  into  a  heap  of  ruins.  The  concussions  of 
the  earth,  coming  in  succession  every  quarter  of  an  hour,  with  incon- 
ceivable violence,  have  overthrown,  from  top  to  bottom,  every  building 
whatever.  The  royal  palace,  that  of  the  archbishop,  the  whole  of  the 
maritime  theatre,  the  pawn  repositories,  the  great  hospital,  the  cathedral, 
the  monasteries  and  nunneries — nothing  has  escaped  destruction.  The 
religious  recluses  are  seen  running  through  the  streets  in  dismay,  to  seek, 
if  possible,  some  place  of  refuge  and  safety,  with  the  small  number  of 
persons  escaped  like  themselves,  almost  by  a  miracle,  from  this  overthrow. 
The  sight  is  fearful ;  but  there  is  one  yet  more  terrible — that  of  the  larg- 
est proportion  of  the  citizens,  dead  and  dying,  buried  beneath  the  ruins 
of  their  dwellings,  without  its  being  possible,  from  the  want  of  laborers, 
to  render  assistance  under  such  circumstances,  to  withdraw  from  beneath 
the  rubbish  those  still  breathing.  Shrieks  and  cries,  groans  and  sighs — 
all  the  accents  of  grief  are  everywhere  heard ;  while  the  impossibility  of 
redeeming  from  death  those  wretched  victims,  renders  still  more  har- 
rowing the  voice  of  despair  that  appeals  in  vain  for  help  and  compas- 
sion. 


THE  TERRIBLE  PHENOMENA  OF  EARTHQUAKES. 


117 


A  new  scourge  has  been  added  to  all  these  calamities,  and  augments 
their  horror.  From  amid  the  ruins  of  the  overthrown  buildings  there  is 
seen  all  at  once  to  arise  a  raging  fire.  Unhappily — the  first  shocks  having 
begun  about  dinner-time — the  fires,  then  lighted  in  the  kitchens,  had  kin- 
dled various  combustible  substances  found  among  the  remains  of  the 
crumbling  houses.  The  king's  lieutenant  instantly  hastened  to  the  spot 
with  his  troops  ;  but  the  absolute  want  of  laborers  and  needful  appliances 
rendered  all  efforts  unavailing,  and  it  was  impossible,  not  only  to  extin- 
guish the  fire,  but  even  to  stop  the  progress  of  the  flames,  which  contin- 


DESTRUCTION    OF    MESSINA. 

ued  to  devour  the  sad  remains  of  a  city,  once  the  glory  of  her  sovereigns, 
and  the  most  flourishing  in  the  kingdom. 

To  so  many  simultaneous  disasters  have  to  be  added  a  thousand  others 
beyond  description  horrible.  The  corn  magazines  having  been  over- 
thrown, bread,  that  most  needful  of  aliments,  fails.  The  Senate  has 
been  obliged  immediately  to  remedy  this  evil,  by  detaining  in  harbor  the 
vessels  laden  with  this  commodity.  But  how  make  bread  when  the 
shops  and  utensils  adapted  to  this  trade  are  buried  under  the  ruins,  while 
the  bakers  have  either  perished  or  fled  ?  The  water-courses  having  been 
turned  aside,  the  public  fountains  are  drained,  and  the  mills  can  no 
longer  grind  corn.  This  aggravation  of  disasters  has  reduced  almost  to 


118 


EARTH,  SEA  AND  SKY. 


despair  the  remaining  inhabitants,  who  demand  with  loud  cries  bread  for 
their  sustenance.  Some  bemoan  their  goods  and  chattels,  others  their 
parents. 

In  spite  of  the  zeal  and  activity  shown  by  the  magistrates  in  restraining 
robbers,  there  are  yet  to  be  found  wretches,  without  either  humanity  or 
religion,  who,  regardless  of  this  Divine  wrath  displayed  before  their  eyes, 
have  pillaged  not  only  private  houses  but  also  the  public  edifices  and  the 
pawn-repositories.  Naught  then,  save  the  powerful  protection  of  your 
Majesty,  can  redress  such  manifold  misfortunes,  so  rapid  in  their  succes- 
sion, and  give  new  existence  to  this  city,  which  requires  to  be  wholly 
restored.  The  Senate  beseeches  your  Majesty  instantly  to  transmit  the 
needful  succors  of  men  and  money,  to  clear  the  roads  covered  by  ruins 


FISSURES    PRODUCED    BY    AN    EARTHQUAKE. 

and  corpses.  The  Senate  equally  entreats  your  Majesty  to  send  to  this 
city  provisions  of  all  sorts,  for  the  subsistence  of  the  inhabitants  dispersed 
in  the  plains,  and  who,  destitute  of  food,  will  be  obliged  to  take  flight,  to 
the  great  detriment  of  your  royal  treasury. 

According  to  official  reports  made  soon  after  the  events,  the  destruc- 
tion caused  by  the  earthquakes  throughout  the  two  Calabrias  was  im- 
mense. The  loss  of  life  was  appalling — 40,000  having  perished  by  the 
earthquakes,  and  20,000  more  having  subsequently  died  from  privation  and 
exposure.  The  greater  number  were  buried  amid  the  ruins  of  the  houses, 
while  others  perished  in  the  fires  that  were  kindled  in  most  of  the  towns, 
particularly  in  Oppido,  where  the  flames  were  fed  by  great  magazines- 
of  oil.  Not  a  few,  especially  among  the  peasantry  dwelling  in  the  country, 
were  suddenly  ingulfed  in  fissures,  which,  seen  in  all  directions,  gave  the 


THE  TERRIBLE  PHENOMENA  OF  EARTHQUAKES.      119 

ground  the  appearance  of  having  been  shivered  like  glass.  Many  who 
were  only  half  buried  in  the  ruins,  and  who  might  have  been  saved  had 
there  been  help  at  hand,  were  left  to  die  a  lingering  death  from  cold  and 
hunger.  Four  Augustine  monks  at  Terranuova  perished  thus  miserably. 
Having  taken  refuge  in  a  vaulted  sacristy,  they  were  entombed  in  it  alive 
by  the  masses  of  rubbish,  and  lingered  for  four  days,  during  which  their 
cries  for  help  could  be  heard,  till  death  put  an  end  to  their  sufferings. 
A  Mother  and  Child  Perish. 

Of  still  more  thrilling  interest  was  the  case  of  the  Marchioness  Spadara. 
Having  fainted  at  the  moment  of  the  first  great  shock,  she  was  lifted  by 
her  husband,  who,  bearing  her  in  his  arms,  hurried  with  her  to  the 
harbor.  Here,  on  recovering  her  senses,  she  observed  that  her  infant 
boy  had  been  left  behind.  Taking  advantage  of  a  moment  when  her 
husband  was  too  much  occupied  to  notice  her,  she  darted  off,  and,  run- 
ning back  to  her  house,  which  was  still  standing,  she  snatched  her  babe 
from  his  cradle.  Rushing  with  him  in  her  arms  towards  the  staircase, 
she  found  the  stair  had  fallen — so  barring  all  further  progress  in  that 
direction.  She  fled  from  room  to  room,  chased  by  the  falling  materials, 
and  at  length  reached  a  balcony  as  her  last  refuge.  Holding  up  her 
infant,  she  implored  the  few  passers-by  for  help;  but  they  all,  intent  on 
securing  their  own  safety,  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  her  cries.  Meanwhile  her 
mansion  had  caught  fire,  and  ere  long  the  balcony,  with  the  devoted  lady 
still  grasping  her  darling,  was  hurled  into  the  devouring  flames. 

A  few  cases  are  recorded  of  devotion  similar  to  that  of  this  heroic 
woman,  but  happily  attended  by  more  fortunate  results.  In  the  great  ma- 
jority of  instances,  however,  the  instinct  of  self-preservation  triumphed 
over  every  other  feeling,  rendering  the  wretched  people  callous  to  the 
dangers  and  sufferings  of  others.  Still  worse  was  the  conduct  of  the  half- 
savage  peasantry  of  Calabria.  They  hastened  into  the  towns  like  vultures 
to  their  prey.  Instead  of  helping  the  sufferers,  they  ransacked  the  smok- 
ing ruins  for  plunder,  robbed  the  persons  of  the  dead,  and  of  those  en- 
tangled alive  among  the  rubbish,  perpetrating  still  more  atrocious  crimes. 

Several  cases  occurred  of  persons  being  rescued  alive  from  the  ruins 
after  the  lapse  of  many  days.  Some  were  delivered  at  the  end  of  three, 
four,  or  five  days,  and  one  even  on  the  seventh  day  after  interment.  Those 
who  were  thus  rescued  all  declared  that  their  direst  sufferings  were  from 
thirst. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
MOUNTAINS  OF  FIRE. 

Terrible  Images  of  Grandeur— Open  Mouths  of  Fire— The  Earth  a  Seething  Fur- 
nace Inside— A  Lighthouse  in  the  Eolian  Islands- Dull  Thunders  Shaking 
Mountains — A  River  of  Fire  Thirty  Miles  Long — Violent  Eruption  of  Mauna 
Loa — A  Scene  of  Appalling  Sublimity — Jets  of  Fire  and  Smoke  a  Thousand 
Feet  High — Connection  Between  Earthquakes  and  Volcanoes — Hoffman's  Vivid 
Description  of  Fiery  Stromboli — A  Volcano  Bursting  out  of  the  Sea— Graham's 
Island  in  Conflagration— A  Party  Caught  by  a  Deluge  of  Ashes  and  Hot  Stones 
— Cities  Buried  Under  Floods  of  Lava  from  Vesuvius— Remarkable  Asiatic  Vol- 
canoes—A Strange  New  Zealand  Tradition — The  Sea  Boiling  and  Driven  Back. 

EEN  from  afar,  volcanoes  only  give  a  very  imperfect  idea  of  what 
they  are.  To  appreciate  their  phenomena  and  their  ravages, 
our  eyes  must  survey  their  depths.  All  is  then  changed,  and 
the  grandeur  of  the  spectacle  strikes  the  imagination,  graving 
terrible  images  upon  it.  We  are  astonished  at  the  immensity  of  their 
fire-spouting  mouths,  and  at  the  vastness  of  the  lava  streams  which  flow 
from  them  at  certain  times.  Some  men  of  science  have  expressed  their 
wonder  that  the  interior  of  the  earth  can  furnish  matter  sufficient  for 
these  eruptions,  but  a  little  reflection  will  show  that  no  great  contraction 
of  the  crust  of  the  globe  is  required  to  feed  them.  Violent  eruptions  do 
not  usually  emit  more  than  1300  cubic  yards  of  lava,  and  seldom  so 
much.  This  quantity,  supposing  it  spread  equally  over  the  surface  of  the 
globe,  would  not  form  a  layer  so  much  as  the  ten-thousandth  of  an  irch 
in  thickness.  A  contraction  of  the  earth  sufficient  to  shorten  its  radius 
half  an  inch  would  furnish  matter  for  five  hundred  violent  eruptions ;  and 
on  consulting  the  history  of  recent  volcanic  phenomena  we  arrive  at  the 
conclusion  that  a  contraction  of  one  inch  and  a  half  is  sufficient  to  have 
supplied  the  lava  thrown  up  in  all  the  eruptions  that  have  occurred  on 
our  planet  during  the  last  3000  years. 

The  loftier  volcanoes  are,  the  less  frequent  are  their  eruptions.  The  lava 
which  they  vomit  forth,  issuing  from  furnaces  the  depth  of  which  is  prob- 
ably the  same  in  every  case,  it  is  clear,  that  for  the  waves  to  mount  in  the 
chimneys  of  those  which  are  very  high,  a  much  greater  force  is  required 
than  in  others.  Thus  one  of  the  smallest  of  all,  Stromboli,  is  always 
throwing  out  flames ;  since  the  days  of  Homer  it  has  served  as  a  beacon 
to  navigators  approaching  the  Eolian  Islands.  On  the  contrary,  the  vol- 
(120) 


MOUNTAINS  OF  FIRE.  121 

canoes  which  animate  the  crests  of  the  Cordilleras,  and  which  are  six  or 
eight  times  as  high,  seem  condemned  to  long  intervals  of  repose,  and 
often  only  break  out  from  century  to  century. 

Cataracts  Hushing-  Down  the  Volcano's  Side. 

The  volcanoes  which  lord  it  over  the  frozen  summits  of  the  Andes 
often  produce  phenomena  equally  striking  and  unexpected.  When  they 
melt  the  snows  which  crown  their  craters,  their  eruptions  produce  impet- 
uous torrents,  which,  precipitating  themselves,  bear  with  them  smoking 
scoriae,  fragments  of  rocks,  and  blocks  of  ice.  At  a  great  distance  most 
volcanoes  look  just  like  pointed  cones  vomiting  flames  or  vapors  by  a 
very  narrow  fissure.  But  when  patience  and  courage  have  carried  us  to 
the  rugged  crests  of  their  burning  mouths,  or  when  we  have  penetrated 
their  sides,  we  are  astonished  at  the  scenes  of  grandeur  which  present 
themselves  to  our  eyes  in  the  midst  of  these  frightful  and  dangerous 
abysses,  where  the  heat  and  deleterious  gases  threaten  to  suffocate  the 
traveler.  One  may  well  feel  astonished  at  the  dimensions  of  the  ancient 
craters  of  France  and  Italy,  the  one  filled  up  with  lakes,  the  other  trans- 
formed into  forests. 

Many  countries  of  our  globe,  now  buried  in  the  most  perfect  repose 
and  covered  with  a  vigorous  vegetation,  were,  at  an  epoch  that  cannot 
at  present  be  definitely  fixed,  everywhere  convulsed  by  volcanic  fires ; 
rich  harvests  now  abound  where  formerly  rolled  burning  streams  of  lava. 
Ancient  craters  now  display  only  grass  and  moss  in  the  depths  of  their 
mouths,  which  formerly  vomited  torrents  of  fire.  This  spectacle  is  even 
met  with  in  the  centre  of  France,  in  all  the  mountains  of  Auvergne. 
Active  volcanoes  are  common  at  the  present  time  on  the  surface  of  the 
globe.  But  by  this  it  is  not  meant  that  they  are  agitated  by  perpetual 
convulsions.  Nearly  all  .awake  to  their  terrible  activity  only  at  long  in- 
tervals, and  during  the  space  of  time  between  the  eruptions  their  internal 
toil  is  only  revealed  by  slight  and  deceptive  phenomena. 
Mountains  in  Convulsions. 

When  a  formidable  eruption  breaks  out  it  is  often  accompanied  by  dull 
roars  which  seem  to  shake  the  mountain.  In  a  short  time  the  fiery 
mouth  launches  into  the  air  sheets  of  flame  and  smoke,  as  well  as  masses 
of  cinders  and  burning  rock;  in  1853,  in  one  of  its  most  terrible  erup- 
tions, Cotopaxi  projected  great  blocks  of  trachyte  to  a  distance  of  nine 
miles.  During  this  time  the  lava  escapes  with  violence  from  the  entrails 
of  the  mountain,  and  pours  over  its  sides  like  so  many  streams  or  cas- 
cades of  fire,  consuming  everything  in  their  path.  In  very  lofty  volcanoes 


122  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  lava,  in  order  to  rise  to  the  crater  in  which  they  culminate,  must  re- 
quire an  almost  incalculable  force ;  hence  it  often  happens  that  it  makes 
its  way  out  before  reaching  it,  and  having  burst  the  flanks  of  the  moun- 
tain near  its  base  forms  a  small  additional  volcano,  in  which,  for  the 
future,  all  efforts  of  the  eruption  are  concentrated,  and  from  which  pour 
streams  of  lava  which  we  should  not  expect  from  so  low  an  elevation. 

In  high  volcanic  mountains  we  often  find  at  the  base  of  the  great  cone 
a  series  of  small  accessory  volcanoes :  Etna  possesses  quite  a  family 
scattered  over  its  flanks.  In  fact  it  is  these  that  have  in  particular  rav- 
aged the  surrounding  countries.  The  most  frightful  eruption  of  Etna  in 
modern  times  was  produced  by  one  of  these  young  volcanoes,  the  Monte 
Rosa.  From  it  issued  the  long  river  of  lava  which  rolled  its  burning 
waves  over  a  distance  of  nine  leagues,  fired  a  great  part  of  Catania,  and 
only  stayed  its  passage  when  it  plunged  into  the  sea  amidst  a  most  tu- 
multuous struggle  between  the  waves  and  fire. 

Great  Streams  of  Liquid  Fire. 

The  form  of  the  Hawaiian  volcano  named  Mauna  Loa,  is  a  flattened 
dome,  and  this  is  its  most  remarkable  feature.  The  idea  of  a  volcano  is 
so  generally  connected  with  the  figure  of  a  cone,  that  the  mind  at  once 
conceives  of  a  loftysugar  loaf  ejecting  fire,  red-hot  stones,  and  flowing 
lavas.  But  in  place  of  slender  walls  around  a  deep  crater,  which  the 
shaking  of  an  eruption  may  tumble  in,  the  summit  of  the  Hawaiian  vol- 
cano is  nearly  a  plane,  in  which  the  crater,  though  six  miles  in  circuit,  is 
like  a  small  quarry  hole,  the  ancient  orifice  being  not  less  than  twenty- 
four  miles  in  circumference.  A  violent  eruption  of  Mauna  Loa  took 
place  in  the  year  1843,  which  is  thus  described  by  the  Rev.  Titus  Coan : 
On  the  loth  of  January,  just  at  the  dawn  of  day,  we  discovered  a  rapid 
disgorgement  of  liquid  fire  from  near  the  summit  of  Mauna  Loa,  at  an 
elevation  of  about  fourteen  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  This  eruption 
increased  from  day  to  day  for  several  weeks,  pouring  out  vast  floods  of 
fiery  lava,  which  spread  down  the  side  of  the  mountain,  and  flowed  in 
broad  rivers,  throwing  a  terrific  glare  upon  the  heavens,  and  filling  those 
lofty  mountainous  regions  with  a  sheen  of  light.  This  spectacle  contin- 
ued till  the  molten  flood  had  progressed  twenty  or  thirty  miles  down  the 
side  of  the  mountain,  with  an  average  breadth  of  one  and  a  half  miles, 
and  across  a  high  plain  which  stretches  between  the  bases  of  Mauna 
Loa  and  Mauna  Kea.  After  many  weeks  another  missionary  and  my- 
self penetrated  through  a  deep  forest,  stretching  between  Hilo  and  the 
mountain,  and  reached  the  molten  stream,  which  we  followed  to  the  top 
of  the  mountain,  and  found  its  source  in  a  vast  crater,  amidst  eternal 


(123) 


124  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

snow.  Down  the  sides  of  the  mountain  the  lava  had  now  ceased  to 
flow  upon  the  surface ;  but  it  had  formed  for  itself  a  subterranean  duct, 
at  the  depth  of  fifty  or  one  hundred  feet.  This  duct  was  vitrified,  and 
•down  this  fearful  channel  a  river  of  fire  was  rushing  at  the  rate  of  fifteen 
or  twenty  miles  an  hour,  from  the  summit  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain. 
This  subterranean  stream  we  saw  distinctly  through  several  large  aper- 
tures in  the  side  of  the  mountain,  while  the  burning  flood  rushed  fear- 
fully beneath  our  feet.  Our  visit  was  attended  with  peril  and  inconceiv- 
able fatigue,  but  we  never  regretted  having  made  it,  and  we  returned 
deeply  affected  with  the  majesty,  the  sublimity,  the  power,  and  the  love 
of  that  God  who  "  looketh  on  the  earth  and  it  trembleth,  who  toucheth 
the  hills  and  they  smoke  ;  whose  presence  melteth  the  hills,  and  whose 
look  causeth  the  mountains  to  flow  down." 

A  Fiery  Mountain  of  Remarkable  Formation. 

Mauna  Loa  presents  the  curious  feature  of  having  two  distinct  and 
seemingly  unconnected  craters — one  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  and 
another  on  its  flanks,  at  a  much  lower  level.  This  last  is  named  Kirauea, 
and  is  perhaps  the  most  remarkable  volcanic  crater  in  the  world.  It  was 
visited  by  Mr.  Ellis,  a  missionary  to  those  parts,  who  has  given  an  ac- 
count of  it  in  his  missionary  tour.  The  approach  to  it  lies  over  a  vast 
tract  completely  covered  with  old  lava;  and  Mr.  Ellis  describes  his  visit 
to  it  in  the  following  terms :  The  tract  of  lava  resembles  in  appearance  an 
inland  sea,  bounded  by  distant  mountains.  Once  it  had  certainly  been  in 
a  fluid  state,  but  appeared  as  if  it  had  become  suddenly  petrified,  or 
turned  into  a  glassy  stone,  while  its  agitated  billows  were  rolling  to  and 
fro.  Not  only  were  the  large  swells  and  hollows  distinctly  marked,  but 
in  many  places  the  surface  of  those  billows  was  covered  by  a  smaller  rip- 
ple, like  that  observed  on  the  surface  of  the  sea  at  the  springing  up  of  a 
breeze,  or  the  passing  currents  of  air,  which  produce  what  the  sailors  call 
*a  cat's  paw.  After  walking  some  distance  over  the  ground,  which  in 
several  places  sounded  hollow  under  our  feet,  we  at  length  came  to  the 
<edge  of  the  great  crater,  where  a  spectacle  sublime,  and  even  appalling, 
presented  itself  before  us. 

A  Scene  of  Appalling  Sublimity. 

Immediately  before  us  yawned  an  immense  gulf,  in  the  form  of  a  cres- 
cent, about  two  miles  in  length,  from  north-east  to  south-west ;  nearly  a 
mile  in  width,  and  apparently  800  feet  deep.  The  bottom  was  covered 
with  lava,  and  the  south-western  and  northern  parts  of  it  were  one  vast 
flood  of  burning  matter,  in  a  state  of  terrific  ebullition,  rolling  to  and  fro 


MOUNTAINS  OF  FIRE. 


125 


its  fiery  surges  and  flaming  billows.  Fifty-one  conical  islands,  of  \  aried 
form  and  size,  containing  as  many  craters,  rise  either  round  the  edge  or 
from  the  surface  of  the  burning  lake ;  twenty-two  constantly  emitted 


columns  of  grey  smoke,  or  pyramids  of  brilliant  flame ;  and  several  of 
these  at  the  same  time  vomited  from  their  ignited  mouths  streams  of 
lava,  which  rolled  in  blazing  torrents  down  their  black  indented  sides  into- 
the  boiling  mass  below. 


126  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

This  great  crater  was  also  visited  by  Messrs.  Dana  and  Wilkes  of  the 
United  States'  exploring  expedition.  They  describe  the  light  from  the 
glowing  lava  to  be  so  intense  as  to  form  rainbows  on  the  passing  rain- 
clouds.  The  lava  appears  almost  as  liquid  as  water,  and  its  surface  is 
agitated  by  waves  resembling  those  of  the  sea,  and  breaking,  like  them, 
upon  the  shore  formed  by  the  bordering  terraces  of  solid  lava.  Some- 
times they  rise  to  a  height  of  between  sixty  and  seventy  feet.  The  lava, 
thus  tossed  into  the  air,  cools  in  its  descent,  and  falls  solidified  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  molten  lake,  like  pieces  of  broken  ice.  One  peculiarity  of 
this  volcano  is  its  tendency  to  throw  out  its  lava  in  jets  to  an  enormous 
height.  The  lava  seems  to  be  first  forced  up  in  the  interior  of  the  moun- 
tain nearly  to  the  top  of  the  great  crater  ;  but  instead  of  overflowing  its 
brim,  it  opens  a  passage  through  the  sides  of  the  cone  at  a  considerably 
lower  elevation,  so  that  the  pressure  of  the  liquid  in  the  interior  forces  it 
from  the  orifice  in  a  jet,  whose  height  is  in  proportion  to  that  of  the 

inner  column. 

plood-Bed  Rivers  of  Destruction.  • 

The  lava-jets  thrown  up  from  Mauna  Loa  during  a  great  eruption  in 
1852,  are  estimated  to  have  reached  a  height  of  500  feet — those  of  some 
later  eruptions  double  that  height.  The  lava,  as  it  ascends,  is  described 
as  being  white-hot;  but  in  its  descent  it  acquires  a  blood-red  tint,  and  it 
comes  down  with  a  fearful  noise.  The  quantities  of  lava  ejected  during 
some  of  the  recent  eruptions  have  been  enormous.  One  stream  is  de- 
scribed as  having  travelled  fifty  miles,  with  an  average  breadth  of  three 
miles.  A  great  stream,  which  burst  forth  from  the  side  of  the  mountain 
in  1 85 5,  reached  a  distance  of  sixty  miles  from  its  source — burning  its 
way  through  the  forests,  and  advancing  at  the  rate  of  about  a  mile  in 
a  fortnight.  In  1859  tms  volcano  was  again  in  vigorous  action,  throwing 
up  intermitting  jets  of  lava  to  the  estimated  height  of  800  or  1000  feet. 
From  this  great  fiery  fountain  the  lava  flowed  down  in  numerous  streams, 
spreading  over  a  width  of  five  or  six  miles.  One  stream,  probably 
formed  by  the  junction  of  several  smaller,  attained  a  height  of  from 
twenty  to  twenty-five  feet,  and  a  breadth  of  about  an  eighth  of  a  mile. 
Great  stones  were  also  thrown  up  along  with  the  jet  of  lava,  and  the  vol- 
ume of  smoke,  composed  probably  of  fine  volcanic  dust,  is  said  to  have 
risen  to  the  height  of  10,000  feet. 

An  eruption  described  as  having  been  of  still  greater  violence  took 
place  in  1865,  characterized  by  similar  phenomena,  particularly  the  throw- 
ing up  of  jets  of  lava.  This  fiery  fountain  is  said  to  have  continued  to  play 
without  intermission  for  twenty  days  and  nights,  varying  only  as  respects 


MOUNTAINS  OF  FIRE.  127 

the  height  to  which  the  jet  arose,  which  is  said  to  have  ranged  between 
100  and  1000  feet,  the  mean  diameter  of  the  jet  being  about  100  feet. 
This  eruption  was  accompanied  by  explosions  so  loud  as  to  have  been 
heard  at  a  distance  of  forty  miles.  A  cone  of  about  300  feet  in  height, 
and  about  a  mile  in  circumference,  was  accumulated  round  the  orifice 
whence  the  jet  ascended.  It  was  composed  of  solid  matters  ejected  with 
the  lava,  and  it  continued  to  glow  like  a  furnace,  notwithstanding  its  ex- 
posure to  the  air.  The  current  of  lava  on  this  occasion  flowed  to  a  dis- 
tance of  thirty-five  miles,  burning  its  way  through  the  forests,  and  filling 
the  air  with  smoke  and  flames  from  the  ignited  timber.  The  glare  from 
the  glowing  lava  and  the  burning  trees  together  was  discernible  by  night 
at  a  distance  of  200  miles  from  the  island. 

In  the  early  part  of  1887,  Mauna  Loa  was  again  in  action,  presenting 
startling  spectacles  similar  to  those  just  described.  It  is  literally  a  mount- 
ain of  fire,  roaring  and  thundering,  and  belching  out  lurid  flames  and 
immense  rivers  of  lava.  This  'is  one  of  the  amazing  phenomena  which 
have  so  long  rendered  the  group  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  an  object  of 
surpassing  interest  to  the  whole  civilized  world.  Here  we  find  one  of  the 
great  breathing  places  of  the  inside  world,  that  tremendous  furnace  upon 
which  we  live.  What  gigantic  forces,  what  red  hot,  burning  materials, 
what  awful  abysses  of  flame  and  fury  this  world  of  ours  holds  in  its  deep, 
mysterious  and  unknown  recesses ! 

Connection  Between  Earthquakes  and  Volcanoes. 

The  connection  between  earthquakes  and  volcanoes  is  so  evident  that 
it  hardly  admits  of  any  doubt.  But  a  number  of  facts  have  been  col- 
lected which  evidently  show  that  there  must  exist  a  subterraneous  con- 
nection between  these  phenomena,  even  when  they  occur  at  great  distances 
from  each  other.  Some  of  these  facts  are  very  interesting  and  curious. 
Stromboli,  a  small  volcano  situated  on  one  of  the  Lipari  Islands,  which  is 
in  continual  activity,  and  never  ceases  to  eject  volcanic  matter  and  smoke, 
fell  suddenly  into  a  state  of  inactivity  when  the  plain  of  Calabria  was 
visited  by  the  great  earthquake.  The  distance  between  the  volcano  and 
the  centre  of  the  earthquake  does  not  much  exceed  fifty  miles.  Hum- 
boldt  mentions  that  for  many  months  the  volcano  of  Pasto  had  uninter- 
ruptedly continued  to  emit  a  column  of  thick  smoke,  which  suddenly  dis- 
appeared just  at  the  moment  when  the  valley  of  Hambato  was  convulsed 
by  the  earthquake  which  levelled  the  town  of  Riobamba  to  the  ground. 
In  this  case  the  distance  was  two  hundred  and  twenty  miles.  On  the  1st 
of  November,  175 5,  a  whirling  column  of  smoke  ascended  from  the  crater 
of  Mount  Vesuvius,  which  is  commonly  a  sign  that  the  volcano  is  in  a 


128 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


state  of  disturbance ;  but  all  at  once  the  flow  of  smoke  was  stopped, 
and  that  which  had  issued  reentered  the  crater.  The  distance  between 
Lisbon  and  Mount  Vesuvius  exceeds  one  thousand  two  hundred  miles. 
As  it  is  a  well-established  fact  that  the  strong  oscillation  of  the  earth  dur- 
ing the  great  earthquake  of  Lisbon  extended  to  the  centre  of  England, 
Lombardy.  and  the  Alps,  and  even  to  Massachusetts  and  Pennsylvania,  it 
can  hardly  be  considered  a  bold  assumption,  when  it  is  supposed  that  this 
change  in  the  crater  of  Mount  Vesuvius  was  effected  by  that  earthquake. 


FLAMES 'BURSTING  FROM  THE  CRATER  OF  STROMBOLI. 

thus  showing  a  connection  between  the  earth's  convulsions  and  its  vol- 
canoes.    Similar  coincidences  have  been  repeatedly  observed. 

When  Hoffman  the  great  Prussian  geologist,  ascended  the  peak  of 
Stromboli,  and  reached  the  crater,  he  lay  down  and  hung  over  its  precipi- 
tous side,  while  held  firmly  by  his  companions.  He  was  thus  enabled  to 
look  right  down  into  its  fiery  depths,  and  of  the  scene  which  they  pre- 
sented he  has  left  on  record  a  vivid  description :  At  the  bottom  of  the 
crater  were  three  mouths  in  a  state  of  activity.  The  central  and  princi- 
pal one  was  200  feet  in  diameter ;  it  was  in  no  way  remarkable ;  it  smoked 


MOUNTAINS  OF  FIRE.  129 

slightly,  and  its  sides  were  encrusted  with  several  coats  of  yellow  sul- 
phur. By  the  side  of  this  main  vent,  but  nearer  the  precipice,  was 
another,  only  twenty  feet  wide,  in  which  I  observed  the  glow  of  the 
liquid  column  of  lava  that  at  intervals  played  upon  the  surface.  The 
lava  was  not,  as  an  ardent  imagination  depicts  it,  a  burning  mass,  vomit- 
ing forth  flames ;  but  shone  like  molten  metal,  like  iron  flowing  from  the 
furnace,  or  like  silver  at  the  bottom  of  a  heated  crucible.  This  molten 
mass  oscillated  to  and  fro,  and  rose  and  sank. 

A  Scene  of  Awful  Grandeur. 

The  surface  regularly  rose  and  fell  at  rhythmic  intervals.  A  peculiar 
noise  was  audible,  like  the  rush  of  air  entering  by  gusts  through  the  door  of 
a  mining  furnace.  A  cloud  of  white  vapors  rose,  upheaving  the  lava,  which 
fell  back  after  each  commotion.  These  vapor-clouds  carried  off  the  sur- 
face of  the  lava  numerous  fragments  of  red-hot  scoria,  which  danced  in 
the  air  as  if  tossed  to  and  fro  by  invisible  hands,  in  a  rhythmic  measure, 
above  the  edge  of  the  opening.  This  regular  and  attractive  movement 
was  interrupted  at  intervals  of  fifteen  minutes  by  more  violent  vibrations. 
The  mass  of  whirling  vapors  then  remained  immovable  for  a  moment,  or 
even  sank  back  a  little,  as  if  it  was  inhaled  by  the  crater,  from  whose 
depths  the  lava  surged  up  more  furiously,  as  if  to  encounter  it.  Then  the 
ground  trembled,  and  the  sides  of  the  crater  shivered  as  they  inclined  in- 
wards. It  was  a  veritable  earthquake.  From  the  mouth  of  the  crater 
proceeded  a  hoarse  reverberating  bellow,  and  at  the  end  an  immense  balloon 
of  vapor  grew  on  the  surface  of  the  lava  rising  up  with  a  sonorous  and 
thundering  clash.  The  whole  surface  of  the  lava  splintered  into  fragments 
was  then  ejected  into  the  air.  The  heat  now  became  insupportable;  and 
a  sheaf  of  flames  shooting  suddenly  upwards,  fell  back  in  a  fiery  rain  on 
the  surrounding  district.  A  few  balls  rose  to  a  height  of  1200  feet,  and 
described,  as  they  swept  over  the  heads  of  Hoffman  and  his  companions, 
parabolic  curves  of  fire.  Immediately  after  each  of  these  explosions,  the 
lava  retired  into  the  bottom  of  the  crater,  which  yawned  like  a  black  and 
awful  gulf;  but  speedily  its  glittering  surface  rose  again,  and  recom- 
menced its  ordinary  rhythmic  play. 

Volcanic  Mountains  Bursting-  from  the  Sea. 

The  most  remarkable  phenomenon  produced  by  the  concurrence  of 
earthquakes  and  volcanic  agency  is  the  emerging  of  new  islands  from  the 
sea.  They  rise  suddenly,  and  their  appearance  is  attended  with  nearly  all 
the  phenomena  accompanying  eruptions ;  they  exist  for  some  time,  and 
then  they  commonly  disappear  gradually.  It  is  a  circumstance  worthy  to 
be  noticed,  that  such  islands  make  their  appearance  repeatedly  on  the 
9 


130 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


same  spot,  and  that  such  spots  may  be  pointed  out  in  each  of  the  vol- 
canic systems  of  Europe,  and  have  been  repeatedly  discovered. 


VOLCANO   UNDER   THE   OCEAN    NEAR   THE   AZORE   ISLANDS. 

In  the  volcanic  system  of  the  Azores   the  spot  where   the   volcanic 
islands  appear  is  about  a  mile  west  of  the  western  extremity  of  the  Island 


MOUNTAINS  OF  FIRE.  131 

St.  Michael.  An  island  has  risen  there  above  the  sea  at  different  periods 
— in  1628,  in  1720,  and  1811.  It  has  been  considered  as  a  remarkable 
fact,  that  about  ninety-one  or  ninety-two  years  have  passed  between  the 
reappearances  of  the  island.  Respecting  the  phenomena  which  attended 
the  first  appearance  of  the  island  nothing  is  known;  but  the  second  in 
1720  was  preceded  and  attended  by  a  very  high  column  of  smoke,  and 
the  ejection  of  ashes  and  pumice  stone.  Its  declivities  were  very  steep, 
as  at  a  short  distance  from  its  shores  no  ground  was  found  at  a  depth  of 
twenty  fathoms.  Its  elevation  was  estimated  at  about  three  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  above  the  sea  level.  After  two  years  it  disappeared. 

A  Startling  Spectacle. 

In  1811  the  formation  of  the  island  was  preceded  by  severe  and  nu- 
merous shocks  on  the  north-western  side  of  St.  Michael.  Before  these 
shocks  ceased,  a  column  of  smoke  rose  out  of  the  sea,  within  which, 
from  time  to  time,  large  masses  of  black  cinders,  sand,  and  ashes  were 
observed  rising,  accompanied  by  frequent  flashes  of  lightning  and  a  noise 
like  thunder,  which  was  compared  to  a  continual  firing  of  guns  and 
muskets.  In  a  short  time  a  black  body  was  perceived  to  form  the  base 
of  the  column,  and  was  soon  recognized  as  the  upper  border  of  a  crater- 
formed  rock,  rising  from  the  sea,  which,  on  the  fourth  day  after  the  be- 
ginning of  the  phenomenon,  formed  a  coherent  mass.  This  mass  in- 
creased, by  the  addition  of  new  matter,  and  in  less  than  a  month  had 
attained  its  largest  dimensions.  The  eruptions  of  matter  then  ceased, 
and  a  landing  could  be  effected  on  the  shores  of  the  island.  The  island 
had  nearly  the  form  of  a  circle,  and  was  about  a  mile  in  circuit.  Its 
greatest  elevation  above  the  sea  level  was  estimated  at  about  three  hund- 
red feet.  In  the  middle  was  a  circular  crater,  which,  by  an  opening 
across  the  solid  mass,  communicated  with  the  sea,  from  which  water,  in 
a  high  state  of  ebullition,  was  continually  and  rapidly  flowing.  The 
declivities  of  the  island  towards  the  sea  were  very  steep,  and  the  sea 
round  it  deep ;  for  at  a  distance  of  twelve  or  fifteen  yards  it  was  more 
than  fifteen  fathoms  deep.  Captain  Tillard,  who  had  witnessed  its  for- 
mation from  the  adjacent  shores,  called  this  island  Sabrina,  after  the 
name  of  the  vessel  under  his  command ;  and  furnished  a  full  description 
of  its  sudden  and  extraordinary  appearance. 

In  the  Mediterranean,  near  Sciacca,  on  the  south-west  coast  of  Sicily, 
there  occurred,  in  1831,  a  submarine  eruption  of  a  very  interesting  kind. 
The  inhabitants  of  Sciacca  had  experienced  several  slight  shocks  of  earth- 
quake. John  Corrao,  the  captain  of  a  Sicilian  vessel,  perceived  rising 
out  of  the  sea,  at  a  spot  distant  about  thirty  miles  south-west  of  Sciacca, 


132  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

an  immense  jet  of  water,  which  was  thrown  up  with  a  thundering  noise 
to  a  great  height,  at  intervals  of  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  This  jet  pro- 
duced a  thick  mist,  that  soon  spread  itself  over  the  sea,  which  was  very 
rough  at  the  time.  The  surface  of  the  water  ere  long  became  covered 
with  a  reddish  scum,  and  many  dead  fishes  were  seen  floating  about.  On 
passing  near  the  spot  two  days  afterwards,  Corrao  found  the  jet  still  play- 
ing, and  he  estimated  jts  height  to  be  about  sixty,  and  its  diameter  upwards 
of  eight  hundred  feet.  The  cloud  of  vapor  from  the  jet  rose,  according  to 
his  estimate,  to  between  twenty  and  thirty  times  the  height  to  which  the 
water  ascended. 

An  Island  Upheaved  from  the  Mediterranean. 

All  this  while  a  thick  mist  veiled  the  horizon  from  the  inhabitants  of 
Sciacca ;  but  later  they  perceived  the  air  to  be  pervaded  by  a  strong  sul- 
phurous smell,  and  they  saw  drifting  toward  the  shore  great  quantities  of 
black  dross,  which  accumulated  on  the  beach.  Multitudes  of  dead  fishes 
were  also  seen  floating  on  the  water.  On  the  following  day  they  beheld, 
rising  out  of  the  sea,  at  the  spot  before  indicated,  a  great  column  of  what 
seemed  by  day  like  black  smoke,  but  which  by  night  became  illuminated 
by  the  glare  of  fire  glowing  from  beneath.  Bright  scintillations  were  also 
perceived  to  be  thrown  up  amid  the  smoke,  and  loud  reports,  as  if  from 
heavy  ordnance,  were  occasionally  heard. 

Not  long  afterward,  while  sailing  near  the  spot  where  these  phenomena 
had  been  seen,  Corrao  discovered  that  there  had  been  upheaved  an  island, 
from  nine  to  twelve  feet  high,  having  in  its  centre  a  crater  whence  jets  of 
vapor  and  clouds  of  volcanic  ashes  were  being  thrown  out.  Towards 
evening,  the  same  day,  a  small  English  boat  despatched  by  Admiral 
Hotham  approached  the  place,  and  found  the  height  of  the  island  in- 
creased to  upwards  of  seventy  feet,  and  its  circumference  to  nearly  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile.  The  sea  all  round  was  covered  with  dross  of  a  choco- 
late-brown color,  and  in  the  interior  of  the  crater  there  was  a  small  lagune, 
communicating  with  the  sea  by  a  narrow  channel.  The  water  in  the 
lagune  was  reddish.  Only  a  few  years  before  this  event,  soundings  had 
been  taken  close  to  this  spot,  and  the  depth  was  found  to  be  one  hundred 
fathoms. 

The  scene  of  these  extraordinary  phenomena  was  visited  by  Captain 
Swinburn,  of  the  Royal  Navy,  and  Hoffman,  the  Prussian  geologist. 
They  could  not  approach  nearer  the  island  than  two  miles,  so  great  was 
the  agitation  of  the  sea,  and  such  the  quantity  of  dross  being  thrown  out 
by  the  volcano.  Even  at  that  distance  some  of  the  glowing  stones  fell 
into  their  boat.  According  to  their  observations,  the  diameter  of  the 


MOUNTAINS  OF  FIRE. 


133 


crater  appeared  to  be  about  600  feet,  and  the  island  was  augmenting  from 
moment  to  moment  by  the  accumulation  of  ejected  matters,  which  for 
the  most  part  fell  near  the  place  whence  they  were  thrown  up.  .  There 
rose  from  the  crater  a  column  of  aqueous  vapor  mixed  with  volcanic 
substances  to  the  height  of  1800  feet.  Occasionally  quantities  of  black 
dross  were  thrown  up  in  the  midst  of  this  column ;  but,  what  was  more 
striking,  there  rose  during  their  observations  a  vast  column  of  thick  black 
smoke,  which  was  shot  up  with  great  violence  to  the  height  of  about  600 
feet,  and  then  spread  itself  into  a  form  resembling  a  huge  pine-tree.  In 
the  midst  of  this  dark  column,  glowing  stones  were  frequently  tossed  up 


VOLCANIC  ERUPTION  AT  GRAHAM^S  ISLAND. 

to  great  heights,  accompanied  by  a  noise  like  the  rattling  of  hail.  Erup- 
tions of  this  sort  continued  for  periods  varying  from  ten  minutes  to  an 
hour,  and  were  separated  by  intervals  of  rest,  during  which  the  aqueous 
vapors  ascended  in  perfect  silence. 

The  annexed  engraving,  copied  from  a  sketch  by  Kellin,  an  Italian 
artist,  shows  the  appearance  presented  by  the  island  during  the  eruption. 
It  attained,  at  its  highest  point,  an  elevation  of  about  200  feet,  while  its 
circumference  increased  to  about  three  miles.  This  remarkable  volcano, 
which  is  known  as  Graham's  Island,  did  not  long  maintain  its  position 
above  water.  It  was  finally  reduced  nearly  to  the  level  of  the  sea,  and 


134  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

not  long  afterwards  it  disappeared  altogether.  When  soundings  were 
taken,  there  was  found  a  dangerous  reef  where  the  island  had  been.  It 
is  composed  of  a  central  mass  of  black  rock,  surrounded  by  banks  of 
sand  and  volcanic  stones — the  highest  point  of  rock  being  only  nine  feet 
under  water.  More  recent  soundings  show  that  this  shoal  remains  in  the 

same  state. 

Far- Famed  Vesuvius. 

Of  the  two  hundred  active  volcanoes,  or  thereabout,  which  are  scat- 
tered over  the  face  of  the  globe,  the  most  interesting  are  those  constituting 
the  Mediterranean  group.  Vesuvius,  by  reason  of  its  remarkable  associa- 
tions, and  its  being  the  only  active  volcano  on  the  European  continent, 
invites  our  attention.  For  many  long  ages  prior  to  A.  D.  79,  Mount  Vesu- 
vius had  existed  as  an  extinct  volcano,  retaining,  however,  some  traces  of 
its  having  been  once  in  a  state  of  activity.  It  was  a  mountain  of  large 
dimensions,  but  of  moderate  height.  Its  sides  were  clothed  with  gardens 
and  vineyards,  presenting  a  most  luxuriant  vegetation.  Strabo  describes 
it  as  surrounded  by  beautiful  farms  of  great  fruitfulness,  and  richly 
wooded  except  at  the  top,  where  it  was  flat  and  barren,  and  where  the 
slaggy  appearance  of  the  stones  led  him  to  suspect  there  had  once  been 
a  burning  crater.  The  dangerous  character  of  the  mountain,  however, 
was  generally  so  little  suspected,  that  besides  many  villas,  the  cities  of 
Stabiae,  Herculaneum,  and  Pompeii,  had  been  erected  at  its  base,  and 
their  inhabitants  had  dwelt  for  many  generations  in  undisturbed  security. 

It  was  not  until  the  year  A.  D.  63  that  any  alarm  was  excited  in  the 
minds  of  those  dwelling  in  the  neighborhood  of  Vesuvius.  In  that  year, 
however,  both  the  mountain  itself  and  all  the  country  around  it  were 
shaken  by  a  violent  earthquake,  which  overthrew  a  considerable  number 
of  houses  in  the  cities.  This  convulsion  was  succeeded  by  about  six- 
teen years  of  profound  repose,  during  which  the  houses  that  had  been 
thrown  down  were  in  the  course  of  being  rebuilt. 

First  Great  Eruption. 

On  the  24th  of  August,  A.  D.  79,  occurred  the  first  great  recorded 
eruption  of  Mount  Vesuvius.  A  vivid  description  of  it  has  been  fortun- 
ately handed  down  to  us,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  Tacitus  by  the  younger 
Pliny.  His  uncle,  the  elder  Piiny,  was  at  the  time  in  command  of  the 
Roman  fl^et  at  Misenum,  where  he  had  with  him  several  members  of  his 
family,  including  his  nephew.  It  was  from  this  point  that  the  eruption 
was  first  descried.  They  saw  rising  from  the  top  of  the  mountain  what 
seemed  to  them  like  a  column  of  dense  black  smoke,  but  which  was  in 
reality  a  great  volume  of  dust,  ashes,  and  stones,  thrown  up  by  the  force 


MOUNTAINS  OF  FIRE. 


135 


of  vapors  rushing  from  the  vent  which  had  been  opened  in  the  volcano. 
Pliny  likens  it  to  a  tall  pine-tree  throwing  out  great  branches  at  its  top. 
Struck  with  wonder  at  this  phenomenon,  the  elder  Pliny,  a  man  of  phil- 


TERRIBLE   ERUPTION   OF   MOUNT   VESUVIUS. 

osophical  spirit  and  inquiring  mind,  hastened  with  a  party  towards  the 
shore,  that  hs  might  land  and  examine  more  narrowly  this  remarkable 
convulsion  of  nature.  He  first  steered  for  Retina,  the  modern  Resina,  but 


136  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

was  prevented  from  landing  there  by  tremendous  showers  of  ashes  and 
hot  stones,  and  by  the  sudden  retreat  of  the  sea.  He  then  made  for  Sta- 
biae,  where  he  disembarked,  and  hastened  to  the  house  of  his  friend  Pom- 
ponianus.  _  Here  he  remained  till  the  evening,  occasionally  gazing  at  the 
mountain,  and  exerting  himself  to  allay  the  fears  of  those  around  him. 
As  night  drew  on,  streaks  of  fire  were  seen  here  and  there  on  the  moun- 
tain side,  which  he  attributed  to  the  burning  of  the  woods  and  villages  ; 
but  to  show  how  little  he  was  personally  apprehensive  of  danger,  he  re- 
tired to  his  chamber,  and  erelong  dropped  asleep. 

Trying-  to  Escape  a  Shower  of  Falling-  Stones. 

Meanwhile  the  fall  of  stones  and  ashes  in  Stabiae  itself  waxed  fast  and 
furious.  The  inner  court  of  the  villa  was  becoming  rapidly  filled,  and 
Pliny's  servants,  now  fully  alive  to  the  imminence  of  the  danger,  roused 
their  master,  who  immediately  joined  his  friend  Pomponianus,  whom  he 
found  with  his  family  and  household  already  assembled  around  him.  The 
party  now  consulted  together  as  to  the  best  course  to  be  pursued ;  and 
perceiving  the  probability  of  the  villa  being  buried  erelong  in  the  stones 
and  ashes,  they  resolved  on  endeavoring  to  effect  their  escape.  Tying- 
pillows  on  their  heads  with  napkins,  to  shield  them  from  the  falling 
stones,  they  sallied  forth.  Although  it  was  morning,  the  darkness  was 
deeper  than  that  of  midnight,  and  they  had  to  grope  their  way  through 
the  laden  atmosphere  by  the  light  of  torches.  They  succeeded  in  gain- 
ing the  beach,  with  the  intention  of  escaping  by  water ;  but  the  sea  was 
so  tempestuous,  as  to  render  embarkation  impossible.  His  servants 
spread  a  sail-cloth  for  Pliny,  who  lay  down  to  rest.  But  presently  flames 
and  sulphurous  vapors  rose  from  the  ground  and  dispersed  the  party. 
By  the  help  of  two  of  his  servants  who  remained  with  him,  Pliny  suc- 
ceeded in  rising :  but  he  had  scarcely  attained  his  feet,  when  he  fell  down 
dead,  being  overpowered  by  the  suffocating  vapors. 
Cities  Buried  and  Destroyed. 

The  cities  of  Stabiae,  Herculaneum,  and  Pompeii,  were  entirely  buried 
under  the  immense  mass  of  ashes  and  stones,  thrown  out  by  the  moun- 
tain during  this  dreadful  eruption.  So  suddenly  did  the  fatal  shower 
come  upon  them,  that  many  of  the  inhabitants  perished  in  their  dwel- 
lings or  in  their  streets.  No  lava  was  ejected  from  the  mountain  on  this 
occasion ;  but  it  is  suspected  that,  along  with  the  ashes  and  other  loose 
materials,  there  was  a  considerable  eruption  of  fluid  mud.  For,  while 
Pompeii  was  buried  only  in  ashes  and  loose  stones,  Herculaneum  is  en- 
tomed  in  a  much  more  consistent  substance,  which  has  evidently  been 
once  in  a  plastic  condition,  and  which  appears  to  be  composd  of  volcanic 


MOUNTAINS  OF  FIRE.  137 

ashes  cemented  by  mud.  This  former  plasticity  is  proved  by  the  casts  of 
statues  and  masks  which  have  been  found  here.  The  showers  of  volcanic 
ashes,  dust,  pumice,  and  stones,  continued  to  fall  on  those  devoted  cities 
for  eight  successive  days,  accompanied  by  torrents  of  rain,  which  would 
doubtless  tend  to  unite  together  the  loose  materials. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  volcanic  ashes  from  Pompeii,  on  being 
examined  under  the  microscope  by  Ehrenberg,  were  found  to  contain  a 
large  proportion  of  little  shells.  This  curious  circumstance  raises  a  proba- 
bility that  the  mountain,  previous  to  the  eruption,  had  been  very  exten- 
sively cavernous,  and  had  contained  large  collections  of  water,  in  which 
the  diatoms  had  been  profusely  propagated,  forming  enormous  beds,  which 
were  thrown  out  from  the  summit  as  fine  dust  by  the  force  of  the  elastic 
vapors  acting  from  beneath.  Possibly,  however,  the  deposits  of  these  shells 
may  have  been  formed  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  mountain,  and  been  forced  into  the  volcanic  focus  along  with  the  sea- 
water,  whose  sudden  conversion  into  explosive  steam,  through  contact 
with  highly  heated  materials,  may  have  caused  the  eruption. 
Digging  for  Lost  Cities. 

It  was  not  until  the  year  1713  that  any  traces  were  obtained  of  the 
buried  cities ;  and  notwithstanding  the  greater  thickness  of  the  overlying 
masses,  it  was  Herculaneum  that  was  first  discovered.  In  the  course  of 
that  year  a  well  was  being  sunk,  and  the  workmen,  to  their  surprise,  came 
right  down  upon  the  theatre,  where  they  soon  after  found  the  statues  of 
Hercules  and  Cleopatra.  Owing  to  the  difficulty  of  cutting  through  the 
superincumbent  materials,  and  the  stiffness  of  the  substance  in  which  the 
buildings  are  embedded,  but  little  progress  has  been  made  in  the  disinter- 
ment  of  this  city,  in  comparison  with ,  what  has  been  done  at  Pompeii, 
whose  site  was  not  discovered  till  forty  years  afterwards.  Of  the  latter 
city  a  large  proportion  has  been  laid  open,  and  the  entire  circuit  of  the 
walls  ascertained  to  be  three  miles,  so  that  its  population  must  have  been 
considerable.  Many  of  the  public  buildings  and  private  houses  have  been 
exposed,  and  their  valuable  contents  removed  to  a  museum  in  Naples 
devoted  to  the  purpose.  Some  whole  streets  have  been  cleared ;  and 
among  other  places  of  interest  the  cemetery  of  Pompeii  has  been  located. 

There  are  a  few  volcanoes  on  the  continent  of  Asia,  and  many  more  in 
its  adjacent  islands.  In  Kamtchatka  there  are  several,  which  have  been 
in  eruption  at  no  distant  period.  One  of  them  which  is  15,000  feet  in 
height,  consequently  covered  with  snow  and  glaciers,  had  a  great  erup- 
tion in  1829.  Within  700  feet  of  the  summit,  there  was  formed  a  crater 
which  poured  forth  an  immense  torrent  of  lava.  Its  progress  was  for  a 


138  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

time  arrested  by  the  snow  and  glaciers  ;  but  the  glowing  mass  at  length 
became  so  great  that  it  burst  through  this  barrier  with  a  horrible  roar,  and 
came  thundering  down  the  steep  declivity  of  the  mountain.  The  noise 
was  heard  at  a  distance  of  fifty  miles.  But  it  is  in  the  Asiatic  Islands  that 
volcanoes  are  both  most  numerous  and  most  active.  Among  the  near- 
est to  the  mainland  is  Barren  Island,  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  to  the  south- 
ward  of  the  coast  of  Pegu.  The  whole  of  this  island  seems  to  be  noth- 
ing else  than  a  large  volcanic  crater.  The  walls,  on  their  outer  sides, 
rise  from  the  sea  with  a  moderate  ascent ;  but  on  the  inner  side  they  are 
nearly  perpendicular,  and  enclose  a  circular  basin,  into  which  the  sea 
finds  access  by  a  breach.  In  the  centre  of  this  basin  rises  a  volcanic 
cone,  about  500  feet  in  height,  which  is  frequently  in  action. 
A  Mountain  Swallowed  Up. 

Java  is  most  remarkable  for  the  number  of  its  active  volcanoes,  distin- 
guished by  the  great  quantity  of  sulphur  and  sulphurous  vapors  which 
they  discharge.  There  are  in  Java  no  less  than  thirty-eight  volcanoes 
which  have  been  known  to  be  in  activity,  and  one  of  them  attains  a  height 
of  10,000  feet.  In  1772  there  was  a  great  eruption  of  the  volcano  named 
Papandayang,  during  which  a  large  portion  of  that  mountain,  formerly 
one  of  the  highest  in  Java,  was  swallowed  up.  The  following  is  the  nar- 
rative of  this  event,  given  by  Horsefield:  The  account  which  has 
remained  on  record  asserts  that,  near  midnight  there  was  observed 
about  the  mountain  an  uncommonly  luminous  cloud,  by  which  it  appeared 
to  be  completely  enveloped.  The  inhabitants,  as  well  about  the  foot  as 
on  the  declivities  of  the  mountain,  alarmed  by  this  appearance,  betook 
themselves  to  flight;  but  before  they  could  all  save  themselves,  the 
mountain  began  to  give  way,  and  the  greatest  part  of  it  actually  fell  in 
and  disappeared  in  the  earth.  At  the  same  time  a  tremendous  noise  was 
heard,  resembling  the  discharge  of  the  heaviest  cannon.  Immense  quan- 
tities of  volcanic  substances,  which  were  thrown  out  at  the  same  time  and 
spread  in  every  direction,  propagated  the  effects  of  the  explosion  through 
the  space  of  many  miles. 

It  is  estimated  that  an  extent  of  ground,  of  the  mountain  itself  and  its 
immediate  environs,  fifteen  miles  long  and  fully  six  broad,  was  by  this 
commotion  swallowed  up  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  Several  persons, 
sent  to  examine  the  condition  of  the  neighborhood,  made  report  that 
they  found  it  impossible  to  approach  the  mountain  on  account  of  the 
heat  of  the  substances  which  covered  its  circumference,  and  which  were 
piled  on  each  other  to  the  height  of  three  feet;  although  this  was  fully  six 
weeks  after  the  catastrophe.  It  is  also  mentioned  that  forty  villages, 


MOUNTAINS  OF  FIRE. 


139 


partly  swallowed  up  by  the  ground,  and  partly  covered  by  the  substances 
thrown  out,  were  destroyed  on  this  occasion,  and  that  2957  of  the  inhab- 
itants perished.  A  proportionate  number  of  cattle  was  also  destroyed ; 
and  most  of  the  plantations  of  cotton,  indigo,  and  coffee,  in  the  adjacent 
districts,  were  buried  under  the  volcanic  matter. 

New  Zealand,  we  may  remind  the  reader,  consists  of  two  large  islands 
and  one  small,  named  respectively  North,  Middle,  and  South  Island. 
They  are  of  volcanic  origin,  and  a  great  portion  of  their  area  is  occupied 
by  a  few  active  and  several  extinct  volcanoes.  In  North  Island  the  vol- 


A   UNIQUE   CLUSTER    OF   VOLCANIC    CRATERS    IN    NEW    ZEALAND. 

cano  of  Tongariro  is  6000  feet  high,  and  constantly  emitting  clouds  of 
smoke.  Tongariro  is  not  an  isolated  conical  mountain ;  on  the  contrary, 
it  is  rather  a  very  complicated  volcanic  system  of  powerful  and  still  active 
cones.  No  accounts  have  ever  been  given  of  any  of  the  natives  ascend- 
ing Tongariro;  the  dread  of  the  infernal  powers  seems  to  have  diverted 
them  from  such  a  design.  To  the  south  of  Tongariro  rises  Ruapahou, 
the  bases  of  the  two  mountains  blending  into  one  another  by  an  imper- 
ceptible incline,  and  forming  a  kind  of  table-land  about  ten  miles  broad. 
On  this  table-land  lie  four  lakes,  two  of  which  are  about  three  miles 
across  ;  the  others  considerably  smaller.  One  of  them  is  named  Taran- 


140  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

aki ;  the  river  to  which  it  gives  birth  empties  its  waters  into  the  Whan- 
ganni, and  a  singular  tradition  attaches  to  this  lake. 

The  natives  tell  you  that  the  mountain  Taranaki  formerly  stood,  like  a 
third  giant,  by  the  side  of  Tongariro  and  Ruapahou.  They  remained  on 
friendly  terms,  as  giants  should,  until  Taranaki  attempted  to  carry  off" 
Pihinga,  the  wife  of  Tongariro.  Thereupon  the  latter  quarreled  with 
him,  and  dealt  him  a  blow  on  the  head  which  made  him  fly.  He 
descended  the  course  of  the  Whanganni,  and  following  the  deep  chasm 
of  that  river,  approached  the  sea,  where  to-day  he  rears  his  colossal  but 
solitary  bulk  near  the  coast.  During  his  journey,  a  couple  of  fragments 
detached  themselves  from  his  forehead ;  and  to-day,  by  way  of  proving 
the  truth  of  their  story,  the  natives  point  out  two  masses  of  rock,  differ- 
ing from  the  volcanic  formations  around  the  Whanganni,  which  are  found 
at  about  eighteen  miles  from  its  source. 

Occasionally  a  very  loud  report,  similar  to  the  firing  of  a  cannon, 
attended  with  a  flash  of  lightning,  is  heard  to  proceed  from  a  stream  of 
lava.  This  happens  when  the  lava  runs  over  a  swampy  ground  or  a  very 
moist  soil.  The  conversion  of  the  water  into  steam,  and  its  decomposi- 
tion, produce  a  commotion  which  for  some  moments  is  able  to  stop  the 
progress  of  the  stream.  The  steam  breaks  with  great  noise  through  the 
mass,  tears  asunder  the  crust  of  scoria  which  envelops  it,  and  throws 
both  the  lava  and  the  scoria  into  great  confusion.  As  a  portion  of  the 
steam  is  decomposed,  the  hydrogen  explodes,  and  produces  the  loud 
report  above  mentioned,  with  the  accompanying  flash. 
The  Ocean  Made  to  Boil. 

The  influx  of  the  running  lava  into  the  sea  has  given  occasion  to  many 
elevated  poetical  descriptions.  It  is  represented  as  an  awful  spectacle,  as 
a  struggle  between  two  inimical  elements.  But  .in  all  these  pictures  the 
event  is  much  exaggerated,  though  the  facts  which  give  rise  to  them  are 
true  to  a  certain  extent.  When  the  hot  lava  reaches  the  sea,  the  water 
with  which  it  comes  into  immediate  contact  is  suddenly  raised  to  the 
boiling  temperature.  It  is  consequently  converted  into  steam,  which 
process  is  attended  with  a  loud,  hissing  sound.  But  as  by  the  conversion 
of  the  water  into  steam  a  great  quantity  of  caloric  is  absorbed,  the  cold 
which  is  thus  generated  speedily  converts  the  surface  of  the  glowing  mass 
into  a  thick  and  solid  crust,  by  which  all  communication  between  the 
liquid  lava  and  the  sea  is  directly  intercepted.  Then  the  sea  water  sinks, 
of  course,  below  the  boiling  point.  The  hardened  lava  is,  however, 
pushed  farther  into  the  sea  by  the  succeeding  masses,  and  thus  the  sea  is: 
compelled  to  recede.  In  this  progress  the  lava  frequently  splits;  but  in. 


MOUNTAINS  OF  FIRE. 


141 


the  same  moment  the  aqueous  vapors  issue  from  the  rent  with  such  a 
violence  that  the  water  is  prevented  from  penetrating  into  its  recesses. 


Whilst  this  process  is  in  action  the  water  becomes  turbid  to  some  distance 
from  the  lava,  and  fish  which  chance  to  be  in  the  vicinity  are  killed. 


142  EARTH,  SEA  AND  SKY. 

The  masses  of  lava  which  are  thus  protruded  into  the  sea  are  some- 
times of  very  considerable  dimensions.  At  the  eruption  of  Mount  Vesu- 
vius in  1 794,  a  stream  of  lava,  after  destroying  the  town  of  Torre  del 
Greco,  entered  the  sea,  and  drove  it  back  to  a  distance  of  three  hundred 
and  eighty  feet  from  its  former  shores.  The  width  of  this  mass  is,  accord- 
ing to  an  exact  measurement,  twelve  hundred  and  four  feet.  It  is 
elevated  fifteen  feet  above  the  sea,  and  is  believed  to  have  an  equal 
depth  under  water.  The  lava,  therefore,  which  entered  the  sea  during 
this  eruption,  forms  a  mass  of  more  than  thirteen  millions  of  cubic  feet 
The  streams  of  lava  flowing  from  Mount  Vesuvius  which  have  reached 
the  sea  are  numerous,  as  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  the  eastern 
shores  of  the  Bay  of  Naples  for  about  ten  miles  are  formed  by  a  succes- 
sion of  promontories  composed  of  lava.  The  same  observation  applies  to 
the  eastern  shores  of  the  Island  of  Sicily,  where  the  coast  for  a  distance 
of  more  than  thirty  miles  consists  of  high  cliffs  of  lava,  with  only  a  few 
spots  between  them  of  low  tracts  of  moderate  extent  covered  with  a  soil 
deposited  by  the  sea.  At  some  places  these  lava  cliffs  are  more  than  fifty 
feet  high. 

In  the  published  accounts  of  eruptions  we  find  that  particular  care  has 
been  taken  to  notice  the  velocity  with  which  the  stream  of  lava  advanced. 
By  comparing  these  statements  it  is  found  that  the  difference  in  this  re- 
spect is  very  great.  As  an  instance  in  which  lava  ran  with  extraordinary 
rapidity,  that  of  Mount  Vesuvius  in  1794  may  be  adduced.  This  stream 
of  lava  took  only  six  hours  to  run  from  the  spot  of  the  eruption  to  the 
sea,  a  distance  of  more  than  four  miles.  Much  greater  still  was  the 
velocity  of  that  stream  which,  in  1804,  broke  out  from  the  southern  de- 
clivity of  Mount  Vesuvius.  It  is  said  that  it  moved  with  the  rapidity  of 
wind.  In  a  few  minutes  it  had  reached  the  vineyards;  and  an  author 
asserts  that  in  four  minutes  it  passed  over  a  space  of  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  in  length,  though  the  slope  over  which  it  ran  was  very  gentle. 

Since  the  commencement  of  the  present  century  the  eruptions  of  Vesu- 
vius have  been  frequent,  and  sometimes  of  long  continuance.  During 
one  eruption  there  was  observed  a  peculiar  phenomenon — the  vapors 
issuing  from  the  crater  presenting  three  distinct  colors,  green,  white  and 
black.  Another  eruption  was  ushered  in  by  the  tumbling  down  of  the 
principal  cone,  which  had  attained  a  height  of  upwards  of  600  feet.  It 
fell  with  a  dreadful  crash,  and  on  the  following  evening  there  commenced 
an  eruption  which  lasted  continuously  for  twelve  days.  The  internal 
detonations  of  the  mountain  were  terrific;  while  the  quantity  of  ashes 
and  other  matters  thrown  out  darkened  the  noon  into  midnight. 


CHAPTER  V. 
ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE  PEOPLE. 

Beautiful  Islands  Long  Veiled  in  Mystery— The  First  Voyage  Around  the  World — 
Zoological  Gardens— The  Natives  of  the  Pacific  Isles— Various  Types  of  Sav- 
ages—The Remarkable  Island  of  New  Zealand— Life  Among  the  Maories— 
Weapons  of  War— A  Fighting  Race  of  Men— An  Exciting  Episode— Wicked 
Treachery— Hideous  War  Dances— Queer  Performances  of  an  Old  Chief — 
Children  Imitating  the  Art  of  War — Savage  Cannibalism — Tragic  Death  of  a 
Blind  Queen— A  Chief  in  War  Costume— Witches  and  Witchcraft— A  Native 
Priest— Huge  Wooden  Idols— The  Sandwich  Islands —Beauty  of  the  Women — 
Expert  Swimmers— Extraordinary  Feats  of  Surf-Swimming — The  Dagger  that 
Killed  Captain  Cook— A  Splendid  Race  of  Savages— Kamehameha  Catching 
Spears — The  Marquesans — Elegant  Tattooing — A  Chief  Decorated  from  Head 
to  Foot— The  Puncturing  Needle. 

T  is  strange  to  think  of  the  time  when  the  vast  tract  of  water 
which  we  call  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  which  covers  nearly  half 
the  globe,  with  all  its  wonderful  and  beautiful  islands,  was  un- 
known to  the  civilized  world.  Yet  it  was  only  in  the  year  1513 
that  its  existence  was  discovered  by  a  Spaniard  of  the  name  of  Balboa, 
This  brave  and  patient  man  made  his  way,  with  the  utmost  toil  and  peril,, 
on  foot,  across  the  isthmus  which  separates  the  Atlantic  from  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  having  been  assured  by  his  Indian  guides  that  the  sea  was  to 
be  seen  from  a  certain  mountain,  he  climbed  it  all  alone,  and,  when  he 
reached  the  top,  there  sure  enough  lay  the  broad  ocean  on  the  other  side, 
its  calm  waters  glittering  in  the  sun,  and  stretching  away  and  away — 
who  could  say  where  ?  No  wonder  that  Balboa  fell  on  his  knees  in  the 
solitude,  and  thanked  God  for  having  guided  him  to  make  so  great  a  dis- 
covery. 

When  he  at  last  gained  the  shore  on  the  other  side  of  the  mountain, 
he  plunged  at  once  into  the  water,  with  his  drawn  sword  in  his  hand,  and 
took  posession  of  it  in  the  name  of  his  king,  Ferdinand  of  Spain.  And 
that  was  the  beginning  of  the  discoveries  of  all  the  treasures  and  won- 
ders of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  with  its  countless  islands  and  strange  inhabi- 
tants. 

Seven  years  after  Balboa's  journey,  Magellan,  a  Portuguese,  discov- 
ered the  straits  which  now  bear  his  name,  and,  passing  through  them, 
first  launched  a  European  ship  in  the  Southern  Sea.  On  he  sailed, 

(143) 


144  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

across  the  immense  tract  of  calm,  untraversed  water,  he  knew  not  whither. 
How  amazed  the  sea-gulls  and  the  flying-fish  must  have  been  at  the 
.sight  of  the  great  strange  object,  making  its  way  across  the  blue  expanse  ! 
Perhaps  they  took  it  for -some  gigantic  bird,  with  huge  white  wings  and 
an  enormous  appetite,  and  fled  in  terror.  One  would  think  even  the  little 
rippling  waves  themselves  must  have  been  astonished  at  such  a  new  sen- 
sation as  that  of  a  ship  cleaving  its  way  among  them. 

The  First  Voyage  Around  the  World. 

Magellan  discovered  the  Ladrone,  and  afterwards  the  Philippine  Is- 
lands. His  ship,  the  Victory,  performed  the  first  voyage  ever  made 
round  the  world ;  but  the  great  discoverer  himself  never  received  the 
thanks  and  praise  of  his  king  and  country,  which  he  had  so  justly  earned. 
He  was  killed  by  the  natives  in  one  of  the  Philippine  Islands.  Afterwards 
various  Spanish,  Dutch, and  British  navigators  followed  Magellan's  adven- 
turous course  across  the  waters  of  the  Pacific,  and  discovered  other 
islands  of  the  Polynesian  Group,  so  named  from  a  Greek  word  signifying 
"  many  islands."  But  the  most  important  and  extensive  discoveries  in 
this  region  were  not  made  till  the  latter  part  of  the  last  century. 

It  is  curious  to  remember  that  only  some  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago 
many  lands  whose  names  are  now  so  familiar  to  us  were  as  unexplored, 
.and,  indeed,  unknown  to  the  civilized  world,  as  the  countries  in  the  moon, 
if  there  are  -such,  are  now.  Many  birds  and  beasts  which  we  may  now 
see  any  day  in  the  Zoological  Gardens  had  never  entered  the  imagination 
of  an  American.  Flowers  and  creepers  now  common  in  our  gardens  and 
green-houses  were  utterly  unknown.  William  Penn  would  have  been  as 
much  astonished  if  he  had  been  shown  a  kangaroo  as  we  should  be  now 
if  we  met  Alice  in  Wonderland's  "  Mock  Turtle."  Our  great  navigators 
.and  explorers  have  brought  many  new  objects  of  interest  and  beauty 
within  our  reach,  and  have  added  to  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  our 
lives  in  all  sorts  of  ways;  but  what  far  more  wonderful  changes  the  arri- 
val of  the  white  men  and  their  ships  have  brought  to  the  new  lands  them- 
selves, and  their  more  or  less  savage  inhabitants !  We  have  taught  them 
and  brought  them  a  thousand  good  and  useful  things.  It  is  sad  to  think 
that  we  have  also  taught  them  things  that  are  neither  good  nor  useful, 
and  given  them  things  which  can  only  do  them  harm. 

A  Beautiful  Island. 

Of  the  many  beautiful  islands  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  New  Zealand  has 
perhaps  the  greatest  interest  for  us.  If  we  look  at  the  globe,  we  shall 
see  that  it  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  world,  still  if  we  could  land  there 
to-morrow  we  should  probably  feel  more  as  if  we  were  in  our  own  coun- 


ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE  PEOPLE.  145 

try  than  we  should  do  if  we  visited  any  other  part  of  the  world,  so  com- 
pletely have  Europeans  filled  it  with  their  own  people,  plants,  and  animals, 
and  built  towns  and  villages  almost  like  those  in  their  own  land.  The 
climate,  too,  is  in  some  respects  like  our  own,  but  warmer  and  finer,  and 
the  atmosphere  is  clear  and  bright,  and  the  sky  very  blue.  There  is  a 
slight  dampness  in  the  air,  owing  to  the  water  by  which  it  is  surrounded, 
but  which  keeps  the  foliage  and  the  grass  green  and  luxuriant. 

Of  all  the  islands  in  the  world,  New  Zealand  is  surrounded  by  the 
largest  extent  of  water.  The  great  Pacific  Ocean  stretches  away  in  an 
unbroken  sweep,  on  the  east  to  South  America,  on  the  west  to  Australia, 
and  north  and  south  to  the  arctic  and  antarctic  regions.  The  nearest 
land  to  it  is,  on  one  side  the  great  island  of  Australia,  about  a 
thousand  miles  off,  and  on  the  other  the  beautiful  South  Sea  Islands, 
many  of  whose  foundations  are  so  marvelously  reared  from  the  depths 
of  the  ocean  by  myriads  of  tiny  coral  insects.  New  Zealand  was  first 
discovered  in  the  year  1642,  by  the  famous  Dutch  navigator  Abel  Tas- 
man ;  but  the  natives  would  not  allow  him  to  go  on  shore,  and  nothing 
was  really  known  about  it  till  Captain  Cook  landed  there,  more  than  a 
hundred  years  later. 

Captain  Cook  Among-  the  New  Zealanders. 

Though  so  near  Australia,  it  is  strangely  unlike  it  in  its  climate,  in  its 
plants  and  animals,  and  above  all  in  its  natives ;  for  while  the  Australian 
aboriginals  are  one  of  the  lowest  of  all  savage  tribes  in  appearance  and 
mode  of  life,  the  Maories  of  New  Zealand,  supposed  to  have  come  orig- 
inally from  the  Malay  race,  are  a  fine,  intelligent  tribe  of  men,  and  per- 
haps, in  the  condition  in  which  we  first  found  them,  the  most  civilized  in 
their  way  of  living  of  any  savage  people.  Captain  Cook  found  them  living 
together  in  villages,  in  huts  made  of  wood  and  reeds.  They  wore  cloth- 
ing woven  from  the  native  flax,  and  dyed  with  bark,  and  they  made  stone 
weapons,  and  instruments  of  various  kinds,  and  cooked  their  food.  They 
also  cultivated  the  land,  and  made  laws  about  property,  and  stored  pro- 
visions against  bad  times.  Being  much  given  to  fighting  among  them- 
selves, they  made  forts  and  defences  of  the  most  ingenious  kind.  Though 
they  had  no  written  language,  they  had  all  sorts  of  songs  and  proverbs, 
handed  down  from  generation  to  generation. 

The  one  great  object  of  a  Maori's  life  is  war.  In  those  parts  of  the 
world,  where  missiles,  such  as  bows  and  arrows  or  spears  are  the  principal 
weapons,  war  becomes  a  series  of  skirmishes,  each  individual  trying  to 
conceal  himself  as  much  as  possible  from  the  enemy,  and  to  deal  his  own 
blows  without  exposing  himself  to  retaliation.  But  when  the  weapons 
10 


REPRESENTATIVE   TYPES   OF    PACIFIC    ISLANDERS. 


(146) 


ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE  PEOPLE.  147 

are  of  a  nature  that  necessitates  hand-to-hand  combat,  warfare  naturally 
assumes  a  different  aspect,  and,  if  the  forces  be  at  all  disciplined,  more 
resembles  the  war  of  civilized  nations  than  the  independent  single  combats 
which  represent  war  in  most  savage  countries. 

A  Singular  Welcome  to  a  Friend. 

In  former  days  the  Maori  warriors  used  to  employ  the  spear,  but  that 
weapon  is  now  more  rarly  used.  A  few  specimens  are  still  retained,  but 
they  are  intended,  not  to  be  used  against  an  enemy,  but  in  welcoming  a 
friend,  the  chief  who  receives  his  guests  pointing  the  spear  at  them,  and 
throwing  it  toward  them,  as  an  evidence  of  his  peaceful  disposition  and 
hospitable  feeling.  The  first  and  most  important  weapon  is  the  merai,  or 
short  club.  This  weapon  is  exactly  analogous  to  the  short  sword  used 
by  the  ancient  Romans,  and  in  some  cases  resembles  it  so  closely  that  if 
the  cross-guard  were  removed  from  the  sword  and  the  blade*  rendered 
convex  instead  of  flat,  the  shapes  of  the  two  weapons  would  be  almost 
exactly  identical.  When  a  Maori  fights  with  the  merai,  he  does  not 
merely  strike,  his  usual  movement  being  to  thrust  sharply  at  the  chin  of 
the  enemy ;  and  if  he  succeeds  in  striking  him  with  the  point,  he  cuts 
him  down  with  the  edge  before  he  can  recover  himself. 

Savage  Treachery. 

Before  the  fierce  and  warlike  character  of  the  New  Zealanders  was 
known,  they  took  several  vessels  by  the  use  of  the  merai.  It  was  easy  to 
suspend  the  short  club  over  the  shoulder,  where  it  was  hidden  by  the 
mat,  so  that  when  a  party  of  natives  came  on  board,  apparently  unarmed, 
having  ostentatiously  left  their  spears  and  other  weapons  in  their  canoes, 
each  man  was  in  fact  armed  with  the  weapon  that  he  most  trusted.  The 
plan  pursued  was,  that  the  Maories  should  mingle  freely  with  the  crew, 
until  each  man  was  close  to  one  .of  the  sailors.  At  a  signal  from  the 
chief,  the  concealed  merai  was  snatched  from  beneath  the  mat,  and  in  a 
moment  it  had  crashed  through  the  head  of  the  selected  victim. 

Even  after  this  ruse  was  discovered,  the  ingenious  Maories  contrived  to 
get  hold  of  more  than  one  vessel  under  pretence  of  exhibiting  their  war 
dance,  which  in  a  moment  was  changed  from  the  mimicry  of  battle  into 
reality,  the  warriors  leaping  among  the  spectators  and  dealing  their  blows 
right  and  left  among  them.  Ship-taking  seems,  indeed,  to  be  a  proceed- 
ing so  dear  to  the  New  Zealander,  that  he  can  scarcely  resist  the  tempta- 
tion when  it  is  offered  him.  In  Tyerman  and  Bennet's  "  Missionary 
Voyage  "  there  is  an  anecdote  of  an  adventure  that  befell  them,  which, 
but  for  the  timely  aid  of  a  friendly  chief,  would  undoubtedly  have  had 
a  tragic  issue. 


148  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  ship  had  arrived  off  New  Zealand,  and  while  at  anchor  the  follow- 
ing events  occurred :  This  morning  our  little  vessel  was  surrounded  with 
canoes,  containing  several  hundreds  of  the  natives,  of  both  sexes,  who  pres- 
ently climbed  up,  and  crowded  it  so  much  that  we  were  obliged  to  put  a 
bar  across  the  quarter-deck,  and  guard  it  from  intrusion.  The  commerce 
in  various  articles,  on  both  sides,  went  on  pretty  well  for  some  time,  till  one 
provoking  circumstance  after  another  occurred,  which  had  nearly  led  to 
the  seizure  of  the  ship  and  the  loss  of  our  lives.  In  the  confusion  occa- 
sioned by  the  great  throng  in  so  narrow  a  space,  the  natives  began  to* 
exercise  their  pilfering  tricks,  opportunities  for  which  are  seldom  permitted 
to  slip  away  unimproved.  Suddenly  the  cook  cried  out,  "  They  have 
stolen  this  thing;"  but  scarcely  had  he  named  the  thing  (some  kitchen 
article),  when  he  called  out  again,  "  They  have  stolen  the  beef  out  of  the 
pot! "  and  "then  a  third  time,  "They  have  stolen  my  cooking  pan! "  Pres- 
ently another  voice  bawled  out  from  the  forecastle,  "Captain!  they  have 
broken  open  your  trunk,  and  carried  away  your  clothes ! " 

Up  to  this  time  we  had  been  in  friendly  intercourse  with  the  chiefs, 
rubbing  noses,  and  purchasing  their  personal  ornaments  and  other  curi- 
osities, suspecting  no  mischief.  But  now,  in  the  course  of  a  few  moments,, 
without  our  perceiving  the  immediate  reason,  the  whole  scene  was 
changed.  We  found  afterward  that  the  captain  on  hearing  of  the  auda- 
cious thefts  above  mentioned,  had  become  angry,  and  while  endeavoring 
rather  boisterously,  to  clear  the  deck  of  some  of  its  intruders,  one  of 
them,  a  chief,  on  being  jostled  by  him,  fell  over  the  ship's  side  into  the 
sea,  between  his  own  canoe  and  the  vessel.  This  was  seized  instantan- 
eously as  the  pretext  for  commencing  hostilities.  The  women  and 
children  in  the  course  of  a  few  minutes  had  all  disappeared,  leaping  over- 
board into  their  canoes,  and  taking  with  them  the  kakaous,  of  mantles  of 
the  warriors.  The  latter,  thus  stripped  for  action,  remained  on  deck,  of 
which,  before  we  were  aware,  they  had  taken  complete  possession,  and 
forthwith  made  us  their  prisoners. 

Threatened  with  Instant  Death. 

Tremendous  were  the  bawlings  and  screechings  of  the  barbarians, 
while  they  stamped  and  brandished  their  weapons,  consisting  principally 
of  clubs  and  spears.  One  chief  with  his  cookies  (his  slaves)  had  sur- 
rounded the  captain,  holding  their  spears  at  his  breast  and  his  sides,  on 
the  larboard  quarter  of  the  vessel.  The  chief  who,  with  his  gang,  had 
been  trafficking  with  Mr.  Bennet,  now  brought  his  huge  tattooed  visage 
near  the  white  trader,  screaming,  in  tones  the  most  odious  and  horrifying: 
"Tongata,  New  Zealandi,  tongata  kakino?"  This  he  repeated  as  rapidly 


ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE  PEOPLE.  149 

as  lips,  tongue  and  throat  could  utter  the  words,  which  mean,  "  Man  of 
New  Zealand,  is  he  bad  man?"  Happily  Mr.  Bennet  understood  the 
question  (the  New  Zealand  dialect  much  resembling  the  Tahitian); 
whereupon,  though  convinced  that  inevitable  death  was  at  hand,  he  an- 
swered, with  as  much  composure  as  could  be  assumed,  "Not  bad;  the 
New  Zealander  is  a  good  man ; "  and  so  often  as  the  other,  with  indescrib- 
able ferocity  of  aspect  and  sharpness  of  accent,  asked  the  same  question, 
which  might  have  been  a  hundred  times,  the  same  answer  was  returned. 

"But,"  inquired  Mr.  Bennet,  "why  is  all  this  uproar?  Why  cannot  we 
still  rub  noses,  and  buy  and  sell, and  barter,  as  before?'7  At  this  moment 
a  stout  slave,  belonging  to  the  chief,  stepped  up  behind  Mr.  Bennet,  and 
pinioned  both  his  arms  close  to  his  sides.  No  effort  was  made  to  resist 
or  elude  the  gigantic  grasp,  the  white  man  knowing  that  such  would  ac- 
celerate the  threatened  destruction.  Still,  therefore,  he  maintained  his 
calmness,  and  asked  the  chief  the  price  of  a  neck  ornament  which  the 
latter  wore.  Immediately  another  slave  raised  a  large  tree-felling  axe 
(which,  with  others,  had  been  brought  to  be  sharpened  by  the  ship's  com- 
pany) over  the  head  of  the  prisoner.  This  ruffian  looked  with  demon-like 
eagerness  and  impatience  toward  his  master  for  the  signal  to  strike. 
Frightful  Savage  Ferocity. 

And  here  it  may  be  observed  that  our  good  countrymen  can  have  no  idea 
of  the  almost  preternatural  fury  which  savages  can  throw  into  their  dis- 
torted countenances,  and  infuse  into  their  deafening  and  appalling  voices, 
when  they  are  possessed  by  the  legion-fiend  of  rage,  cupidity  and  revenge. 
Mr.  Bennet  persevered  in  keeping  up  conversation  with  the  chief,  saying, 
"We  want  to  buy  hogs,  potatoes,  fish,  of  you."  Just  then  he  perceived 
a  youth  stepping  on  deck  with  a  large  fish  in  his  hand.  "What  shall  I 
give  you  for  that  fish?" — "Why,  so  many  fish-hooks." — "Well,  then,  put 
your  hand  into  my  pocket  and  take  them."  The  fellow  did  so.  "  Now 
put  the  fish  down  there,  on  the  binnacle,  and  bring  some  more,  if  you 
have  any,"  said  Mr.  Bennet  At  once  the  fish  that  he  had  just  bought 
was  brought  round  from  behind  and  presented  to  him  again  for  sale.  He 
took  no  notice  of  the  knavery,  but  demanded,  "  What  shall  I  give  you  for 
that  fish?" — "So  many  hooks." — "Take  them.  Have  you  no  other  fish 
to  sell?"  A  third  time  the  same  fish  was  offered,  and  the  same  price  in 
hooks  required  and  given,  or  rather  taken,  by  the  vendor,  out  of  his 
jacket  pockets,  which  happened  to  be  well  stored  with  this  currency  for 
traffic.  A  fourth  time  Mr.  Bennet  asked,  "Have  you  not  another  fish?" 
At  this  the  rogues  could  contain  their  scorn  no  longer,  but  burst  into 
laughter,  and  cried,  "We  are  cheating  the  foreigner!"  supposing  that 


150 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


their  customer  was  not  aware  how  often  they  had  caught  him  with  the 
same  bait.     The  natives  were  pleased  with  their  own  shrewdness. 

By  this  ingenious  plan  of  pretending  to  be  the  dupe  of  the  Maories, 


THE  GROTESQUE  MAORI  WAR  DANCE. 

Mr.  Bennet  contrived  to  gain  time,  of  which  he  knew  that  every  minute 
was  of  the  greatest  importance,  and  at  last  he  was    rewarded   for   his 


ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE  PEOPLE.  151 

courageous  diplomacy  by  the  arrival  of  a  boat,  in  which  was  a  friendly 
chief,  who  at  once  cleared  the  ship. 

Hideous  War  Dances. 

Before  a  party  engage  in  war,  they  think  themselves  bound  to  join  in 
a  war  dance.  There  are  war  dances  in  almost  all  savage  tribes,  but  that 
of  the  New  Zealander  surpasses  them  all.  In  other  cases,  each  warrior 
gives  himself  up  to  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  and  shouts,  yells, 
dances,  and  brandishes  his  weapons  as  he  seems  to  think  fit ;  but  the 
Maori  warrior's  dance  is  of  a  far  different  character,  being  guided  by  a 
discipline  and  precision  of  drill  to  which  that  of  the  Russians  themselves 
is  loose  and  irregular.  They  begin  by  smearing  the  whole  of  their  cloth- 
ing and  by  painting  their  faces  with  scarlet  ochre,  so  as  to  make  them- 
selves as  hideous  as  possible.  When  they  assemble  for  the  dance,  they 
arrange  themselves  in  lines,  mostly  three  deep,  and -excite,  their  naturally 
passionate  disposition  to  the  highest  pitch  by  contorting  their  faces  and 
thrusting  out  their  tongues  as  an  act  of  defiance,  interspersing  these  ges- 
tures with  shouts,  yells,  and  challenges  to  the  enemy.  The  dance  itself 
begins  with  stamping  the  feet  in  perfect  time  with  each  other,  the  vigor  of 
the  stamp  increasing  continually,  and  the  excitement  increasing  in  sim- 
ilar proportion. 

Suddenly,  with  a  yell,  the  whole  body  of  men  leap  sideways  into  the 
air,  as  if  actuated  by  one  spirit,  and,  as  they  touch  the  ground,  come 
down  on  it  with  a  mighty  stamp  that  makes  the  earth  tremble.  The  war 
song  is  raised,  and  in  accordance  with  its  rhythm  the  men  leap  from  side 
to  side,  each  time  coming  down  with  a  thud  as  of  some  huge  engine. 
The  effect  of  the  dance  upon  the  performers  is  extraordinary.  It  seems 
to  make  them  for  the  time  absolute  maniacs,  their  whole  nature  being 
given  up  to  the  furious  excitement  of  the  moment.  Their  faces  are 
frightfully  contorted,  and  thus  assume  an  absolutely  demoniacal  expres- 
sion. Even  when  war  is  not  impending,  the  magic  influence  of  the  dance 
afreets  the  performers  as  strongly  as  if  they  were  close  to  a  pah  or  fort 
of  the  enemy,  ready  for  battle ;  and  when,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  the 
Maories  give  a  dance  in  honor  of  a  visitor,  they  become  so  furiously 
excited  that  they  are  quite  dangerous  until  they  have  had  time  to  cool. 
Strange  Antics  of  a  Chief. 

On  one  such  occasion  a  party  of  Maories  who  had  visited  a  ship  were 
requested  to  exhibit  their  war  dance,  and  veiy  good  naturedly  did  so. 
But  in  a  short  time  their  measured  leaps  became  so  vehement,  and  their 
stamps  so  powerful,  as  they  shouted  the  martial  rhymes  of  the  war  song, 
that  they  shook  the  whole  ship  as  if  by  blows  of  a  battering-ram ;  and 


152 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


the  commanding  officer,  fearful  that  they  would  absolutely  smash  the 
deck,  begged  them  to  desist.  His  entreaties  were  in  vain,  even  if  they 
were  heard,  though  it  is  very  likely  that,  in  their  furious  excitement,  the 
dancers  were  deaf  to  every  sound  except  the  war  song  which  they  were 
yelling  at  the  top  of  their  voices ;  and  the  dance  proceeded  to  its  end, 
and  did  not  cease  until  the  performers  were  quite  exhausted  by  the 
furious  exertions  they  had  made,  desisting  only  when  compelled  to  do  so. 


INTERIOR   OF   A    PAH    OR    NATIVE   VILLAGE. 

The  most  ludicrous  part  of  the  dance  was  the  conduct  of  the  chief. 
'He  had  been  treated  with  much  attention,  and  presented  with  a  full  suit 
of  naval  uniform,  of  which  he  was  mightily  proud,  and  in  which  he 
stalked  the  deck  to  the  great  admiration  of  his  subjects.  When  he  was 
asked  whether  the  war  dance  could  be  given,  he  at  once  ordered  his  fol- 
lowers to  accede  to  the  request,  and  at  first  stood  quietly  by  while  they 
went  through  the  performance.  The  influence  of  the  dance  was,  how- 
ever, too  contagious  to  be  resisted,  and  rapidly  extended  itself  to  him. 


ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE  PEOPLE.  153 

First  he  merely  swayed  his  body  in  rhythm  with  the  steps  of  the  dancers, 
then  he  joined  sotto  voce  in  the  song,  then  he  began  to  stamp  in  time  with 
them,  and  at  last  threw  off  all  restraint,  sprang  into  line,  and  leaped, 
yelled,  and  stamped  as  enthusiastically  as  any  of  them,  splitting  his  new 
garments  to  pieces,  and  presenting  a  very  sorry  sight  when  his  excite- 
ment died  away. 

The  annexed  illustration  represents  a  portion  of  a  party  of  warriors  as 
they  appear  when  performing  their  war  dance.  Only  the  first  three  ranks 
of  them  are  seen  ;  but  the  reader  must  picture  for  himself  the  long  line 
of  warriors  stretching  into  the  distance,  numbering  often  from  one  to  two 
hundred.  The  leading  chief  is  seen  in  front,  with  his  green  jade  merai 
in  his  hand ;  and  another  but  inferior  chief  is  stationed  behind  him.  In 
the  background  is  shown  a  portion  of  the  pah  or  village  in  which  the 
dance  is  taking  place ;  a  chief's  storehouse  for  food  is  seen  on  the  right, 
and  under  the  shelter  of  the  houses  are  seated  the  women  who  are  watch- 
ing the  dance. 

Mimic  Warfare  Among-  Children. 

We  have  already  said  that  war  is  always  in  the  thoughts  of  a  genuine 
Maori.  Unlike  the  vaporing  Fiji  warrior,  who  is  always  ready  to  boast, 
and  seldom  ready  to  fight,  preferring  to  knock  his  enemy  on  the  head 
when  asleep,  the  Maori  is  a  brave  soldier,  accustomed  from  his  earliest 
childhood  to  deeds  of  war.  A  mimic  war  forms  one  of  the  favorite 
games  of  the  Maori  children,  though  it  is  necessarily  restricted  to  boys. 
Just  as  boys  of  our  country  build  snow  castles,  and  attack  and  defend 
them  with  snow-balls,  so  do  the  young  New  Zealanders  build  miniature 
forts,  and  enact  on  a  small  scale  the  deeds  of  actual  war,  using  light 
sticks  instead  of  the  merai  and  patu.  They  make  their  forts  by  erecting 
mounds  of  earth,  and  building  the  fortresses  of  stakes,  in  exact  imitation 
of  the  more  substantial  architecture  of  the  veritable  pah. 

These  ingenious  villages  well  exemplify  the  whole  system  of  Maori 
warfare.  The  two  opposing  parties  seldom  meet  each  other  in  the  open 
ground,  as  is  the  case  with  civilized  warfare;  neither  do  they  employ 
an  irregular  skirmishing  fight  among  trees  or  under  cover,  as  is  the  case 
with  many  savage  tribes.  The  attacking  party  is  sure  to  be  very  super- 
ior in  numbers  to  their  foes,  and  the  latter,  knowing  that  this  will  be  the 
case,  resort  to  the  system  of  fortification,  and  entrench  themselves  in  forts 
or  villages.  These  villages  are  marvelous  examples  of  uncivilized  engi- 
neering, and  are  admirably  adapted  to  the  purpose  which  they  are  in- 
tended to  fulfil.  They  are  always  placed  in  some  strong  situation,  some- 
times on  the  seashore,  sometimes  on  heights,  and  one  or  two  of  the 


154  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

strongest  are  built  on  the  very  edge  of  a  perpendicular  precipice,  so  that 
they  cannot  be  attacked  on  three  sides,  while  the  fourth  can  only  be  ap- 
proached by  a  narrow  and  awkward  path,  along  which  only  a  few  men 
can  pass,  and  which  can  be  defended  by  a  comparatively  limited  number 
of  the  besieged. 

They  are  fenced  round  with  very  strong  posts,  lashed  together  so 
firmly  that  they  are  able  to  resist  any  ordinary  attack.  Since  firearms 
were  introduced,  the  Maories  have  modified  the  structure  of  the  pahs  to 
suit  their  new  weapons,  throwing  out  angles  to  secure  a  flanking  fire,  and 
filling  the  interior  with  trenches  in  which  the  defenders  can  lie  secure 
from  the  fire  of  the  enemy.  Since  experiencing  the  terrible  power  of 
shells,  the  natives  have  learned  to  construct  cross-walls  in  the  trenches, 
which  not  only  guard  the  inmates  from  the  fragments  of  the  shells,  but 
prevent  an  enfilading  fire  from  doing  much  damage.  Rifle-pits  are  also 
constructed  with  singular  ingenuity.  One  pah  was  remarkable  for  being- 
built  over  a  number  of  boiling  springs,  which  were  used  as  traps  for  the 
enemy  when  the  fort  was  besieged. 

Caught  in  a  Trap. 

The  reader  may  remember  the  unfortunate  business  at  the  Gate  Pah, 
at  Tauranga.  When  taken  by  storm,  the  pah  appeared  to  be  empty  and 
deserted,  the  natives  having  apparently  escaped,  according  to  their  cus- 
tom, when  they  found  the  place  no  longer  tenable.  They  had,  however, 
laid  a  trap,  into  which  the  assailants  fell.  When  the  latter  had  scattered 
themselves  over  the  interior,  and  were  quite  off  their  guard,  picking  up 
arms,  utensils,  and  other  objects  lying  carelessly  about,  a  terrific  mus- 
ketry fire  was  opened  from  under  their  very  feet,  the  natives  having  con- 
structed pits  in  which  they  hid  themselves  until  the  enemy  were  attracted 
within  their  range  by  the  weapons  and  implements  which  they  had  laid 
on  purpose  to  act  as  a  bait.  The  men,  who  were  entirely  off  their  guard, 
and  many  of  whom  besides  were  but  raw  recruits,  were  struck  with  a 
sudden  panic,  and,  with  a  few  honorable  exceptions,  rushed  out  of  the 
pah,  followed  and  cut  up  by  the  fire  of  the  wily  foe. 

Of  course  the  repulse  was  but  temporary ;  but  such  a  stratagem  as 
this  is  sufficient  to 'show  the  military  genius  of  the  Maori,  who,  if  he 
becomes  an  enemy,  is  one  that  cannot  be  despised  with  impunity.  This 
system  of  taking  the  enemy  by  surprise  is  the  usual  mode  of  fighting 
among  the  Maories,  who  display  wonderful  ingenuity  in  contriving  am- 
bushes, and  enticing  the  enemy  into  them.  If  the  assailants  succeed  in 
taking  the  pah,  a  terrible  massacre  always  ensues.  Every  man  is  killed 
who  is  capable  of  wielding  a  weapon,  while  the  women  and  children  are 


ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE  PEOPLE. 


155 


carried  off  to  become  the  slaves  of  the  conquerors — a  doom  from  which 
there  is  no  escape ;  the  unfortunate  women,  their  children,  and  any 
future  offspring,  being  slaves  without  the  possibility  of  release,  not  even 
their  own  tribe  being  able,  according  to  Maori  law,  to  interfere  with  the 
right  of  the  captors,  and  take  from  them  their  lawful  captives. 

The  bodies  of  the  warriors  are  of  course  reserved  to  be  baked  and 


A  CHIEF  PREPARED  FOR  BATTLE. 

eaten.  Sometimes  even  the  prisoners  fall  victims  to  the  thirst  for  blood 
which  characterizes  these  islanders ;  and  in  this  respect  the  women  are  as 
bad  as  the  men,  if  not  worse.  For  example,  the  principal  wife  of  a  very 
great  chief,  named  E'Hongi,  was  accustomed,  even  though  blind,  to 
murder  some  of  the  captives,  when  they  were  brought  home  by  her  for- 


156  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

midable  husband.  Her  own  end,  was,  however,  more  tragic  than  that  of 
any  of  her  victims.  E'Hongi  was  in  the  habit  of  making  long  excursions 
to  different  parts  of  the  country,  in  which  he  took  his  wife  with  him.  On 
one  of  these  excursions  she  fell  sick,  and  had  to  be  left  behind.  In  con- 
sequence of  her  blindness,  added  to  her  debility,  she  was  unable  to  act  in 
her  own  defence,  and  a  number  of  dogs,  discovering  her  weakness,  tore 
her  to  pieces  and  devoured  her. 

She  seems,  however,  to  have  been  a  woman  of  unexceptionally  strong 
feelings  of  vengeance.  She  had  a  little  slave-girl  to  attend  upon 
her,  toward  whom  she  evinced  a  strong  attachment.  The  little  creature 
was  interesting  and  good-tempered,  and  her  mistress  was  apparently  so 
fond  of  her  that  she  was  spared  the  experience  of  the  misery  of  slavery ; 
she  was  only  a  favorite. 

Tragic  End  of  the  Blind  Queen. 

E'Hongi  returned  from  one  of  his  successful  expeditions  of  war,  but  had 
left  a  son  upon  the  field  of  battle,  and  the  lamentation  was  great.  The 
petted  slave-child  laid  her  head  upon  the  lap  of  her  mistress,  and  poured 
out  her  share  of  the  general  sorrow.  But  the  spirit  of  vengeance  or  of 
insane  retribution  came  over  the  heart  of  the  bereaved  mother  ;  and  she 
carried  the  child  to  the  water,  and  cruelly  suffocated  her  in  satisfaction  of 
her  selfish  sorrow.  It  was  not  long  after  this  incident  that  she  met  with 
her  death.  When  she  was  left  behind,  a  small  shed  was  erected  on  poles, 
according  to  native  custom,  and  a  supply  of  food  was  placed  near  her. 
When  the  party  returned  the  shed  was  lying  prostrate,  and  among  its 
ruins  were  the  whitened  bones  of  the  inmate.  It  is  supposed  that  the 
wind  blew  down  the  shed,  and  so  enabled  the  dogs  to  reach  her. 

This  same  E'Hongi  was  a  really  remarkable  man,  and  earned  a  great 
name  for  wisdom  and  courage.  Having  made  a  voyage  to  England,  he 
threw  all  his  energies  into  strengthening  his  military  power,  and  took  back 
with  him  a  quantity  of  muskets  and  ammunition.  He  came  back  to  his 
own  country  exactly  at  the  proper  time.  A  long  and  somewhat  desul- 
tory war  had  been  going  on  between  the  Waikatos  and  other  tribes,  in 
which  the  former  had,  after  many  vicissitudes,  been  victorious,  and, 
after  finally  conquering  their  enemies,  had  returned  to  their  country  in 
triumph. 

Just  then  E'Hongi  came  back  to  his  own  tribe,  distributed  his  firearms 
among  the  best  warriors,  and  when  he  had  instructed  them  in  the  use  of 
the  new  and  terrible  weapons,  entered  the  Waikato  country,  and  attacked 
their  great  village.  The  Waikatos,  having  only  their  clubs,  and  not 
having  sunk  the  trenches  which  in  these  days  are  dug  in  every  pah  that 


ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE  PEOPLE.  157 

is  intended  to  resist  an  assault,  could  not  contend  against  firearms,  and  in 
a  few  minutes  the  fort  was  taken. 

The  slaughter  on  this  occasion  was  terrible,  two  thousand  warriors 
being  killed,  and  their  bodies  eaten  by  the  victorious  tribe,  who  built  vast 
numbers  of  ovens  for  the  special  purpose  of  cooking  the  bodies  of  the  slain. 
For  many  years  afterward  the  remains  of  the  ovens,  and  the  whitened 
bones  of  the  two  thousand  warriors,  might  be  seen  as  tokens  of  the  terrible 
scene,  where  feasts  were  kept  up  until  all  the  bodies  had  been  consumed,, 
and  every  evil  passion  of  unrestrained  human  nature  was  allowed  to  have 
its  full  sway. 

Prisoners  without  number  were  captured  on  this  occasion ;  and  indeed 
the  supply  of  slaves  thus  obtained  so  far  exceeded  the  demand  for  them, 
that  the  tribe  killed  many  of  them  on  their  journey  home,  merely  to  rid 
themselves  of  them.  E'Hongi,  though  known  to  be  a  man  of  the  most 
determined  courage,  not  to  say  ferocity,  when  engaged  in  war,  and  rather 
disposed  to  behave  in  an  overbearing  manner  toward  those  whom  he  con- 
sidered as  his  inferiors,  was  at  the  same  time  peculiarly  mild  and  cour- 
teous in  his  demeanor  to  his  equals,  and  toward  strangers  was  remark- 
able for  his  gentle  treatment. 

The  religion  of  the  Maories  is  a  curious  mixture  of  simplicity  and  elabor- 
ation, having  the  usual  superstitions  common  to  all  savage  tribes,  and  be- 
ing complicated  with  the  remarkable  system  of  "  tapu,"  or  "  taboo"  as  the 
word  is  sometimes  spelt.  Of  real  religion  they  have  no  idea,  and,  so  far 
as  is  known,  even  their  superstitions  lack  that  infusion  of  sublimity  which 
distinguishes  the  religious  systems  of  many  savage  nations.  They  have  a 
sort  of  indefinite  belief  in  a  good  and  evil  influence ;  the  former  going  by 
the  name  of  Atua,  and  the  latter  of  Wairua.  Now,  Atua  is  a  word  that 
has  a  peculiar  significance  of  its  own.  It  may  signify  the  Divine  Essence, 
or  it  may  be  applied  to  any  object  which  is  considered  as  a  visible  repre- 
sentative of  that  essence. 

A  Singular  Incident. 

Thus,  if  a  Maori  wishes  to  speak  of  God,  he  would  use  the  word  Atua. 
But  he  would  equally  apply  it  to  a  lizard,  a  bird,  a  sun-ray  or  a  cloud. 
There  is  one  species  of  lizard,  of  a  lovely  green  color,  which  is  held  in  the 
greatest  veneration  as  a  living  representative  of  divinity,  and  is  in  conse- 
quence always  dreaded  as  an  Atua.  The  following  incident,  narrated  by  a 
traveller,  will  show  how  deeply  the  belief  in  witchcraft  and  the  supposed 
influence  of  the  Atuas  obtains  among  those  who  are  still  heathen.  A 
missionary  was  shown  some  small  green  lizards  preserved  in  a  vial  of  spir- 
its, Muriwenua  and  another  man  being  in  the  room:  We  forgot  at  the 


158  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

moment  that  the  little  creatures  in  the  vial  were  atuas,  or  gods,  according 
to  the  superstitious  belief  of  Maori  polytheism,  and  inadvertently  showed 
them  to  the  man  at  the  table.  No  sooner  did  he  perceive  the  atuas  than 
his  Herculean  frame  shrank  back  as  from  a  mortal  wound,  and  his  face 
displayed  signs  of  extreme  horror.  The  old  chief,  on  discovering  the  cause, 
cried  out,  "  I  shall  die !  I  shall  die !"  and  crawled  away  on  his  hands  and 
knees ;  while  the  other  man  stood  as  a  defence  between  the  chief  and  the 
atuas,  changing  his  position  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  shield,  till  Muriwenua 
was  out  of  the  influence  of  their  supposed  power.  It  was  a  dangerous 
mistake  to  exhibit  these  atuas,  for  the  chief  is  very  old,  and  in  the  course 
of  nature,  cannot  live  long,  and,  if  he  dies  shortly,  his  death  will  certainly 
be  ascribed  to  the  baneful  sight  of  the  lizard  gods,  and  I  shall  be  accused 
of  witchcraft.  In  connection  with  this  superstition  about  the  lizard,  the 
.same  traveller  mentions  a  strange  notion  which  prevails  regarding  a  spider. 
Curious  Belief  in  Witchcraft. 

On  the  beach  of  the  west  coast  is  found  a  small,  black,  and  very  venom- 
ous spider.  Its  bite  is  exceedingly  painful,  and  even  dangerous,  and  the 
natives  think  that  if  he  bites  a  man  and  escapes,  the  man  will  die.  But  if 
he  contrives  to  catch  the  spider,  and  makes  a  circle  of  fire  around  it  so  that 
it  perishes  in  the  flames,  then  the  man  recovers  as  the  spider  dies. 

The  extent  to  which  the  imagination  of  the  natives  is  excited  by  their 
fear  of  witchcraft  is  scarcely*  credible.  There  was  one  woman  who  was  a 
very  celebrated  witch,  and  exercised  extraordinary  influence  over  the 
minds  of  the  people,  who  looked  upon  her  as  a  superior  being.  On  one 
occasion,  when  angry  with  a  man,  she  told  him  she  had  taken  out  his  heart. 
The  man  entirely  believed  her,  and  died  from  sheer  terror. 

It  is  a  rather  curious  fact  that,  contrary  to  the  usual  custom,  these  heath- 
en priests  did  not  oppose  the  Christian  missionaries,  but  were  among  the 
first  to  receive  the  new  religion.  Some  of  them  seem  to  have  received  it 
too  hastily  and  without  sufficient  knowledge  of  its  principles,  as  we  see 
from  the  miserable  travesty  of  Christianity  which  has  sprung  up  of  late 
years  among  the  Maories,  and  which  is  in  New  Zealand  what  the  system 
of  Taeping  is  in  China.  The  priests  are,  as  a  rule,  the  most  expert  artists 
.and  woodcarvers  in  the  country ;  so  that  the  word  priest  is  often  applied 
by  the  natives  to  a  man  who  is  skillful  in  any  art,  no  matter  whether  he 
be  a  priest  or  not.  The  annexed  illustration  is  a  portrait  of  a  very  cele- 
brated priest.  His  name  was  Te  Ohu.  The  portrait  was  obtained  during 
a  great  meeting  of  chiefs  at  the  capital.  Te  Ohu  distinguished  himself 
greatly  on  this  occasion,  running  about  after  the  fashion  of  Maori  orators, 
.shaking  his  long  and  grizzled  locks  from  side  to  side,  stamping  fur- 


ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE  PEOPLE. 


159 


ously  on  the  ground,  and  uttering  his  speech  in  a  singularly  deep  and  son- 
orous voice. 

In  the  background  of  the  sketch  may  be  seen  two  remarkable  articles. 
The  one,  which  is  the  half  of  a  canoe,  stuck  upright  in  the  ground, 
marks  the  grave  of  a  deceased  chief;  and  the  other  is  a  pole,  on  which 
are  hung  a  calabash  of 
water  and  a  basket  of 
food,  with  which  the 
spirit  of  the  dead  can  re- 
fresh himself  when  he 
returns  to  visit  the  scene 
of  his  lifetime.  Some- 
times a  dish  of  cooked 
pigeons  is  added;  and 
in  one  case  a  model  of 
a  canoe,  with  its  sail  and 
paddles,  was  placed  on 
the  tomb,  as  a  convey- 
ance for  the  soul  of  the 
departed  when  he 
wished  to  cross  the  wa- 
ters which  lead  to  the 
eternal  abodes  of  the 
spirit. 

Evil  spirits  are  sup- 
posed to  haunt  certain 
spots,  which  are  in  con- 
sequence, avoided  by 
the  New  Zealander. 
Mountains  are  especial 
objects  of  his  venera- 
tion, and  those  which 
are  lofty  enough  to 
have  their  tops  covered  TE  OHU,  A  NATIVE  PRIEST. 

with  perpetual  snow  are  specially  feared.  He  fancies  that  they  are 
inhabited  by  strange  and  monstrous  animals,  that  fierce  birds  of  huge  size 
sit  continually  on  their  whitened  tops,  and  that  every  breeze  which  blows 
from  them  is  the  voice  of  the  spirit  which  haunts  it.  In  consequence  of 
these  superstitions,  the  natives  can  no  more  be  induced  to  ascend  one  of 
these  mountains  than  to  approach  a  burial  ground.  There  is  a  strange  le- 


160 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


gend  of  a  spot  near  Mount  Egmont.  Owing  to  the  nature  of  the  ground, 
a  strong  chemical  action  is  constantly  taking  place,  which  gives  out  great 
quantities  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen  gas.  The  natives  say  that  in  former 
days  an  atua  was  drowned  near  the  spot,  and  that  ever  since  that  time  his 
body  has  been  decomposing,  thus  accounting  for  the  strange  phenomenon. 

There  are  many  represen- 
tations of  the  human  form, 
which  are  popularly  be- 
lieved to  be  idols.  It  was 
formerly  supposed  that  the 
green  jade  ornaments  which 
are  worn  suspended  from 
the  neck,  were  idols ;  but  it 
is  now  known  that  they  are 
merely  ornaments,  deriving 
their  sole  value  from  being 
handed  down  from  one  gen- 
eration to  another.  Three 
examples  of  the  so-called 
idols  are  here  given.  One 
of  them  is  remarkable  for 
its  gigantic  proportions  and 
curious  shape.  It  is  about 
sixteen  feet  in  height,  and 
instead  of  consisting  of  a 
single  human  figure,  as  is 
usually  the  case,  the  enor- 
mous block  of  wood  is 
carved  into  the  semblance 
of  two  figures,  one  above 
the  other.  This  arrange- 
ment is  not  uncommon  in 
New  Zealand,  and  is  found 
also  in  Western  Africa. 
A  TIKI  AT  THE  VILLAGE  OF  ROERA.  This  gigantic  tiki  stands, 

together  with  several  others,  near  the  tomb  of  the  daughter  of  an  old 
chief,  and,  like  the  monument  which  it  seems  as  it  were  to  guard,  is 
one  of  the  finest  examples  of  native  carving  to  be  found  in  New  Zeal- 
and. The  precise  object  of  the  tiki  is  uncertain  ;  but  the  protruding 
tongue  of  the  upper  figure  seems  to  show  that  it  is  one  of  the  numerous 


ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE  PEOPLL.          161 

defiant  statues  which  abound  in  the  islands.  The  natives  say  that  the 
lower  figure  represents  Maui,  the  Atua  who,  according  to  Maori  tradi- 
tion, fished  up  the  islands  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  As  may  be  seen 
in  the  illustration,  nearly  the  whole  of  both  figures  is  carved  with  most 
elaborate  curved  patterns,  which  descend  over  the  arms,  and  adorn  those 
parts  of  the  statue 
which  do  duty  for 
hips.  A  portion  of 
the  village  is  seen  in 
the  background,  and 
around  the  tiki  grow 
many  plants  of  the 
phormium,  or  New 
Zealand  flax.  Near 
this  wonderful  and 

! 

mysterious  piece  of 
carving  stand  several 
others,,  all  of  an  ex- 
traordinary type.  Two  I 
such  tikis  are  shown 
in  the  illustration, 
drawn  from  sketches 
taken  at  Whakapo- 
koko.  Although  not 
quite  so  large  as  the 
double  tiki  of  RoeraJ 
they  are  of  very  great  | 
size,  as  may  be  seen 
by  contrasting  them 
with  the  figure  of  the 
woman  who  is  stand- 
ing by  one  of  them. 
The  firmest  belief  in 
witchcraft  prevails  in 
New  Zealand,  though  GROTESQUE  WOODEN  IDOLS. 

not  to  such  an  extent  as  in  many  parts  of  Africa.  In  cases  of  illness  for 
which  no  ordinary  cause  can  be  discovered,  especially  if  the  person  be  of 
high  rank,  witchcraft  is  always  suspected.  If  a  chief,  for  example,  fancies 
that  he  has  been  bewitched,  he  thinks  over  the  names  of  those  who 
are  likely  to  have  a  spite  against  him,  and  pitches  upon  some  un- 
11 


162  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

fortunate  individual,  who  is  thereby  doomed  to  death.  One  curious 
example  of  such  a  murder  is  related  by  a  missionary.  He  met  a 
party  of  natives,  who  told  him  that  a  woman,  a  relation  of  the  chief 
Nawaka,  had  been  shot  by  another  chief,  who  suspected  that  she  had 
bewitched  his  son.  The  young  man  had  been  taken  ill,  and,  though 
the  woman  in  question  did  her  best  to  cure  him,  he  died.  His  father 
took  it  into  his  head  that  she  had  killed  him  by  her  incantations,  and,  after 
loading  his  musket  with  stick,  shot  her  through  the  body.  As,  however, 
she  was  the  relation  of  Nawaka,  it  was  expected  that  the  chief  would 
demand  compensation  for  her  death,  and  that  the  murderer  would  have 
to  pay  a  very  heavy  sum. 

There  are  several  modes  of  witchcraft ;  but  that  which  is  most  prac- 
tised is  performed  by  digging  a  hole  in  the  ground  and  invoking  the 
spirit  of  the  person  who  is  to  be  bewitched.  After  the  incantations  are 
said,  the  invoked  spirit  appears  above  the  hole  like  a  flickering  light,  and 
is  then  solemnly  cursed  by  the  witch.  Sometimes,  instead  of  digging  a 
hole,  the  witch  goes  by  night  to  a  river  bank,  and  there  invokes  the 
spirit,  who  appears  as  a  flame  of  fire  on  the  opposite  bank.  A  curious 
account  is  given  of  a  district  which  is  supposed  to  be  the  special  abode 
of  witches.  It  is  situated  in  the  northern  island,  and  consists  of  steep 
and  barren  hills.  The  inhabitants  of  this  district  are  few  and  scattered, 
and  have  the  reputation  of  being  the  greatest  witches  in  the  country. 

They  are  much  feared,  and  have  little  connection  with  the  neighboring 
tribes,  who  avoid  them,  if  possible.  If  they  come  to  the  coast,  the  natives 
there  scarcely  venture  to  refuse  them  anything,  for  fear  of  incurring  their 
displeasure.  Like  our  witches  and  sorcerers  of  old,  they  appear  to  be  a 
very  harmless  people,  and  but  little  mixed  up  with  the  quarrels  of  their 
neighbors.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  many  of  the  old  settlers  in  the  country 
have  become  complete  converts  to  the  belief  in  these  supernatural  powers. 
Witchcraft  has  been  the  cause  of  many  murders,  in  consequence  of  peo- 
ple declaring  on  their  death-beds  that  they  had  been  bewitched. 
Strange  Scenes  in  the  Sandwich  Islands. 

Few  people  among  the  wild  races  of  men  are  more  interesting  to  the 
traveller  than  the  natives  of  the  Sandwich  Islands.  The  men  are  tall, 
active  and  powerful,  and  in  color  are  of  an  olive  brown,  the  precise  depth 
of  tint  varying  much  according  to  the  exposure  to  the  sun,  so  that  the 
skins  of  the  chiefs  are  much  lighter  than  those  of  the  common  people. 
The  hair  is  jet  black,  and  not  in  the  least  woolly,  being  sometimes  quite 
straight,  and  sometimes  wavy.  The  face  is  mostly  wide,  and  is  a  very 
handsome  one,  the  only  fault  in  it  being  a  tendency  to  width  across  the 


ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE  PEOPLE.  163 

nostrils.  The  men  all  wear  the  maro  or  malo,  which  is  a  slight  girdle  of 
cloth,  and  having  this,  they  consider  themselves  dressed  for  all  purposes 
of  decency.  They  also  have  a  tappa,  or  bark-cloth  garment,  which  is 
twisted  round  the  waist,  and  falls  below  the  knees,  while  the  better  class 
wear  also  a  sort  of  mantle,  to  shelter  their  skin  from  the  darkening  sun- 
beams. 

The  great  chiefs  have  also  mantles  made  of  a  sort  of  network,  into 
•each  mesh  of  which  are  interwoven  the  feathers  of  various  birds,  the 
most  precious  of  them  being  that  which  supplies  the  yellow  feathers. 
This  is  one  of  the  honey-birds,  and  under  each  wing  there  is  a  single 
yellow  feather,  one  inch  in  length.  King  Kamehameha,  had  a  cloak 
made  of  these  feathers  alone.  It  was  four  feet  long,  and  eleven  feet  at 
the  bottom.  No  less  than  nine  successive  kings  died  before  this  priceless 
mantle  was  finished.  The  head-dress  of  the  chiefs  is  of  so  graceful  and 
-classical  a  form  as  absolutely  to  startle  the  spectator.  It  is  a  helmet 
made  of  wicker-work  and  covered  with  feathers,  the  shape  being  exactly 
that  of  the  ancient  Grecian  helmet  even  to  the  elevated  crest  which  runs 
over  the  top.  It  is  not  intended  as  a  protection  for  the  head,  the  material 
being  too  fragile  for  such  a  purpose,  but  is  simply  a  badge  of  rank  and 
wealth.  Mostly  they  are  covered  with  scarlet  and  yellow  feathers, 
disposed  in  broad  bands  or  belts,  and  the  wealth  of  the  wearer  may  be 
known  by  the  proportion  which  the  yellow  and  scarlet  feathers  bear  to 

each  other. 

A  Remarkable  Female  Beauty. 

The  women,  when  young,  are  singularly  beautiful,  and  retain  their 
good  looks  longer  than  is  usual  among  Polynesians.  Like  the  other  sex, 
however,  they  generally  attain  to  great  size  in  their  latter  years,  those  of 
the  better  sort  being  remarkable  for  their  enormous  corpulence.  This 
development  is  probably  owing,  like  that  of  the  Kaffir  chiefs,  to  the  great 
quantity  of  porridge  which  they  are  continually  eating.  When  young, 
however,  they  are  exceedingly  beautiful,  their  features  having  a  peculiar 
charm  of  their  own,  and  their  forms  being  like  those  of  the  ancient 
Grecian  statues.  An  American  traveller  gives  a  most  animated  descrip- 
tion of  a  native  girl,  in  his  interesting  work  on  the  Sandwich  Islands, 
showing  that  the  partial  civilization  to  which  the  natives  have  been  sub- 
jected has  not  destroyed  their  beauty  of  features  nor  symmetry  of  form. 
In  truth  to  nature,  it  may  be  safely  asserted  that  beauty  is  not  confined 
merely  to  the  saloon  of  the  monarch,  nor  to  the  tapestried  chambers  of 
the  patricians.  It  is  more  frequently  found  amid  the  lowlier  walks  of 
life,  on  the  desert,  or  the  distant  isle  of  the  ocean. 


164  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

In  this  instance  I  wish  to  be  understood  as  speaking  of  physical 
beauty  only.  On  leaving  the  shore-road  to  ascend  the  mountains  for 
Halawa,  I  met  just  such  a  specimen  as  has  often  driven  men  mad,  and 
whose  possession  has  many  a  time  paved  the  way  to  the  subversion  of 
empire  on  the  part  of  monarchs.  She  was  rather  above  the  medium 
size  of  American  women.  Her  finely  chiselled  chin,  nose,  and  forehead 
were  singularly  Grecian.  Her  beautifully  moulded  neck  and  shoulders 
looked  as  though  they  might  have  been  borrowed  from  Juno.  The  de- 
velopment of  her  entire  form  was  as  perfect  as  nature  could  make  it.. 
She  was  arrayed  in  a  single  loose  robe,  beneath  which  a  pretty  little  nude 
foot  was  just  peeping  out.  Her  hair  and  eyebrows  were  as  glossy  as  a 
raven's  wing.  Around  her  head-  was  carelessly  twined  a  wreath  of  the 
beautiful  native  flowers.  Her  lips  seemed  fragrant  with  the  odor  of 
countless  and  untiring  kisses. 

But  her  eyes !  I  never  shall  forget  those  eyes !  They  retained  some- 
thing, that  spoke  of  an  affection  so  deep,  a  spiritual  existence  so  intense, 
a  dreamy  enchantment  so  inexpressively  beautiful,  that  they  reminded 
one  of  the  beautiful  Greek  girl  Myrrha,  in  Byron's  tragedy  of  "  Sardan- 
apalus,"  whose  love  clung  to  the  old  monarch  when  the  flame  of  the  funer- 
al pile  formed  their  winding  sheet.  In  no  former  period  of  my  life  had  I 
ever  raised  my  hat  in  the  presence  of  beauty,  but  at  this  moment,  and  in 
such  a  presence,  I  took  it  off.  I  was  entirely  fascinated,  charmed,  spell- 
bound now.  I  stopped  my  horse  ;  and  there  I  sat,  to  take  a  further  glance 
at  the  fair  reality.  And  the  girl  stopped,  and  returned  the  glance,  while  a 
smile  parted  her  lips  and  partly  revealed  a  set  of  teeth  as  white  as  snow, 
and  of  matchless  perfection.  I  felt  that  smile  to  bean  unsafe  atmosphere 
for  the  nerves  of  a  bachelor ;  so  I  bowed,  replaced  my  hat  and  passed  on 
my  way,  feeling  fully  assured  that  nothing  but  the  chisel  of  Praxiteles  could 
have  copied  her  exquisite  charms.  And  as  I  gently  moved  past  her  she 
exclaimed  in  the  vocabulary  of  her  country,  "  Love  to  you." 

Extraordinary  Agility  in  the  Waters. 

The  semi-amphibious  nature  of  the  Sandwich  Islanders  is  well  known. 
Both  sexes  turn  their  aquatic  powers  into  a  means  of  amusement.  There 
is  a  salt-water  lake  called  Loki  Nomilu,  which  was  said  by  the  natives  to 
be  the  handiwork  of  the  terrible  fire-goddess,  Pele,  who  dug  deep  into  the 
ground  in  search  of  fresh  water,  but  was  baffled  by  the  sea  finding  a  sub- 
terranean entrance,  although  the  lake  is  many  yards  from  the  shore.  Be- 
ing angry  with  the  sea  for  its  misconduct  she  took  her  departure,  and  took 
up  her  abode  in  the  crater  of  the  great  volcano  of  Hawaii,  which  is  called 
by  her  name.  There  is  little  doubt  that  the  lake  in  question  is  the  crater 


MARVELOUS  SURF-SWIMMING  OF  SANDWICH  ISLANDERS. 


(165) 


166  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY 

of  an  extinct  volcano.  A  traveller  went  to  visit  this  extraordinary  lake 
and  gives  the  following  account  of  the  mode  by  which  its  actual  depth  was 
ascertained :  Having  been  informed  that  this  lake  was  fathomless,  I  felt 
only  more  solicitous  to  test  the  mystery.  There  were  no  means,  howev- 
er, on  the  premises  ;  and,  two  women  excepted,  the  little  village  was  tem- 
porarily deserted.  -There  were  several  canoes  on  the  shore,  but  the  lake 
was  much  disturbed  by  a  heavy  north  wind,  so  that  they  would  have  been 
rendered  nearly  useless.  But  I  felt  as  though  I  could  not  abandon  the 
expedition.  The  gentleman  who  accompanied  me  thither  informed  the 
women  of  my  object  in  coming,  and  assured  them  that  I  was  extremely 
anxious  to  know  the  depth  of  the  water  in  that  lake,  and  that  we  would 
wait  until  some  of  the  men  returned  from  their  fishing  excursion.  But  one 
of  them  soon  provided  a  remedy.  She  proposed  swimming  into  the  lake 
with  a  sounding  line  to  make  the  required  measurement.  Our  remon- 
strance against  such  a  measure  was  in  vain,  for  she  resolutely  assured  us 
it  would  be  not  only  an  easy  performance,  but  afford  her  much  satisfaction 
to  have  an  opportunity  of  serving  me.  She  procured  a  piece  of  wili-wili 
wood,  exceedingly  light,  about  six  feet  long,  and  as  many  inches  in  diam- 
eter. This  she  insisted  on  carrying  to  the  north  end  of  the  lake. 
Novel  Feat  of  a  Female  Swimmer. 

After  wading  in  until  she  could  swim,  she  placed  the  log  firmly  under 
her  chest,  keeping  it  there  with  ofie  hand  and  retaining  the  sounding  line 
with  the  other.  In  this  position  she  struck  down  the  lake,  stopping  at  in- 
tervals to  let  down  the  line,  which  she  knotted  at  the  surface  of  the  water 
every  time  she  found  the  bottom.  This  done,  she  would  gather  up  her 
line,  replace  her  log  and  resume  her  course.  And  she  pursued  this  plan 
until  her  task  was  done.  It  would  be  superfluous  to  say  that  this  feat  ex- 
cited our  admiration,  or  that  we  compensated  her  for  her  pains.  It  was  the 
most  novel  exhibition  I  had  ever  seen  ;  nor  could  I  fully  realize  it  until  I 
remembered  that  in  these  islands  as  in  other  parts  of  Polynesia,  and  the 
Caribbean  Sea,  the  women  and  girls  are  the  best  swimmers.  The  Haw- 
aiians  are  almost  amphibious.  Volumes  might  be  written  detailing  their 
extraordinary  feats  in  the  water.  It  is  owing  to  their  frequent  bathing  that 
many  of  the  women  of  Polynesia  display  such  an  exquisite  physique. 

A  favorite  amusement  of  the  Hawaiians  is  swimming  out  to  sea  on  boards 
made  from  the  bread-fruit  tree.  It  is  quite  a  national  sport  and  very  ex- 
citing in  rough  weather.  Having  swum  out  to  some  distance  with  these 
boards  under  their  arms,  they  ride  over  the  breakers  on  them  towards 
the  shore,  generally  lying  face  downwards,  but  the  most  expert  bathers 
kneel,  or  even  stand  up  on  their  boards,  mounting  each  roller  at  the 


ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE  PEOPLE.  167 

right  moment,  so  as  to  keep  exactly  on  its  curl.  They  are  also  wonder- 
ful divers. 

Some  of  the  weapons  used  by  the  Sandwich  Islanders  are  rather  cur- 
ious. In  the  first  place  they  have  the  spear,  which  is  made  of  a  chestnut 
colored  wood,  which  takes  a  high  polish,  and  is  usually  barbed  at  the 
point  and  brought  to  a  flattened  point  at  the  butt.  They  are  exceedingly 
skilful  in  the  use  of  this  weapon,  not  only  in  throwing  it,  but  in  warding 
off  the  weapons  that  are  flung  at  them.  Kamehameha,  the  well  known 
king  or  chief,  was  celebrated  for  his  skill  with  the  spear.  He  used  to 
stand  with  a  spear  in  his  right  hand  in  front  of  six  men,  also  armed  with 
spears.  At  a  given  signal  they  flung  their  spears  simultaneously  at  him, 
when  he  would  strike  three  aside  with  the  spear  in  his  right  hand, 
and  catch  the  other  three  in  his  left  hand.  Our  illustration  shows 
the  king  performing  this  dangerous  and  remarkable  feat.  These  spears, 
which  are  intended  to  be  thrown,  are  from  six  to  eight  feet  in  length,  and 
are  made  to  fly  straight  by  being  tapered  gradually  from  the  head  to  the 
butt.  There  is  another  kind  of  spear,  which  is  used  as  a  pike.  This  is 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  in  length,  and  is  not  barbed. 

The  sling  is  another  of  the  Sandwich  weapons.  It  is  of  considerable 
length,  and  the  receptacle  for  the  stone  is  made  of  plaited  matting.  The 
stones  are  oval  in  shape,  and  are  ground  down  for  the  express  purpose, 
so  that  the  slingers  evidently  possess  much  accuracy  of  aim.  There  is  a 
modification  of  the  sling,  the  use  of  which  seems  to  be  forgotten  at  the 
present  day,  and  even  in  Captain  Cook's  time  was  far  from  universal. 
The  stone  is  cut  of  an  oval  shape,  with  a  groove  round  it,  much  like  a 
lady's  tatting-needle,  and  the  cord  is  passed  round  the  groove  with  a  half- 
hitch,  so  that  when  the  end  of  the  sling  is  liberated,  the  stone  flies  off 
Some  of  these  stones  obtained  by  Captain  Cook  were  made  of  haematite, 
or  blood-stone,  and  were  very  heavy,  weighing  at  least  a  pound.  It  was 
rather  curious  that,  although  there  was  little  difficulty  in  purchasing  the 
stones,  which  must  have  cost  much  trouble  in  making,  it  was  not  possible 
to  persuade  the  natives  to  part  with  the  cord  by  which  they  were  flung. 
A  Barbarous  Dagger. 

Another  of  their  weapons  is  the  dagger.  The  material  of  which  it  is 
made  is  a  very  hard  wood,  something  like  ebony,  and  it  is  shaped  much 
like  the  ordinary  steel  dagger,  except  that  it  has  no  guard.  It  is  about 
two  feet  in  length,  and  is  secured  to  the  wrist  by  a  cord  passing  through 
a  hole  at  the  end  of  the  handle.  Some  of  these  daggers  are  still  larger, 
and  double-pointed,  being  held  in  the  middle  like  the  antelope-horn  dag- 
gers of  India.  The  weapon  has  a  mournful  interest  from  the  fact  that 


168 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


when  Captain  Cook  was  murdered  his  body  was  pierced  with  innumerable 
wounds  mostly  made  by  wooden  daggers,  though  one  of  the  natives  had 
a  dagger  made  of  iron,  which  they  snatched  from  each  other's  hands  in 
their  eagerness  to  inflict  fresh  wounds. 

Like  most  of  the  Polynesian  Islands,  the  Marquesas  are  surrounded 
with  coral  reefs.  The  inhabitants  are  splendid  specimens  of  humanity, 
the  men  being  remarkable  for  their  gigantic  size,  great  strength,  and  fine 


KING    KAMEHAMEHA   AND   THE   SPEARS. 

shape,  which  emulates  those  of  the  ancient  Greek  statues.  One  of  the 
chiefs  was  measured  carefully,  and  was  found  to  be  six  feet  eight  inches 
in  height,  and  said  that  he  knew  another  chief  who  was  at  least  a  foot 
taller  than  himself.  In  general  they  wear  but  little  raiment,  a  slight  piece 
of  bark  cloth  round  the  waist  being,  the  only  garment  which  they  think 
needful,  the  place  of  clothing  being  supplied  by  the  tattoo.  There  are 
many  nations  where  this  decoration  is  worn  ;  but  there  are  no  people  on 


ADVENTURES  AMONG  STRANGE  PEOPLE. 


169 


the  face  of  the  earth  who  carry  it  out  so  fully  as  do  the  Marquesans, 
every  part  of  their  bodies,  even  to  the  crown  of  the  head  and  the  fingers 
and  toes,  being  covered  with  the  pattern.  This  extreme  elaboration  is 
only  to  be  found  in  the  men,  the  women  contenting  themselves  with  a 
bracelet  or  two  tattooed  on  their  arms,  and  a  few  similar  ornaments  here 
and  there,  thus  affording  a  marked  contrast  to  the  other  sex. 

Sometimes  a  rich 
islander  will,  eitKer 
from  generosity, 
ostenation,  or 
love  to  his  wife, 
make  a  feast  in 
honor  of  her  when 
she  has  a  bracelet 
tattooed  round  her 
arm,  or  perhaps  her 
ear  ornamented.  A 
hog  is  then  killed, 
and  the  friends  of 
both  sexes  are  in- 
vited to  partake  of 
•it,  the  occasion  of 
the  feast  being  made 
known  to  them.  It 
is  expected  that  the 
same  courtesy  will 
be  returned  in  case 
of  the  wife  of  any 
of  the  guests  being 
punctured.  This  is 
one  of  the  few  oc- 
casions on  which 
women  are  allowed 
to  eat  hog's  flesh. 

The  figures  with  which  the  body  is  tattooed  are  chosen  with  great  care, 
and  appropriate  ornaments  are  selected  for  the  different  parts.  They  con- 
sist partly  of  animals,  partly  of  other  objects  which  have  some  refer- 
ence to  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  islands;  and  every  figure  has 
here,  as  in  the  Friendly  Islands,  its  particular  name.  Upon  an  accurate 
examination,  curved  lines,  diamonds,  and  other  designs  are  often  disting- 


A   TATTOOED    CHIEF    OF    THE    MARQUESAS    ISLANDS. 


170  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

uishable  between  rows  of  punctures,  which  resemble  very  much  Grecian 
ornaments.  The  most  perfect  symmetry  is  observed  over  the  whole 
body.  The  head  of  a  man  is  tattooed  in  every  part;  the  breast  is  com- 
monly ornamented  with  a  figure  resembling  a  shield;  on  the  arms  and 
thighs  are  strips  sometimes  broader,  sometimes  narrower,  in  such  direct- 
ions that  these  people  might  be  very  well  presumed  to  have  studied  anat- 
omy, and  to  be  acquainted  with  the  course  and  dimensions  of  the  muscles. 
Upon  the  back  is  a  large  cross,  which  begins  at  the  neck  and  ends  with 
the  last  vertebra.  In  the  front  of  the  thigh  are  often  figures  which  seem 
intended  to  represent  the  human  face.  On  each  side  of  the  calf  of  the 
leg  is  an  oval  figure,  which  produces  a  very  good  effect.  The  whole,  in 
fact,  displays  much  taste  and  discrimination.  Some  of  the  tenderest  parts 
of  the  body — the  eyelids,  for  example — are  the  only  parts  not  tattooed. 
Each  finger  has  its  own  pattern,  so  that  the  hand  looks  as  if  enclosed  in 
a  very  tight-fitting  glove. 

A  Singular  Business. 

The  mode  of  tattooing  is  almost  exactly  like  that  of  the  Samoan 
islanders,  except  that  the  puncturing  needle  is  made  of  the  wing-bone 
of  the  tropic  bird.  The  operation  is  always  conducted  in  certain 
houses  belonging  to  the  professional  tattooers,  who  lay  on  these  buildings 
a  tapu,  which  renders  them  unapproachable  by  women.  As  is  the  case 
in  Samoa,  the  best  tattooers  are  men  of  great  importance,  and  paid  highly 
for  their  services,  a  Marquesan  thinking  that  he  is  bound  to  be  liberal  to- 
ward a  man  to  whom  he  is  indebted  for  the  charms  which  he  values  so 
highly.  These  men  gain  their  skill  by  practising  on  the  lower  orders, 
who  are  too  poor  to  pay  for  being  tattooed,  and  who  would  rather  wear 
a  bad  tattoo  than  none  at  all.  A  considerable  amount  is  generally  ex- 
acted at  each  operation,  which  lasts  from  three  to  six  months ;  and  so 
elaborate  is  the  process,  that  a  really  complete  tattoo  can  hardly  be  finished 
until  the  man  is  thirty  years  old. 

By  the  time  that  the  last  piece  of  tattoo  is  executed,  the  first  generally 
begins  to  fade,  and  if  the  man  is  rich  enough  he  has  the  pattern  renewed. 
Some  men  have  been  tattooed  three  times,  and,  as  the  patterns  cannot  be 
made  to  coincide  precisely  with  each  other,  the  result  is  that  the  whole 
skin  becomes  nearly  as  dark  as  that  of  a  negro.  In  this  state  it  is  greatly 
admired,  not  because  the  effect  is  agreeable  to  the  eye,  but  because  it  is 
an  indubitable  mark  of  wealth.  The  pigment  used  in  tattooing  is  the 
well-known  candle  nut,  burned  to  a  fine  charcoal  and  mixed  with  water. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
WILD  TRIBES  AND  THEIR  CURIOUS  CUSTOMS. 

A  Remarkable  Uncivilized  Nation  in  South  America — Description  of  the  Araucanians 
— A  Curious  Method  of  Shaving — A  Hairy  Upper  Lip  Thought  to  be  Highly  Im- 
proper— Disputes  Settled  by  Pulling  Hair — Women  who  Paint  their  Faces — Sav- 
ages'who  Insist  on  Etiquette— Horses  Superbly  Decorated— Singular  Saddle  and 
Stirrups — Marriage  Customs — An  Exciting  Elopement — A  Furious  Combat — Ex- 
pert Horse-back  Riders — Using  the  Lasso— Dangerous  Adventure  with  a  Wild 
Bull — The  Animal  in  the  Toils — Disgusting  Cannibalism — Preferring  Human 
Flesh  to  Pork— Old  "  Turtle  Pond"— Savage  Atrocity— A  Fijian  Legend— The 
Fijian  Islander's  Canoe — An  Ingenious  Contrivance — Expert  Navigation — Na- 
tives of  Borneo — Dyak  Pirates— Small  Men  of  Great  Strength — Extraordinary 
Physical  Endurance — American  Indians — A  Hotly  Contested  Ball  Game — An 
Old  Arab  Hunter — Capturing  a  Hippopotamus — The  Old  "  River  King"  in  his- 
Glory — A  struggle  Against  Odds — Daring  of  the  Natives. 

N  the  southern  part  of  South  America  is  a  territory  occupied  by 
the  Araucanian  nation.  This  title  was  given  to  them  by  the 
Spaniards,  just  as  was  the  name  of  Patagonians  to  their  southern 
neighbors,  and,  although  it  is  an  incorrect  one,  it  has  been  ac- 
cepted for  so  many  years  that  it  cannot  be  conveniently  changed  for  the 
more  correct  designation.  The  people  are  rather  below  the  middle  height,, 
strong,  thick-set,  broad-chested,  and  much  inferior  in  point  of  form  to  the 
North  American  tribes.  The  head  is  narrow,  and  low  in  front,  broad  and 
high  behind,  and  the  back  of  the  head  falls  in  almost  a  direct  line  with 
the  nape  of  the  neck,  a  peculiarity  by  which  an  Araucanian  may  almost 
invariably  be  distinguished.  The  foot  is  as  remarkable  as  the  head.  It 
is  very  short  and  broad,  and  rises  straight  from  the  toes  to  the  ankle  with 
scarcely  any  curve,  so  as  to  produce  a  very  high  but  very  clumsy  looking 
instep. 

Most  of  the  Araucanian  tribes  have  but  little  beard,  and  what  they 
have  they  eradicate  after  the  usual  fashion  of  savages,  plucking  out  the 
individual  hairs  instead  of  shaving.  A  traveller  who  had  the  opportunity 
of  seeing  the  operation  performed  thus  describes  it:  At  one  house  where 
we  stopped  I  saw  an  Indian,  who  at  first  sight  seemed  to  be  a  white  man, 
from  the  fact  that  his  beard  was  grown  as  though  unshaven  for  a  week. 
He  looked  red  and  blotched,  and  was  continually  raising  his  hand  to  some 
part  of  his  face,  wearing  all  the  while  an  expression  of  patient  endurance. 

(171) 


172  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

A  close  scrutiny  showed  that  he  was  engaged  in  shaving.  These  Indians 
pull  out  or  nip  off  the  beard  with  small  steel  tweezers.  This  instrument 
was  originally  a  clam  shell,  but,  by  intercourse  with  the  whites,  they  have 
been  able  to  procure  a  more  elegant  article.  Every  dandy  carries  his 
tweezers  hanging  at  his  neck,  and  at  leisure  moments  amuses  himself  by 
smoothing  his  face  to  the  taste  of  his  painted  mistress.  The  arguments 
they  use  in  defence  of  their  treatment  of  the  beard  are  precisely  those 
used  by  shavelings  the  world  over. 

They  do  not  content  themselves  with  merely  removing  the  hair  from 
the  chin,  cheeks,  and  upper  lip,  but  pull  out  the  eyelashes  and  eyebrows, 
substituting  instead  of  the  latter  a  slender  curved  line  of  black  paint. 
They  say  that  the  presence  of  the  eyelashes  hinders  them  in  the  pursuit 
of  bee  hunting,  a  sport  of  which  they  are  very  fond,  and  on  which  they 
pride  themselves  greatly.  Some  of  the  younger  warriors  have  allowed  a 
very  slight  fringe  of  hair  to  remain  on  the  upper  lip,  but  the  older  chiefs 
think  that  it  is  an  innovation  on  the  ancient  customs,  and  discountenance 
it  as  far  as  they  can.  The  hair  of  the  head  is  cut  short  at  the  top,  but  is 
allowed  to  grow  long  at  the  sides,  in  order  that  it  may  be  easily  grasped, 
just  as  the  North  American  tribes  leave  one  long  lock  on  the  crown  of 
the  head  so  as  to  assist  the  enemy  who  slays  them  in  getting  off  the 

.scalp. 

Pulling  Hair  to  Settle  Disputes. 

When  two  lads  quarrel,  they  settle  the  dispute  with  a  fight,  which  is 
conducted,  not  by  blows  of  the  fist  or  with  a  weapon,  but  by  pulling  the 
hair.  "  Let  us  pull  hair,  if  you  are  not  afraid/'  cries  one  of  the  disputants 
to  the  other.  The  challenge  is  never  refused.  Off  goes  the  poncho,  or 
upper  garment,  if  they  happen  to  be  wearing  it,  the  lower  garment  is 
tucked  tightly  into  the  belt,  the  combatants  allow  each  other  to  take  a  fair 
grasp  of  the  long  locks,  and  the  struggle  begins.  Each  tries  to  twist 
the  head  of  his  opponent  so  as  to  bring  him  to  the  ground,  and  when 
he  has  once  fallen,  they  loosen  their  grasp,  rub  the  backs  of  their  heads, 
take  a  fresh  grasp,  and  repeat  the  struggle  until  one  of  them  yields. 
The  combat  over,  all  animosity  vanishes,  and  they  are  good  friends 
again. 

Like  that  of  the  men,  the  hair  of  the  women  is  divided  into  two  long 
tails,  one  of  which  hangs  over  each  shoulder.  The  tails  are  wound 
round  with  spiral  strings  of  blue  beads,  and  their  ends  are  connected  by 
a  string  of  twelve  or  fourteen  brass  thimbles,  which  hang  side  by  side, 
like  a  peal  of  bells.  Besides  these  ornaments,  the  women  wear  a  sort  of 
cap,  made  entirely  of  beads,  and  falling  over  the  back  of  the  head  as  far 


WILD  TRIBES  AND  THEIR  CURIOUS  CUSTOMS. 

as  the  shoulders.  Its  lower  edge  is  decorated  with  a  row  of  brass 
thimbles,  like  that  which  connects  the  two  queues  of  the  hair.  This 
elaborate  head-dress  is  only  worn  on  great  occasions,  while  ordinarily  the 
queues  are  wound  round  the  head,  the  two  ends  projecting  in  front  like 
horns,  a  fillet,  usually  studded  with  beads,  being  employed  to  keep  the 

hair  in  its  place.  .    . 

Faces  Painted  Red  and  Black. 

Paint  is  worn  by  both  sexes,  but  chiefly  by  the  women,  and  is  anything 
but  ornamental.  It  is  invariably  of  two  colors,  red  and  black,  which  are 
mixed  with  grease,  so  that  they  can  be  applied  and  removed  at  pleasure. 
The  usual  plan  is  to  have  a  broad  red  belt  from  the  ear,  taking  in  the  cheeks, 
eyelids,  and  nose,  the  lower  edge  of  the  belt  being  sometimes  edged  and 
scalloped  with  black.  The  eyelids  and  lashes  are  also  edged  with  black, 
and  a  thin  line  of  the  same  hue  takes  the  place  of  the  eyebrows,  which 
are  all  removed  except  a  very  fine  row  of  hairs  in  the  centre.  Some  of 
the  women  further  decorate  their  faces  by  spots  of  black  paint,  and  are 
exceedingly  proud  of  these  ornaments. 

Death  Threatened  for  Breach  of  Etiquette. 

Etiquette  is  so  highly  valued  among  the  Araucanians  that  on  one 
occasion  an  English  gentleman  nearly  lost  his  life  by  neglecting  a 
ceremonial.  It  seems  that  every  chief,  no  matter  how  petty  may  be  his 
domain,  expects  that  every  stranger  who  passes  through  his  territory 
shall  pay  him  a  tribute.  The  amount  of  the  tribute  is  of  little  conse- 
quence, so  that  something  is  given  as  an  acknowledgement  of  rank. 
Being  new  to  the  country,  the  gentleman  in  question  was  passing  through 
the  territory  of  a  chief,  when  he  was  stopped  and  asked  for  tribute,  a 
demand  which  he  refused  to  pay,  on  the  ground  that  he  was  only  a 
traveller  and  not  a  trader.  Thereupon  a  young  man  leaped  into  a  cabin, 
brought  out  a  trumpet  made  of  horn,  and  blew  a  blast  upon  it.  The 
signal  was  answered  in  all  directions,  and  from  every  side  there  poured 
in  a  number  of  mounted  and  armed  warriors.  The  traveller  was  not 
daunted,  in  spite  of  the  martial  array,  cocked  his  pistols,  and  awaited  the 
attack,  when  his  guide  ran  up  to  him,  and  begged  him  to  give  them 
something,  if  it  were  only  a  pocket-handkerchief. 

The  traveller  saw  at  once,  from  the  smallness  of  the  suggested  present, 
that  it  was  a  mere  question  of  etiquette,  and  munificently  presented  the 
chief  with  a  jack-knife.  Enmity  immediately  gave  way  to  enthusiastic 
friendship.  The  old  chief  was  quite  overcome  by  the  splendor  of  the 
gift,  swore  eternal  friendship  with  the  traveller,  and  sent  a  guard  of  honor 
to  accompany  him  for  several  miles  on  his  way. 


174  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Like  the  American  tribes  in  general,  they  have  become  wonderful 
adepts  in  the  use  of  the  horse,  the  climate,  the  natives,  and  the  horse 
seeming  to  agree  with  each  other  in  a  way  which  is  really  remarkable, 
considering  that  the  animal  is  of  comparatively  late  introduction  into 
Araucania.  Unlike  the  Patagonians,  they  pride  themselves  on  the  massive 
solidity  of  the  accoutrements  with  which  they  bedizen  their  horses  ;  and, 
although  they  care  little  about  the  individual  animals,  and  are  rather  hard 
masters  to  them,  they  bedeck  the  horses  in  the  most  lavish  manner. 

Their  saddles  are  made  very  much  after  the  fashion  employed  by  the 
Patagonians,  being  little  more  than  rude  wooden  frames.  A  few  skins 
are  laid  on  the  back  of  the  horse,  the  saddle  is  placed  on  them,  a  saddle 
cloth  of  thick  leather  is  thrown  over  it,  and  the  whole  apparatus  is  com- 
plete. The  bridle  is  made,  like  that  of  the  Patagonians,  of  twisted  hide, 
or  sometimes  of  a  number  of  strips  of  horse-skin  plaited  together,  a  few 
threads  of  silver  being  mingled  with  them.  The  bit  is  generally  the 
ordinary  Spanish  bit,  with  its  cruelly  powerful  arrangement  of  curb  and 
ring. 

The  stirrups  are  generally  nothing  more  than  a  piece  of  cane  twisted 
into  a  triangular  form,  and  hung  to  the  saddle  by  leathern  cords ;  but  the 
wealthy  Araucanians  pride  themselves  in  having  these  articles  of  solid 

silver. 

Stealing  a  Bride. 

Marriage  among  the  Araucanians  is  an  odd  mixture  of  ceremonies. 
Theoretically,  the  bridegroom  is  supposed  to  steal  his  wife  against  her  own 
will  and  in  opposition  to  the  wishes  of  her  parents ;  practically,  he  buys  her 
from  her  parents,  who  have  long  looked  upon  their  daughter  as  a  valuable 
article,  to  be  sold  to  the  first  purchaser  who  will  give  a  sufficient  price. 
Sometimes  the  match  is  one  of  affection,  the  two  young  people  understand- 
ing each  other  perfectly  well.  Music  is  the  usual  mode  by  which  an  Ar- 
aucanian  expresses  his  feelings,  and  the  usual  instrument  is  the  jews-harp. 
The  lover  is  never  seen  without  his  jews-harp  hanging  from  his  neck,  tied 
upon  a  little  block  of  wood  to  prevent  it  from  being  injured,  and  decorated 
with  strings  of  many  colored  beads.  Furnished  with  this  indispensable  in- 
strument, the  lover  seats  himself  at  a  little  distance  from  the  object  of  his 
choice,  and  produces  a  series  of  most  dolorous  sounds,  his  glances  and 
gestures  denoting  the  individual  for  whom  they  are  meant. 

After  a  little  while,  the  lover  thinks  that  he  had  better  proceed  to  the 
marriage.  Should  he  be  a  wealthy  man  he  has  no  trouble  in  the  matter; 
but  if  not,  he  goes  among  his  friends  and  asks  contributions  from  them. 
One  gives  an  ox,  another  a  horse,  another  a  pair  of  silver  spurs,  and  so  on. 


WILD  TRIBES  AND  THEIR  CURIOUS  CUSTOMS. 


175 


It  is  a  point  of  honor  to  make  these  contributions,  and  equally  so  to  return 
them  at  some  time  or  other,  even  if  the  intended  bridegroom  has  to  wait 
until  in  his  turn  he  can  sell  his  eldest  girl.  Next,  the  friends  of  the  young 
man  assemble,  all  mounted  on  their  best  horses,  andproceed  in  a  body  to 
the  house  of  the  girl's  father.  Five  or  six  of  the  best  speakers  dismount 
and  ask  permission  for  the  marriage,  extolling  to  the  utmost  the  merits  of 
the  bridegroom,  and  expatiating  on  the  happiness  of  his  daughter  on  be- 


AN  ARAUCANIAN  MARRIAGE. 

ing  married  to  such  a  man.     The  father,  treating  the  matter  as  gravely  as 
if  he  had  not  done  the  same  thing  himself,  makes  a  speech  in  his  turn. 

All  this  ceremony  is  intended  to  give  time  to  the  young  man  to  huntfor 
his  intended  bride,  and,  until  he  has  found  her,  they  will  go  on  with  their 
speeches.  As  soon  as  the  young  man  discovers  the  girl,  he  seizes  her  and 
drags  her  to  the  door,  while  on  her  part  she  screams  and  shrieks  for  pro- 
tection. At  the  sound  of  her  voice  all  the  women  turn  out,  armed  with 
sticks,  stones,  and  any  other  weapons  which  come  to  hand,  and  rush  to 


176  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

her  help.  The  friends  of  the  bridegroom  in  their  turn  run  to  help  their 
friend,  and  for  some  time  there  is  a  furious  combat,  none  of  the  men  escap- 
ing without  some  sharp  bruises,  and  the  girl  screaming  at  the  top  of  her 
voice. 

At  last  the  bridegroom  dashes  at  the  girl,  seizes  her  as  he  can,  by  the 
hand,  the  hair,  or  the  heels,  as  the  case  may  be,  drags  her  to  his  horse, 
leaps  on  its  back,  pulls  her  up  after  him,  and  dashes  off  at  full  speed, 
followed  by  his  friends.  The  relatives  ofthe  girl  go  off  in  pursuit,  but  are 
constantly  checked  by  the  friends  of  the  bridegroom,  who  keep  them  back 
until  he  has  dashed  into  the  forest  with  his  bride.  They  halt  at  the  skirts 
ofthe  forest,  wait  until  the  sounds  ofthe  girl's  screams  and  the  galloping 
ofthe  horse  have  died  away,  and  then  disperse. 

The  young  couple  are  now  left  alone  until  they  emerge  from  the  wood 
on  the  second  day  after  the  abduction,  when  they  are  supposed  to  be  man 
and  wife.  That  all  the  fighting  and  screaming  are  a  mere  farce,  is  evident 
from  the  fact  that,  if  a  man  should  offer  himself  who  is  not  acceptable  to 
the  parents  of  the  girl,  and  should  proceed  to  carry  her  off,  one  of  her  rel- 
atives blows  the  horn  of  alarm,  as  has  already  been  mentioned,  and  all  of 
the  male  relations  turn  out  and  drive  off  the  intruder.  Sometimes,  howev- 
er, he  succeeds  in  gaining  the  bush  before  he  is  caught,  and  in  that  case 
the  marriage  holds  good.  Some  few  days  after  the  marriage,  the  friends 
call  on  the  newly-married  couple,  and  bring  the  contributions  which  they 
had  promised.  The  whole  party  then  proceed  to  the  house  ofthe  girl's 
father,  and  offer  him  these  goods,  which  are  taken  as  if  they  were  mere  of- 
ferings, and  not  the  price  for  which  the  girl  was  sold.  Being  satisfied  with 
the  presents,  he  expresses  himself  pleased  with  the  matter,  and  congratu- 
lates the  young  couple  and  their  friends. 

Expert  Horsemanship. 

The  Araucanians  are  admirable  riders,  though  their  seat  would  not 
please  an  American  riding  master.  They  depend  entirely  on  balance  for 
retaining  their  seat,  and  seem  rather  to  hang  on  the  horse's  back  than  to 
hold  by  any  grip  of  the  knee.  Indeed,  a  stranger  to  the  country  always 
thinks  that  an  Araucanian  rider  is  on  the  point  of  being  thrown,  so  loose 
is  his  seat,  whereas  the  very  idea  that  he  can  by  any  possibility  be  thrown 
never  enters  his  mind.  He  and  his  horse  seem  one  being,  actuated  by 
one  mind.  A  traveller  once  saw  a  horse  take  fright,  and  leap  sideways 
from  the  object  of  terror.  Rethought  that  the  rider  must  be  flung  by 
the  suddenness  of  the  movement ;  but,  to  all  appearance,  the  man  took 
fright  and  shied  at  the  same  moment  with  his  horse. 

The  Araucanians  make  a  free  use  of  the  lasso.     This  terrible  weapon 


WILD  TRIBES  AND  THEIR  CURIOUS  CUSTOMS.  177 

is  simple  enough  in  principle,  being  nothing  more  than  a  leather  rope, 
forty  feet  in  length,  with  a  noose  at  the  end.  It  is  made  of  a  number  of 
thongs  of  raw  hide,  plaited  into  a  round  rope,  about  three-eighths  of  an 
inch  in  diameter ;  so  that,  although  it  appears  very  slender,  it  really  pos- 
sesses enormous  strength,  and  an  elephant  could  scarcely  break  it.  When 
the  lasso  is  to  be  used,  the  thrower  takes  the  ring  in  his  left  hand,  and 
the  lasso  in  the  right,  and  separates  his  arms  so  as  to  make  a  running 
noose  nearly  six  feet  in  length.  Grasping  the  ring  and  the  cord  with  his 
left  hand,  he  slips  his  right  hand  along  the  rope  so  as  to  double  it,  and 
there  holds  it.  When  he  throws  it,  he  whirls  it  round  his  head  until  the 
noose  becomes  quite  circular,  and  then  hurls  it  at  the  object,  throwing 
after  it  the  remainder  of  the  rope,  which  has  hung  in  coils  on  his  left  arm. 
As  it  passes  through  the  air,  the  noose  becomes  gradually  smaller,  so 
that  the  thrower  can  always  graduate  the  diameter  of  the  noose  to  the 
object  which  it  is  intended  to  secure. 

Thrilling-  Adventures  with.  Wild  Animals. 

The  skill  with  which  they  fling  this  noose  is  wonderful,  as  may  be  seen 
from  the  following  account  of  a  struggle  with  an  infuriated  bull ;  the  cap- 
ture of  a  particular  animal  from  a  herd,  within  a  range  of  pasture  utterly 
unbounded  except  by  mountains  and  rivers,  is  often  difficult,  and  gives 
rise  to  many  very  exciting  and  ludicrous  scenes.  Even  when  taken,  the 
captives  are  not  easy  of  management,  their  attachment  for  old  associates 
manifesting  itself  in  frequent  attempts  to  return. 

One  particular  bull  gave  great  trouble.  He  was  a  noble  fellow,  of 
spotless  white — such  an  one  as  bore  the  beautiful  Europa  through  the 
Phoenician  deep,  or  such  an  one  as  might  be  worshipped  on  the  shores 
of  the  Ganges.  After  a  long  time  he  was  lassoed,  and  the  horseman,  who 
had  literally  taken  the  bull  by  the  horns,  started  off  complacently  to  lead 
him  to  the  place  of  gathering.  But  his  bullship  did  not  take  the  going 
as  a  matter  of  course;  for,  with  a  mad  bellow,  he  charged  upon  his  cap- 
tor, who,  seeing  a  very  formidable  pair  of  horns  dashing  toward  him, 
started  at  full  gallop,  still  holding  fast  the  lasso,  which  he  in  vain  tried  to 
keep  taut.  The  horse  was  jaded,  and  "old  whitey"  was  fast  gaining. 
Another  Indian  bounded  forward,  and,  dexterously  throwing  his  lasso, 
caught  the  unoccupied  horn,  bringing  up  the  prisoner  with  a  round  turn. 

The  bull  was  not  yet  conquered.  After  plunging,  pawing,  bellowing, 
and  tossing  for  a  while,  he  changed  his  tactics.  Making  a  rush  and  a 
feint  at  one  of  his  annoyers,  he  wheeled  about  suddenly,  and  nearly  suc- 
ceeded in  catching  the  other  on  his  horns.  Things  were  becoming  more 
complicated  than  ever,  when,  as  the  infuriated  animal  stood  head  down, 
12 


178  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

with  his  tail  stuck  out  at  an  angle  @f  fifty-five  degrees,  a  third  horseman 
came  to  the  attack,  and  whirling  his  lasso  with  a  jerk,  caught  the  caudal 
extremity  in  a  running  knot. 

A  Droll  Dilemma. 

Thus  the  two  men  at  the  sides  were  safe,  provided  that  the  man  behind 
kept  his  lasso  strained.  But  a  question  in  the  rule  of  three  now  arose. 
If  three  men  catch  a  bull,  one  by  each  horn,  and  one  by  the  tail,  and  all 
pull  in  different  directions,  which  way  can  the  bull  go?  No  one  seemed 
able  to  work  out  the  answer;  but  a  man  named  Katrilas  was  ready  for 
all  emergencies,  and,  dismounting,  he  started  to  the  assistance  of  his 
companions,  armed  with  a  long  lance  and  an  old  poncho.  Running 
before  the  bull,  he  threw  the  poncho  on  the  ground,  a  few  paces  in  front, 
the  men  behind  slackened  a  little,  and  the  bellowing  captive  made  a  des- 
perate plunge  at  the  red  cloth.  A  jerk  on  the  tail  stopped  further  pro- 
gress, till  Katrilas,  picking  up  the  poncho  on  the  tip  of  the  lance,  tossed 
it  several  yards  in  advance.  There  was  another  slackening,  another 
jerk,  and  so  on,  until  the  "critter"  was  brought  to  the  desired  spot. 

The  next  trouble  was  to  loose  the  captive.  Sundry  scientific  pulls 
brought  him  to  the  ground,  and  Katrilas,  springing  forward,  stripped  the 
lassos  from  his  horns.  But  another  remained  on  the  tail.  That  no  one 
would  venture  to  untie,  for  the  bull  had  risen,  and  stood  glaring  franti- 
cally around.  An  Indian,  unsheathing  his  long  knife,  ran  full  tilt  at  the 
extended  tail,  and  with  one  blow  severed  the  greater  part  of  that  useful 
member  from  the  body.  The  last  was  literally  the  "unkindestcut  of  all." 
The  poor  brute  was  fairly  conquered.  He  stood  with  head  hanging,  eyes 
glaring,  the  tongue  lolling  from  his  frothy  mouth,  his  once  spotless  coat 
defiled  with  foam  and  dirt,  while  the  drip,  drip,  drip,  of  the  warm  blood 
upon  his  heels  rendered  the  abjectness  of  his  misery  complete. 

Horrible  Cannibalism. 

We  naturally  associate  cannibalism  with  the  South  Sea  Islanders, 
especially  the  Fijians.  The  native  Fijians  are  clever  enough  at  conceal- 
ing the  existence  of  cannibalism  when  they  find  that  it  shocks  the  white 
men.  A  European  cotton-grower,  who  had  tried  unsuccessfully  to  intro- 
duce the  culture  of  cotton  into  Fiji,  found,  after  a  tolerably  long  residence, 
that  four  or  five  human  beings  were  killed  and  eaten  weekly.  There  was 
plenty  of  food  in  the  place,  pigs  were  numerous,  and  fish,  fruit  and  vege- 
tables abundant.  But  the  people  ate  human  bodies  as  often  as  they  could 
get  them,  not  from  any  superstitious  motive,  but  simply  because  they 
preferred  human  flesh  to  pork.  Many  of  the  people  actually  take  a  pride 
in  the  number  of  human  bodies  which  they  have  eaten.  One  chief  was 


WILD  TRIBES  AND  THEIR  CURIOUS  CUSTOMS.  179 

looked  upon  with  great  respect  on  account  of  his  feats  of  cannibalism, 
and  the  people  gave  him  a  title  of  honor.  They  called  him  the  Turtle- 
pond,  comparing  his  insatiable  stojnach  to  the  pond  in  which  turtles  are 
kept ;  and  so  proud  were  they  of  his  deeds,  that  they  even  gave  a  name 
of  honor  to  the  bodies  brought  for  his  consumption,  calling  them  the 
"  Contents  of  the  Turtle-pond." 

A  Case  of  Shocking  Atrocity. 

One  man  gained  a  great  name  among  his  people  by  an  act  of  peculiar 
atrocity.  He  told  his  wife  to  build  an  oven,  to  fetch  fire-wood  for  heating 
it,  and  to  prepare  a  bamboo  knife.  As  soon  as  she  had  concluded  her 
labors  her  husband  killed  her,  and  baked  her  in  the  oven  which  her  own 
hands  had  prepared,  and  afterward  ate  her.  Sometimes  a  man  has  been 
known  to  take  a  victim,  bind  him  hand  and  foot,  cut  slices  from  his  arms 
and  legs,  and  eat  them  before  his  eyes.  Indeed,  the  Fijians  are  so  inord- 
inately vain,  that  they  will  do  anything,  no  matter  how  horrible,  in  order 
to  gain  a  name  among  their  people.  Cannibalism  is  ingrained  in  the  very 
nature  of  a  Fijian,  and  extends  through  all  classes  of  society.  It  is  true 
that  there  are  some  persons  who  have  never  eaten  flesh,  but  there  is 
always  a  reason  for  it.  Every  Fijian  has  his  special  god,  who  is  supposed 
to  have  his  residence  in  some  animal.  One  god,  for  example,  lives  in  a 
rat,  as  we  have  already  seen  ;  another  in  a  shark ;  and  so  on.  The  wor- 
shipper of  that  god  never  eats  the  animal  in  which  his  divinity  resides; 
and  as  some  gods  are  supposed  to  reside  in  human  bodies,  their  wor- 
shippers never  eat  the  flesh  of  man. 

According  to  the  accounts  of  some  of  the  older  chiefs,  there  was  a 
time  when  cannibalism  did  not  exist.  Many  years  ago,  some  strangers 
from  a  distant  land  were  blown  upon  the  shores  of  Fiji,  and  received  hos- 
pitably by  the  islanders,  who  incorporated  them  into  their  own  tribes,  and 
made  much  of  them.  But,  in  process  of  time,  these  people  became  too 
powerful,  killed  the  Fijian  chiefs,  took  their  wives  and  property,  and 
usurped  their  office.  In  this  emergency  the  people  consulted  the  priests, 
who  said  that  the  Fijians  had  brought  their  misfortunes  upon  themselves. 
They  had  allowed  strangers  to  live,  whereas,  "  Fiji  for  the  Fijians  "  was 
the  golden  rule,  and  from  that  time  every  male  stranger  was  to  be  killed 
and  eaten,  and  every  woman  taken  as  a  wife. 

Terrible  Sacrifice  of  Human  Life. 

As  the  Fijians  set  such  a  value  on  human  flesh,  it  is  to  be  expected 
that  they  will  invent  a  variety  of  excuses  for  obtaining  it.  For  example, 
when  a  chief  builds  a  house,  he  kills  at  least  one  human  victim  to  cele- 
brate the  event.  If  he  builds  a  large  war  canoe,  a  series  of  sacrifices 


180 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


takes  place.  A  man  is  killed,  for  example,  when  the  keel  is  laid,  and,  if 
the  chief  be  a  very  powerful  one,  he  will  kill  a  victim  as  each  plank  is 
fixed  in  its  place.  Even  when  it  is  finished  the  slaughter  is  not  over,  as, 
in  the  first  place,  the  planks  of  the  new  vessel  have  to  be  washed  with  hu- 
man blood,  and  in  the  next,  the  launch  must  be  commemorated  in  the 
same  way  as  the  building.  One  chief  gained  some  notoriety  by  binding 
a  number  of  men,  and  laying  them  side  by  side  along  the  shore  to  act  as 


FIJIAN  CANOE  IN  A  STIFF  BREEZE. 

rollers  over  which  the  canoe  was  taken  from  the  land  into  the  sea.  The 
weight  of  the  canoe  killed  the  men,  who  were  afterward  baked  and  eaten. 
Speaking  of  the  Fijian  canoe,  which  may  be  called  one  of  the  institutions 
of  the  country,  the  best  example  is  the  double  canoe,  where  two  boats  are 
placed  side  by  side.  The  two  canoes  are  covered  over,  so  as  to  keep  out 
the  water,  and  are  connected  by  a  platform  which  projects  over  the  outer 
edges  of  both  boats.  Hatchways  are  cut  through  the  platform,  so  as  to 


WILD  TRIBES  AND  THEIR  CURIOUS  CUSTOMS.  181 

enable  the  sailors  to  pass  into  the  interior  of  the  canoes.  In  the  illustra- 
tion a  man  is  seen  emerging  from  the  hatch  of  the  outer  canoe.  Upon  this 
platform  is  erected  a  sort  of  deck-house  for  the  principal  person  on  board, 
and  on  the  top  of  the  deck-house  is  a  platform  on  which  stands  the  cap- 
tain of  the  vessel,  so  that  he  may  give  his  orders  from  this  elevated  posi- 
tion, like  the  captain  of  a  steamboat  from  the  paddle-box  or  bridge.  This 
position  also  enables  him  to  trace  the  course  of  the  turtle  if  they  should  be 
engaged  in  the  profitable  chase  of  that  reptile. 

The  mode  of  managing  the  vessel  is  extremely  ingenious.  The  short 
mast  works  on  a  pivot  at  the  foot,  and  can  be  slacked  over  to  either  end  of 
the  vessel.  When  the  canoe  is  about  to  get  under  way,  the  long  yard  is 
drawn  up  to  the  head  of  the  mast,  and  the  latter  inclined,  so  that  the  mast, 
the  yard  and  the  deck  form  a  triangle.  The  halyards  are  then  made  fast, 
and  act  as  stays.  When  the  vessel  is  wanted  to  go  about,  the  mast  is 
slacked  off  to  the  other  end  so  that  the  stern  becomes  the  bow,  the  tack 
and  the  sheet  change  places  and  away  goes  the  vessel  on  the  other  course. 
Merry  Boatmen  Sing-ing-  Songs. 

It  will  be  seen  that  such  a  canoe  sails  equally  well  in  either  direction, 
and,  therefore,  that  it  can  be  steered  from  either  end.  The  rudder  is  avery 
large  oar,  some  twenty  feet  in  length,  of  which  the  blade  occupies  eight, 
and  is  sixteen  inches  wide.  The  leverage  of  such  an  oar  is  tremendous, 
and,  in  a  stiff  gale,  several  men  are  required  to  work  it.  In  order  to  re- 
lieve them  in  some  degree,  rudder-bands  are  used ;  but  even  with  this  as- 
sistance the  men  have  difficulty  in  keeping  the  canoe  to  her  course,  and 
are  nearly  sure  to  receive  some  very  sharp  blows  in  the  side  from  the  han- 
dle of  the  steering  oar.  Sometimes  a  sudden  gust  of  wind,  or  a  large  wave, 
will  bring  round  the  rudder  with  such  violence  that  the  handle  strikes  a 
man  in  the  side  and  kills  him.  With  all  these  drawbacks,  canoe  sailing  is 
a  favorite  occupation  with  the  Fijians,  who  are  as  merry  as  possible  while 
on  board,  singing  songs  to  encourage  the  steersman,  watching  waves  and 
giving  notice  of  them,  and  adding  to  the  joyous  tumult  by  beating  any 
drum  that  they  may  happen  to  have  on  board.  Even  when  the  wind  fails, 
and  the  canoe  has  to  be  propelled  by  poling  if  she  should  be  in  shoal  wa- 
ter, or  by  sculling  if  she  should  be  too  far  out  at  sea  for  the  poles,  the  crew 
do  their  work  in  gangs,  which  are  relieved  at  regular  intervals,  those  who 
are  resting  singing  songs  and  encouraging  those  who  are  at  work. 
Ferocity  of  Dyak  Pirates. 

With  the  exception  of  Australia,  which  may  take  rank  as  a-  continent, 
Borneo  is  the  largest  island  in  the  world.  It  is  situated  in  the  tropics,  the 
equator  passing  nearly  through  the  centre  of  it,  and  forms  the  centre  of  the 


182  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Indian  Archipelago.  Until  late  years,  scarcely  anything  was  known  of 
Borneo,  but  since  the  late  Sir  James  Brooke  accomplished  his  wonderful 
series  of  exploits  against  the  piratical  tribes  that  infested  the  coast  for  more 
than  a  thousand  miles,  and  destroyed  all  commerce,  the  country  has  been 
tolerably  explored,  and  the  manners  and  customs  of  its  inhabitants  inves- 
tigated. It  is  thought  that  the  number  of  Dyaks  (as  the  natives  of  Bor- 
neo are  called)  does  not  exceed  forty  thousand,  many  tribes  of  which  have 
never  been  near  the  sea.  The  sea  Dyaks  are  about  three  times  as  numer- 
ous as. the  land  Dyaks,  and  are  at  the  present  day  much  what  the  old  sea- 
kings  were  in  days  gone  by.  They  are  essentially  a  nation  of  rovers,  liv- 
ing by  piracy.  They  are  taller  than  the  Land  Dyaks,  who  seldom  exceed 
five  feet  six  inches  in  height,  and  much  fairer  in  complexion.  The  skin  of 
the  Land  Dyak  is  brown,  whereas  that  of  the  Sea  Dyak  is  many  shades 
lighter,  and  has  been  compared  to  the  color  of  a  new  saddle — a  hue  which 
admirably  suits  the  well-developed  forms  of  these  people.  They  are  very 
proud  of  their  complexion,  and  the  women  are  fond  of  an  excuse  for  throw- 
ing off  the  jackets  which  they  wear,  in  order  to  exhibit  their  smooth  satiny 
skins,  polished  and  shining  as  if  of  new  bronze. 

Pirates  and  their  Boats. 

In  order  to  show  at  a  glance  the  appearance  of  various  tribes  of  Borne- 
ans,  two  Dyaks  are  represented  in  the  engraving.  The  left  hand  figure 
represents  an  Illinoan  pirate.  These  men  are  found  on  the  north-western 
coast  of  Borneo,  not  very  much  above  the  island  of  Labuan.  The  Illino- 
ans  possess  many  large  and  formidable  war  boats,  which  are  armed  in  the 
bows  with  a  very  large  gun,  and  have,  after  the  fashion  of  Bornean  boats, 
an  upper  deck,  which  serves  as  a  platform  for  the  combatants  and  a  shelter 
for  the  rowers,  who  sit  beneath.  There  is  a  small  cabin  astern  tor  the  cap- 
tain, about  the  size  of  a  dog  kennel,  but  the  boats  have  no  other  sleeping 
accommodation.  The  paddles  with  which  the  rowers  propel  the  vessel  are 
shaped  rather  curiously,  looking  at  a  distance  like  mere  sticks  with  flat 
disks  of  wood  fastened  to  their  ends.  The  boats  are  steered  by  an  oar 
rudder  at  the  starboard  side  of  the  stern,  and  each  is  furnished  with  a  mast 
and  huge  sail,  which  can  be  raised  in  a  few  minutes  and  struck  in  almost 
as  many  seconds.  Although  the  Illinoans  are  wealthy  tribes,  and  possess 
quantities  of  fire-arms,  they  are  rather  afraid  to  use  these  weapons,  and 
trust  in  preference  to  the  spear  and  parang. 

The  Illinoans  were  instrumental  in  the  murder  of  two  native  chiefs  who 
were  friendly  to  the  English,  and  who  had  been  suspected  of  aiding  the 
cession  of  Labuan.  One  of  them,  named  Bud-ruddeen,  a  man  of  celebrity 
as  a  warrior,  did  not  fall  unavenged.  When  the  enemy  approached  he  re- 


WILD  TRIBES  AND  THEIR  CURIOUS  CUSTOMS.  183 

tired  to  his  house,  together  with  his  favorite  wife  and  his  sister,  neither  of 
whom  would  leave  him.  By  the  aid  of  his  followers,  he  fought  desperately 
to  the  very  last,  until  nearly  all  his  men  were  killed,  and  he  himself  was 
dangerously  wounded.  He  then  retired  with  his  wife  and  sister  into  an 
inner  chamber,  while  the  enemy  crowded  into  the  house  in  search  of  him, 


AN  ILLINOAN  PIRATE  AND  SAGHAI  DYAK. 

and  then,  firing  his  pistol  into  a  barrel  of  gunpowder  which  he  had  placed 
there  in  readiness,  blew  to  pieces  himself,  his  two  relatives,  and  his  enemies. 
The  other  figure  represents  a  Saghai  Dyak.  This  tribe  lives  on  the 
south-eastern  coast  of  Borneo,  and  is  remarkable  for  the  superb  costumes 
of  the  men,  who  have  about  them  an  air  of  barbaric  splendor,  which  they 


184  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

are  exceedingly  fond  of  displaying.  Wearing  in  common  with  all  Dyaks, 
the  chawat  or  waist  cloth,  they  take  a  pride  in  adorning  themselves  with 
short  tunics  made  of  tiger  or  leopard  skin,  or  rich  and  embroidered  cloth ; 
while  on  their  heads  they  wear  magnificent  caps  made  of  monkey-skin,  and 
decorated  with  the  beautiful  feathers  of  the  Argus  pheasant,  two  of  the 
largest  feathers  being  placed  so  that  one  droops  over  each  ear.  All  these 
Dyaks  have  a  very  singular  profile,  in  consequence  of  their  habit  of  filing 
their  teeth  and  so  reducing  their  bulk,  those  who  have  concave  teeth  pre- 
senting the  most  curious  outline. 

Comparatively  slight  and  feeble  as  the  Dyaks  look  by  the  side  of  the 
stalwart  and  muscular  European,  their  strength  is  really  wonderful,  and 
enables  them  to  perform  tasks  which  the  powerful  white  man  could  not 
by  any  possibility  achieve.  On  a  journey,  when  a  European  has  fallen 
from  sheer  fatigue,  a  Dyak  has  taken  the  burden  with  which  the  fallen 
man  was  laden,  and  added  it  to  his  own,  without  seeming  to  display  any 
particular  sense  of  having  increased  his  own  labor ;  and  when  the  stran- 
ger, in  spite  of  the  relief,  has  lain  down  in  absolute  inability  to  move,  a 
little  wiry  Dyak,  has  picked  him  up,  put  him  on  his  back,  and  proceeded 
on  his  journey  with  perfect  ease. 

Amazing  Strength  of  Little  Dyaks. 

The  Dyaks  are  able,  in  some  astonishing  manner,  to  penetrate  with 
comparative  ease  through  jungles  which  are  absolutely  impervious  to- 
Europeans.  One  of  these  men,  while  on  the  march  with  some  English 
soldiers,  exhibited  his  strength  in  a  very  unexpected  manner.  The  path 
was  a  terrible  one,  all  up  and  down  steep  and  slippery  hills,  so  that  the 
Chinese  coolies  who  accompanied  the  party  first  threw  away  their  rice, 
and  lastly  sat  down  and  wept  like  children.  The  English  sergeant,  a  vet- 
eran, accustomed  to  hard  marching,  both  in  China  and  India,  broke  down 
at  the  first  hill,  and  declared  his  inability  to  move  another  step  under  the 
load  which  he  carried.  The  commander  of  the  party  asked  one  of  the 
Dyaks  to  carry  the  sergeant's  burden,  and  promised  him  an  additional 
piece  of  tobacco.  The  man  was  delighted  with  the  proposal,  and  accepted 
it.  He  was  already  carrying  food  for  three  weeks,  his  whole  store  of 
clothes,  one  twelve-pound  shot,  two  twelve-pound  cartridges,  a  double- 
barrelled  gun,  a  hundred  rounds  of  ball  cartridge,  and  his  own  heavy 
sword  and  spear.  Such  a  load  as  this,  which  would  be  almost  too  great 
even  for  a  man  walking  on  good  roads,  seemed  a  mere  trifle  to  the  agile 
Dyak,  who  went  lightly  and  easily  up  and  down  paths  which  "the  for- 
eigners could  hardly  traverse  even  without  having  to  carry  anything  ex- 
cept their  own  weight. 


WILD  TRIBES  AND  THEIR  CURIOUS  CUSTOMS.  185 

So  little  indeed,  was  he  incommoded,  that  he  strapped  the  whole  of  the 
sergeant's  kit  on  his  back,  and  walked  off  as  easily  as  if  the  whole  load 
were  but  a  feather  weight.  No  one  who  has  not  actually  traversed  those 
paths  can  form  an  idea  of  the  miseries  attending  the  journey.  The  paths 
themselves  are  bad  enough,  but  in  addition  to  the  terribly  severe  labor  of 
walking,  the  traveller  has  to  endure  mosquitoes,  sand-flies,  intense  heat 
at  mid-day,  and  intense  cold  at  night,  thirst,  wet,  and  every  imaginable 
discomfort. 

Yet  the  native  seems  quite  easy  in  the  journey,  and  gets  over  the 
ground  in  a  manner  that  is  absolutely  exasperating  to  foreigners  who- 
accompany  him.  He  is  able  to  push  his  way  through  prickly  thickets 
and  morasses  in  a  way  which  seems  almost  inpenetrable.  Indeed,  he  says 
himself  that  it  is  impenetrable,  and  that  he  achieves  these  feats  by  means 
of  certain  charms  which  he  carries  about  with  him. 

Physical  Feats  of  Savage  Tribes. 

The  extraordinary  agility  of  the  natives  of  Borneo  finds  a  rival  in  the 
physical  endurance  and  remarkable  nimbleness  of  our  own  Indian  tribes. 
The  game  which  is  most  characteristic  of  the  American  Indians  is  the 
celebrated  ball  game,  a  modification  of  which  goes  under  the  name  of  La 
Crosse.  The  principle  on  which  it  is  played  is  exactly  that  of  foot-ball 
and  hockey,  namely,  the  driving  of  a  ball  through  a  goal  defended  by  the 
opposite  party.  We  will  describe  the  game  as  it  is  played  by  the  Choc- 
taws. 

A  ball  is  carefully  made  of  white  willow  wood  and  ornamented  with 
curious  designs  drawn  upon  it  with  a  hot  iron.  The  ball-sticks,  or  rac- 
quets, are  much  like  our  own  racquets,  but  with  larger  and  more  slender 
handles,  and  with  a  very  much  smaller  hoop.  Each  player  carries  two 
of  these  sticks,  one  in  each  hand.  The  dress  of  the  players  is  very  simple, 
being  reduced  to  the  waist-cloth,  a  tail  made  of  white  horse-hair  or  quills, 
and  a  mane  of  dyed  horse-hair  round  the  neck.  The  belt  by  which  the 
tail  is  sustained  may  be  as  highly  ornamented  as  possible,  and  the  player 
may  paint  himself  as  brilliantly  as  he  likes,  but  no  other  article  of  cloth- 
ing is  allowed,  not  even  moccasins  on  the  feet. 

On  the  evening  of  the  appointed  day,  the  two  parties  repair  to  the 
ground  where  the  goals  have  already  been  set  up,  some  two  hundred 
yards  apart,  and  there  perform  the  ball-play  dance  by  torchlight.  Ex- 
actly in  the  middle  between  the  goals,  where  the  ball  is  to  be  started,  sit 
four  old  medicine  men,  singing  and  beating  their  drums,  while  the  players 
are  clustered  round  their  respective  goals,  singing  at  the  top  of  their 
voices,  and  rattling  their  ball-sticks  together.  This  dance  goes  on  dur- 


186  EARTH,  SEA  AND  SKY. 

ing  the  whole  of  the  night,  so  that  the  players  are  totally  deprived  of 
rest — a  very  bad  preparation,  as  one  would  think,  for  the  severe  exertion 
of  the  ensuing  day.  All  the  bets  are  made  on  this  night,  the  article 
staked,  such  as  knives,  blankets,  guns,  cooking  utensils,  tobacco,  and 
even  horses  and  dogs,  being  placed  in  the  custody  of  the  stakeholders, 
who  sit  by  them  and  watch  them  all  night. 

The  Exciting  Contest  Begins. 

About  nine  o'clock  on  the  next  morning  the  play  begins.  The  four 
medicine  men,  with  the  ball  in  their  custody,  seat  themselves  as  before, 
midway  between  the  goals,  while  the  players  arrange  themselves  for  the 
attack  and  defence.  At  a  given  signal  the  ball  is  flung  high  in  the  air, 
and  as  it  falls,  the  two  opposing  sets  of  players  converge  upon  it.  As 
there  are  often  several  hundred  players  on  each  side,  it  may  be  imagined 
that  the  scene  is  a  most  animated  one. 

In  these  desperate  struggles  for  the  ball,  where  hundreds  are  running 
together,  and  leaping  actually  over  each  other's  heads,  and  darting  be- 
tween their  adversaries'  legs,  tripping,  and  throwing,  and  foiling  each 
other  in  every  possible  manner,  and  every  voice  raised  to  its  highest  key, 
in  shrill  yelps  and  barks,  there  are  rapid  successions  of  feats  and  incidents 
that  astonish  and  amuse  far  beyond  the  conception  of  any  one  who  has 
not  had  the  singular  good  luck  to  witness  them. 

In  these  struggles,  every  mode  is  used  that  can  be  devised  to  oppose 
the  progress  of  the  foremost,  who  is  likely  to  get  the  ball ;  and  these  ob- 
structions often  meet  desperate  individual  resistance,  which  terminates  in 
a  violent  scuffle,  and  sometimes  in  fisticuffs.  Then  their  sticks  are  dropped, 
and  the  parties  are  unmolested,  whilst  they  are  settling  it  between  them- 
selves, except  by  a  general  stampede  to  which  those  are  subject  who  are 
down,  if  the  ball  happen  to  pass  in  their  direction.  Every  weapon,  by  a 
rule  of  all  ball  players,  is  laid  by  in  the  respective  encampments,  and  no 
man  is  allowed  to  go  for  one ;  so  that  the  sudden  broils  that  take  place 
on  the  ground  are  presumed  to  be  as  suddenly  settled  without  any  proba- 
bility of  personal  injury,  and  no  one  is  allowed  to  interfere  in  anyway 
with  the  contentious  individuals. 

A  Very  Lively  Scrimmage. 

There  are  times  when  the  ball  gets  to  the  ground,  and  such  a  confused 
mass  is  rushing  together  around  it,  and  knocking  their  sticks  together 
without  a  possibility  of  anyone  getting  or  seeing  it  for  the  dust  that  they 
raise,  that  the  spectator  loses  his  strength,  and  everything  but  his  senses  ; 
when  the  condensed  mass  of  ball  sticks  and  shins  and  bloody  noses  is  car- 
ried around  the  different  parts  of  the  ground,  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  at  a 


WILD  TRIBES  AND  THEIR  CURIOUS  CUSTOMS. 


187 


time,  without  any  one  of  the  masses  being  able  to  see  the  ball,  which 
they  are  often  scuffling  for  several  minutes  after  it  has  been  thrown  off 
and  played  over  another  part  of  the  ground. 

For  each  time  that  the  ball  was  passed  between  the  goals  of  either 
party,  one  was  counted  for  their  game,  and  they  halted  for  about  one 
minute  when  the  ball  was  again  started  by  the  judges  of  the  play,  and  a 
similar  struggle  ensued;  and  so  on  until  the  successful  party  arrived  at 


AN    EXCITING    INDIAN    BALL    GAME. 

IOO,  which  was  the  limit  of  the  play,  when  they  took  the  stakes.  In  this 
game  the  players  are  not  allowed  to  strike  the  ball  with  their  sticks,  or 
catch  it  in  their  hands ;  though  to  do  so  between  the  netted  ends  of  the 
sticks,  and  then  to  run  away  with  it,  is  a  feat  which  each  player  tries  his 
best  to  accomplish. 

Sometimes  the  men  are  kind  enough  to  indulge  the  women  with  a  ball- 
play,  and  to  present  a  quantity  of  goods  as  prizes,  hanging  them  across  a 
a  horizontal  pole,  in  order  to  stimulate  the  players  by  the  sight.  Such 


188  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

inferior  beings  as  women  are  not,  however,  allowed  to  use  the  ball  and  rac- 
quet of  their  superiors,  the  men,  but  play  with  a  couple  of  small  bags  filled 
with  sand,  and  attached  to  each  other  by  means  of  a  string  about  eighteen 
inches  in  length.  Each  of  the  players  is  furnished  with  two  slight  sticks, 
about  two  feet  in  length,  and  with  these  sticks  they  dexterously  catch  the 
sandbags,  and  fling  them  toward  the  goals.  The  women  play  with  quite  as 
much  enthusiasm  as  the  men,  and  the  game  often  assumes  the  appearance 
of  a  general  battle  rather  than  of  a  pastime. 

A  Remarkable  Old  Hunter. 

The  strength  and  agility  which  characterize  the  savage  tribes  extend 
in  many  instances  into  advanced  age,  so  that  at  a  period  of  life  when 
civilized  races  would  expect  only  feebleness  and  bodily  decay,  we  find 
those  races  which  live  nearest  to  a  state  of  nature  exhibiting  surprising 
bodily  vigor.  Baker,  in  his  animated  narrative  of  his  travels  through 
Africa,  gives  a  picturesque  description  of  an  old  native  engaged  in  the 
dangerous  pursuit  of  hunting  the  hippopotamus. 

He  says:  One  of  the  old  Hamran  hunters,  named  Abou  Do — an  ab- 
breviated version  of  a  very  long  string  of  names — was  celebrated  as  a 
howarti,  or  hippopotamus  hunter.  This  fine  old  man,  some  seventy  years 
of  age,  was  one  of  the  finest  conceivable  specimens  of  humanity.  In 
spite  of  his  great  age,  his  tall  form,  six  feet  two  in  height,  was  as  straight 
as  in  early  youth,  his  gray  locks  hung  in  thick  curls  over  his  shoulders, 
and  his  bronze  features  were  those  of  an  ancient  statue.  Despising  all 
encumbrances  of  dress,  he  stepped  from  rock  to  rock  as  lightly  as  a  goat, 
and,  dripping  with  water,  and  bearing  his  spear  in  his  hand,  he  looked  a 
very  Neptune.  The  hunters  came  upon  a  herd  of  hippopotami  in  a  pool, 
but  found  that  they  were  too  much  awake  to  be  safely  attacked. 
The  Veteran  Plunges  into  the  Torrents. 

About  half  a  mile  below  this  spot,  as  we  clambered  over  the  interven- 
ing rocks  through  a  gorge  which  formed  a  powerful  rapid,  I  observed,  in 
a  small  pool  just  below  the  rapid,  an  immense  head  of  a  hippopotamus 
close  to  a  perpendicular  rock  that  formed  a  wall  to  the  river,  about  six 
feet  above  the  surface.  I  pointed  out  the  hippo  to  old  Abou  Do,  who 
had  not  seen  it.  At  once  the  gravity  of  the  old  Arab  disappeared,  and 
the  energy  of  the  hunter  was  exhibited  as  he  motioned  us  to  remain, 
while  he  ran  nimbly  behind  the  thick  screen  of  bushes  for  about  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  yards  below  the  spot  where  the  hippo  was  unconsciously 
basking,  with  his  head  above  the  surface.  Plunging  into  the  rapid  tor- 
rent, the  veteran  hunter  was  carried  some  distance  down  the  stream,  but, 
breasting  the  powerful  current,  he  landed  upon  the  rocks  on  the  opposite 


WILD  TRIBES  AND  THEIR  CURIOUS  CUSTOMS. 


189 


side,  and,  retiring  to  some  distance  from  the  river,  he  quickly  advanced 
toward  the  spot  beneath  which  the  hippopotamus  was  lying.  I  had  a 
fine  view  of  the  scene,  as  I  was  lying  concealed  exactly  opposite  the 
hippo,  who  had  disappeared  beneath  the  water. 

Abou  Do  now  stealthily  approached  the  ledge  of  rock  beneath  which 
he  had  expected  to  see  the  head  of  the  animal;  his  long,  sinewy  arm  was 


THE   OLD   ARAB    ATTACKING  THE    HIPPOPOTAMUS. 

raised,  with  the  harpoon  ready  to  strike  as  he  carefully  advanced.  At 
length  he  reached  the  edge  of  the  perpendicular  rock,  the  hippo  had  van- 
ished, but,  far  from  exhibiting  surprise,  the  old  Arab  remained  standing 
on  the  sharp  ledge,  unchanged  in  attitude. 

No  figure  of  bronze  could  have  been  more  rigid  than  that  of  the  old 
river-king,  as  he  stood  erect  upon  the  rock  with  the  left  foot  advanced, 


190  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

and  the  harpoon  poised  in  his  ready  right  hand  above  his  head,  while  in 
the  left  he  held  the  loose  coils  of  rope  attached  to  the  ambatch  buoy. 
For  about  three  minutes  he  stood  like  a  statue,  gazing  intently  into  the 
clear  and  deep  water  beneath  his  feet. 

I  watched  eagerly  for  the  reappearance  of  the  hippo  ;  the  surface  of 
the  water  was  still  barren,  when  suddenly  the  right  arm  of  the  statue 
descended  like  lightning,  and  the  harpoon  shot  perpendicularly  into  the 
pool  with  the  speed  of  an  arrow.  What  river-fiend  answered  to  the  sum- 
mons ?  In  an  instant  an  enormous  pair  of  open  jaws  appeared,  followed 
b)*the  ungainly  head  and  form  of  the  furious  hippopotamus,  who,  spring- 
ing half  out  of  the  water,  lashed  the  river  into  a  foam,  and,  disdaining 
the  concealment  of  the  deep  pool,  he  charged  straight  up  the  violent 
rapids..  With  extraordinary  power  he  breasted  the  descending  stream ; 
gaining  a  footing  in  the  rapids,  about  five  feet  deep,  he  ploughed  his  way 
against  the  broken  waves,  sending  them  in  showers  of  spray  upon  all  sides, 
and  upon  gaining  broader  shallows  he  tore  along  through  the  water,  with 
the  buoyant  float  hopping  behind  him  along  the  surface,  until  he  landed 
from  the  river,  started  at  full  gallop  along  the  dry  shingly  bed,  and  at 
length  disappeared  in  the  thorny  jungle. 

The  Maddened  Beast  Charging-  at  His  Foes. 

During  one  of  these  flights,  the  hippopotamus  took  it  into  his  head, 
that  the  ambatch  float  was  the  enemy  that  was  damaging  him,  and 
attacked  it  furiously.  Taking  advantage  of  his  pre-occupation,  two  hun- 
ters swam  across  the  river,  carrying  with  them  a  very  long  and  tough 
rope,  and  holding  one  end  on  each  bank  and  "  sweeping,"  as  the  sailors 
say,  they  soon  caught  the  float  in  the  centre  of  the  rope  and  brought  it 
ashore.  The  hippopotamus  then  made  a  charge,  and  the  slackened 
line  was  immediately  coiled  round  a  rock,  while  two  hunters  fixed 
additional  harpoons  in  the  animal ;  and  though  he  made  six  charges  at 
his  foes,  bit  one  of  the  ropes  asunder,  and  crushed  the  lance-shafts 
between  his  teeth  like  straws,  the  hardy  hunters  got  the  better  of  him, 
and  his  death  was  only  a  matter  of  time. 

In  the  water,  the  crocodile  is  even  a  more  dangerous  antagonist  than 
the  hippopotamus,  and  yet  the  Hamrans  attack  it  with  their  harpoons, 
boldly  entering  the  water,  and  caring  no  more  for  crocodiles  than  for  so 
many  frogs. 

The  great  agility  of  some  savage  tribes  is  wonderfully  displayed  in 
their  various  dances,  many  of  which,  while  being  wild  and  grotesque,  are 
yet  such  as  to  astonish  the  beholder.  A  traveller  gives  us  a  vivid  picture 
of  a  scene  witnessed  once  among  the  Dyaks.  Two  warriors  had  been 


(191) 


192  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

dancing  in  a  ring  when,  according  to  custom,  human  heads  just  captured 
in  battle  were  suddenly  presented. 

The  appearance  of  the  heads  was  a  sign  for  the  music  to  play  louder, 
for  the  war  cry  of  the  natives  to  be  more  energetic,  and  for  the  screams 
of  the  dancers  to  be  more  piercing.  Their  motions  now  became  more 
rapid,  and  the  excitement  in  proportion.  Their  eyes  glistened  with 
unwonted  brightness,  the  perspiration  dropped  down  their  faces;  and 
thus  did  yelling,  dancing,  gongs,  and  tom-toms  become  more  rapid  and 
more  violent  every  minute,  till  the  dancing  warriors  were  ready  to  drop. 
A  farewell  yell,  with  emphasis,  was  given  by  the  surrounding  warriors ; 
immediately  the  music  ceased,  the  dancers  disappeared,  and  the  tumultu- 
ous excitement  and  noise  were  succeeded  by  a  dead  silence. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  elapsed,  and  the  preparations  were  made  for 
another  martial  dance.  This  was  performed  by  two  of  the  Rajah's  sons. 
They  came  forward,  each  having  on  his  arm  one  of  the  large  Dyak 
shields,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  cleared  space  were  two  long  swords  lying 
on  the  floor.  The  ceremony  of  shaking  hands  was  gone  through ;  the 
music  then  struck  up,  and  they  entered  the  arena. 

Nimble  Movements  and  Loud  War  Cries. 

At  first  they  confined  themselves  to  evolutions  of  defence,  springing 
from  one  side  to  the  other  with  wonderful  quickness,  keeping  their 
shields  in  front  of  them,  falling  on  one  knee,  and  performing  various 
feats  of  agility.  After  a  short  time,  they  each  seized  a  sword  and  then 
the  display  was  very  remarkable,  and  proved  what  ugly  customers  they 
must  be  in  single  conflict.  Blows  in  every  direction,  feints  of  every 
description,  were  made  by  both,  but  invariably  received  upon  the  shield. 
Cumbrous  as  these  shields  were,  no  opening  was  left;  retreating,  pursu- 
ing, dodging,  and  striking,  the  body  was  never  exposed. 

Occasionally,  during  this  performance,  the  war  cry  was  given  by  the 
surrounding  warriors,  but  the  combatants  held  their  peace ;  in  fact,  they 
could  not  afford  to  open  their  mouths,  lest  a  point  should  be  exposed. 
It  was  a  most  masterly  performance. 

After  a  while  these  performers  became  too  tired  to  proceed  without 
refreshment,  and  their  place  was  taken  by  four  or  five  others,  carrying 
blocks  of  wood  having  a  feather  at  each  end.  The  foreign  guests  took 
these  objects  to  represent  canoes,  but  were  told  that  they  were  rhinoceros 
hornbills,  and  were  thought  by  all  competent  judges  to  be  fine  works  of 
art.  Suddenly  a  number  of  gongs  were  beaten,  and  over  the  mass  of 
human  beings  arose  swords,  heads,  rhinoceros  hornbills,  and  cat-o-nine- 
tails  in  profusion,  the  Dyaks  being  for  the  time  half  mad  with  excitement 


CHAPTER   VII.  x 

CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  ANIMAL   KINGDOM. 

Wonderful  Revelations  in  Natural  History — Vast  Multitudes  of  Living  Creatures — 
Earth,  Air  and  Water  the  Home  of  Life — Colossal  Monsters  of  Forest  and  Jungle 
—The  Towering  Giraffe— Ludicrous  Movements— A  Beautiful  Creature— Power 
of  Self-Defense  —  The  Giraffe  in  the  Old  Roman  Circus— A  Swift  Chase  and 
Capture— The  Striped  Zebra— The  Most  Beautiful  of  Quadrupeds— The  King  of 
Portugal  and  his  Four  Zebras — A  Creature  Hard  to  be  Tamed — Animal  Sacri- 
fices in  Eastern  Countries — The  Ponderous  Rhinoceros — Made  to  Fight  in  the 
Roman  Coloseum — A  Monster  Almost  Iron- Plated — Haunts  of  the  Clumsy 
Beast— Hunting  the  Rhinoceros — Fatal  Stroke  with  a  Sword — Story  of  a  Terri- 
ble Encounter — The  Voracious  Crocodiles— Killed  at  Roman  Games — Arabs 
Wounded  by  Crocodiles— A  Friendly  Bird— The  Attack  with  a  Dagger— The 
Famous  Gavial  of  India— A  Reptile  on  Wings — The  Flying  Frog — A  Reptile 
with  Exquisite  Colors. 

AVING  given  a  full  description  of  the  antediluvian  world  and 
the  singular  animals — monsters  they  may  truly  be  called— 
which  inhabited  it ;  having  depicted  the  extraordinary  changes 
which  have  been  going  on  for  many  ages,  resulting  in  the  for- 
mation of  our  globe  as  we  see  it  at  the  present  time ;  having  witnessed 
the  great  convulsions  which  have  desolated  cities  and  destroyed  multi- 
tudes of  human  beings,  and  beheld  the  fiery  outburst  of  volcanoes  with 
their  startling  phenomena ;  having  traversed  distant  realms  and  observed 
the  curious  features  in  the  life  of  savage  tribes,  we  are  now  to  turn  our 
attention  to  the  animal  creation  in  its  present  aspects,  and  notice  the 
latest  and  most  extraordinary  developments  in  the  great  realm  of  natural 
history. 

In  whatever  direction  we  turn  our  eyes,  we  everywhere  meet  the  varied 
forms  of  animal  life.  Earth,  air,  water,  are  all  alike  occupied  by  multi- 
tudes of  living  creatures,  each  fitted  especially  for  the  habitation  assigned 
.to  it  by  nature.  Every  wood  or  meadow,  every  tree  or  shrub,  or  tuft  of 
grass  has  its  inhabitants ;  even  beneath  the  surface  of  the  ground,  num- 
bers of  animals  may  be  found  fulfilling  the  purposes  for  which  their 
species  were  called  into  existence.  Myriads  of  birds  dash  through  the 
air,  supported  on  their  feathered  pinions,  or  solicit  our  attention  by  the 
charming  song  which  they  pour  forth  from  their  resting-places ;  while 
.swarms  of  insects,  with  still  lighter  wings,  dispute  with  them  the  empire 
13  (193) 


194  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

of  the  air.  The  waters,  whether  salt  or  fresh,  are  also  filled  with  living 
organisms ;  fishes  of  many  forms  and  varied  colors,  and  creatures  of  yet 
more  strange  appearance,  swim  silently  through  their  depths,  and  their 
shores  are  covered  with  a  profusion  of  polypes,  sponges,  star-fishes,  and 
other  animals.  To  whatever  elevation  we  attain  on  the  mountain-sides, 
to  whatever  depth  in  the  ocean  we  may  sink  the  lead,  everywhere  shall  we 
find  traces  of  animal  existence,  everywhere  find  ourselves  surrounded  by 
living  creatures,  in  a  profusion  and  variety  which  may  well  excite  our 
wonder  and  admiration. 

Nor  are  these  phenomena  confined  to  any  region  of  the  earth ;  on  the 
contrary,  the  diversity  of  climate  only  adds  to  the  variety  of  objects 
which  the  zoologist  is  called  upon  to  contemplate.  Thus  the  bold 
voyager  of  the  inclement  regions  of  the  North,  in  losing  sight  of  those 
productions  of  nature  which  met  his  eyes  at  home,  finds,  as  it  were,  a 
new  creation  in  his  new  abode, — seals,  by  the  hundred,  basking  in  the 
scanty  rays  of  the  Arctic  sun,  or  diving  into  the  deep  waters  in  search 
of  their  finny  prey,  and  the  whale,  rolling  his  vast  bulk  in  the  waves,  and 
ever  and  anon  driving  high  into  the  air  his  curious  fountain  of  spray. 
The  air  is  peopled  by  innumerable  flights  of  marine  birds ;  the  sea  by 
still  more  countless  swarms  of  fishes ;  and  the  land  affords  a  habitation  to 
the  elk  and  the  reindeer,  the  Arctic  fox,  and  other  creatures  peculiar  to 

those  regions. 

Amazing  Abundance  of  Animal  Life. 

If  we  turn  our  steps  southward,  to  the  tropical  regions  of  the  earth, 
the  abundance  and  variety  of  animated  beings  increase  more  and  more. 
Here  the  colossal  elephant  and  the  unwieldy  rhinoceros,  crash  through 
primeval  forests ;  the  lion  and  the  tiger,  and  other  predatory  beasts,  prowl 
through  the  thickets,  seeking  for  their  prey ;  on  vast  plains,  countless 
herds  of  antelopes  browse  in  fancied  security,  or  dash  swiftly  past  at  the 
approach  of  danger ;  gigantic  snakes  lie  coiled  in  horrid  folds  among  the 
bushes,  or  hang  from  the  trees  awaiting  their  victims.  The  air  and  trees 
swarm  with  birds  of  gorgeous  plumage,  and  insects  of  strange  forms  and 
brilliant  colors.  Nor  are  the  waters  less  bountifully  provided  with  inhabi- 
tants :  every  form  with  which  we  are  acquainted  in  our  own  seas  is  here 
represented,  but  with  still  greater  profusion  and  variety. 

Full  nature  swarms  with  life. 
Through  subterranean  cells, 

Where  searching  sunbeams  scarce  can  find  a  way, 
Earth  animated  heaves.     The  flowery  leaf 
Wants  not  its  soft  inhabitants.     Secure 
Within  its  winding  citadel,  the  stone 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  ANIMAL  KINGDOM.  195 

Holds  multitudes.     But  chief,  the  forest  boughs, 
That  dance  unnumbered  to  the  playful  breeze* 
The  downy  orchard  and  the  melting  pulp 
Of  mellow  fruit,  the  nameless  nations  feed 
Of  evanescent  insects.    Where  the  pool 
Stands  mantled  o'er  with  green,  invisible, 
Amid  the  floating  verdure,  millions  stray. 

Thus  we  are  encompassed  with  the  marvelous.  On  every  hand  there 
are  creations,  some  of  extraordinary  magnitude,  others  of  surprising  min- 
uteness, which  awaken  our  curiosity  ;  and  in  studying  these  varied  forms 
of  life  we  find  a  new  wonder  at  every  step. 

An  Animal  of  Remarkable  Height  and  Beauty. 

It  makes  little  difference  where  we  begin  in  our  delineation.  We  will 
take  a  trip  to  the  tropics,  and  get  a  view  of  one  of  its  most  curious  and  in- 
teresting animals — the  giraffe.  The  giraffe — which  has  been  humorously 
described  as  "  an  antelope  run  to  seed  " — is  fond  of  a  wooded  country. 
The  leaves  of  trees  are  its  principal  food,  and  especially  a  species  of  mi- 
mosa. Green  herbs  are  also  very  agreeable  to  it;  but  its  structure  does 
not  admit  of  its  feeding  on  them  in  the  same  manner  as  our  domestic 
animals,  the  ox  or  the  horse.  It  is  obliged  to  straddle  widely;  its  two 
fore  feet  are  gradually  stretched  widely  apart  from  each  other,  and  its 
neck,  being  then  bent  into  a  semicircular  form,  the  giraffe  is  thus  enabled 
to  collect  the  grass.  The  tongue,  also,  has  the  power  of  motion  to  an  ex- 
traordinary degree,  and,  at  the  same  time,  one  of  extension,  so  as  to  per- 
form, in  miniature,  the  office  of  an  elephant's  proboscis.  Coiling  this 
member  round  the  branches  of  trees,  it  draws  them  down  between  its 
very  movable  and  flexible  lips,  and  thus  nips  off  the  tender  portions.  The 
tongue  can  taper  to  a  point,  and  is  capable  of  being  formed  into  a  ring. 

This  remarkable  animal  is  distinguished  from  all  the  other  ruminants 
or  cud-chewing  animals,  by  several  important  characteristics.  The  body 
is  short  and  supported  upon  very  long  legs ;  the  dorsal  line  slopes  down- 
ward toward  the  rump,  the  withers  being  greatly  elevated,  and  from  this 
it  was  long  confidently  asserted  that  the  fore-legs  were  much  longer  than 
the  hinder  pair,  although  this  is  not  the  case.  The  neck  is  excessively 
long,  and  the  countenance  exceedingly  gentle  and  pleasing  in  its  expres- 
sion, the  eyes  being  remarkably  full  and  lustrous.  The  giraffe  is  the 
tallest  of  all  ruminants,  the  males  not  uncommonly  measuring  fourteen 
and  sometimes  eighteen  feet  from  the  top  of  the  head  to  the  ground.  The 
females  are  usually  a  foot  or  two  shorter. 

The  giraffe  is  not  a  very  swift  animal,  and  when  pursued  its  gallop  is 
described  as  exceedingly  ludicrous,  the  hind-legs  being  brought  forward 


THE    GIRAFFE   OR   CAMELOPARD. 


(196) 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  ANIMAL  KINGDOM.  197 

at  each  step  completely  in  advance  of  the  anterior  ones,  apparently  a  foot 
or  two  on  the  outside  of  them ;  in  this  fashion  the  giraffes  contrive  to  get 
over  the  ground  pretty  rapidly,  with  a  curious  springing  motion.  A  very 
swift  horse  may  possibly  overtake  them,  and  the  rider  may  then  select 
his  victim  from  the  herd,  cut  it  off  from  its  companions,  and  shoot  it  at 
his  leisure.  When  going  at  full  speed  the  heels  of  the  giraffe  constantly 
throw  up  dirt,  sticks,  and  stones  in  the  faces  of  its  nearest  pursuers,  but  it 
never  appears  to  attempt  to  defend  itself  unless  brought  to  bay ;  in  this 
case  its  weapons  are  its  hoofs,  with  which  it  kicks  out  so  rapidly  and 
vigorously  that  dogs  will  not  venture  to  attack  it,  and  it  is  even  said  that 
it  can  beat  off  the  lion  in  the  same  manner.  The  flesh  of  these  animals, 
when  young,  is  considered  very  good  ;  that  of  the  old  ones  is  coarse.  The 
skin  is  very  thick  and  highly  valued  by  the  natives  of  South  Africa,  who 
consider  the  leather  formed  from  it  to  be  the  best  material  for  sandal  soles. 
They  also  use  the  skin  in  the  formation  of  vessels  to  hold  water,  and 
sometimes  as  a  covering  for  their  huts. 

Colossal  Size  and  Grace  of  Movement. 

Gumming  gives  us  the  following  lively  description  of  the  giraffe,  at 
liberty  in  his  native  regions : 

These  gigantic  and  exquisitely  beautiful  animals,  which  are  admirably 
formed  by  nature  to  adorn  the  forests  that  clothe  the  boundless  plains  of 
the  interior,  are  widely  distributed  throughout  the  interior  of  Southern 
Africa,  but  are  nowhere  to  be  met  with  in  great  numbers.  In  countries 
unmolested  by  the  intrusive  foot  of  man,  the  giraffe  13  found  generally  in 
herds  varying  from  twelve  to  sixteen  ;  but  I  have  not  unfrequently  met 
with  herds  containing  thirty  individuals,  and  on  one  occasion  I  counted 
forty  together ;  this,  however,  was  owing  to  chance,  and  about  sixteen 
may  be  reckoned  as  the  average  number  of  a  herd.  These  herds  are 
composed  of  giraffes  of  various  sizes,  from  the  young  giraffe  of  nine  or  ten 
feet  in  height,  to  the  dark  chestnut-colored  old  bull  of  the  herd,  whose  ex- 
alted head  towers  above  his  companions.  Some  writers  have  discovered 
ugliness  and  a  want  of  grace  in  the  giraffe,  but  I  consider  that  he  is  one 
of  the  most  strikingly  beautiful  animals  in  the  creation ;  and  when  a  herd 
of  them  is  seen  scattered  through  a  grove  of  the  picturesque' parasol- 
topped  acacias  which  adorn  their  native  plains,  and  on  whose  uppermost 
shoots  they  are  enabled  to  browse  by  the  colossal  height  with  which  na- 
ture has  so  admirably  endowed  them,  he  must,  indeed,  be  slow  of  concep- 
tion who  fails  to  discover  both  grace  and  dignity  in  all  their  movements. 

It  is  very  difficult,  almost  impossible,  to  take  a  mature  giraffe  alive ; 
for  they  run  with  such  speed  and  with  a  succession  of  such  wonderful 


198  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

bounds,  that  the  swiftest  horses  can  scarcely  overtake  them.  In  order  to 
capture  them,  the  period  when  the  young  are  sucklings  is  selected,  when, 
if  the  captor  is  fortunate  enough  to  keep  the  youngster  alive  for  a  few 
days,  it  becomes  quiet,  and  even  tame ;  but  very  often  the  poor  captive 
refuses  all  nourishment,  and  dies  of  consumption. 
The  Foes  of  the  Giraffe. 

The  chief  enemies  of  the  giraffe  are  the  lion  and  panther.  In  the  open 
plain  it  distances  them  with  ease ;  but  if  it  is  surprised  from  ambush,  it 
exhibits  both  courage  and  strength  in  resisting  its  assailant,  striking  with 
its  forefeet  with  such  force  as  to  prove  occasionally  fatal  to  the  foe ;  but 
too  frequently  its  efforts  are  unavailing.  The  giraffe  must  number  man 
also  among  its  enemies.  The  Hottentots  hold  its  flesh  in  high  esteem. 
By  lying  in  wait  for  it  at  a  favorite  feeding  or  watering-place  they  shoot 
it  with  poisoned  arrows.  The  more  frequent  use  of  fire-arms  in  hunting 
this  beautiful  animal  will  certainly  before  long  lead  to  a  complete  annihila- 
tion of  these  wonderful  and  docile  creatures. 

The  ancients  were  acquainted  with  the  giraffe.  In  the  Egyptian  paint- 
ings or  bas-reliefs  which  have  been  handed  down  to  us,  there  are  figures 
which  represent  it;  Pliny,  Oppian,  and  Heliodorus  also  make  mention  of 
it.  The  Romans  possessed  living  specimens  of  this  animal,  which  they 
exhibited  in  their  circuses,  and  it  appeared  in  the  procession  of  the 
"  Triumph."  Several  giraffes  were  introduced  into  Europe  during  the 
middle  ages.  Buffon  was  unable  personally  to  examine  this  animal ;  but 
the  illustrious  traveller,  Levaillant,  who  died  almost  in  poverty,  after 
having  sacrificed  his  fortune  to  long  and  perilous  journeys  in  Africa,  sent 
the  Zoological  Garden,  at  Paris,  the  first  stuffed  giraffe  which  that  institu- 
tion possessed. 

A  Successful  Capture. 

Levaillant  thus  gives  a  description  of  the  chase  by  which  he  became 
possessed  of  this  rare  animal :  I  began  one  day  to  hunt  at  sunrise,  in  the 
hope  of  finding  game  to  add  to  my  provisions.  After  hours  of  riding,  I 
perceived  on  a  brow  of  a  hill  seven  giraffes,  which  my  dogs  immediately 
attacked.  Six  of  these  immediately  took  flight  in  the  same  direction,  but 
the  seventh,  surrounded  by  my  hounds,  went  off  another  way.  At  this 
moment  my  companion  was  walking  and  leading  his  horse  by  the  bridle ; 
in  less  than  a  second,  he  was  in  his  saddle  and  pursuing  the  herd.  I  fol- 
lowed the  single  one  with  all  speed ;  but,  notwithstanding  the  efforts  of 
my  horse,  it  gained  so  much  on  me  that,  on  turning  a  corner  of  a  hillock, 
it  was  quite  out  of  sight,  so  I  relinquished  the  pursuit.  My  dogs,  how- 
ever, were  not  long  in  reaching  it ;  for  they  soon  came  so  near  as  to  force 


m 


A    LIVELY    CHASE   FOR   GIRAFFES. 


(199) 


200  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

it  to  come  to  a  halt  to  defend  itself.  From  where  I  was  I  heard  them 
baying ;  and  as  the  sounds  seemed  all  to  come  from  the  same  place,  I 
conjectured  that  the  hounds  had  driven  it  into  a  corner,  so  immediately 
hurried  towards  the  spot. 

I  had  scarcely  reached  the  top  of  the  acclivity,  when  I  perceived  the 
giraffe  surrounded,  and  endeavoring  to  keep  off  its  assailants,  by  kicking. 
Having  dismounted,  with  one  shot  from  my  rifle  I  knocked  it  over. 
Delighted  with  my  victory,  I  was  returning  on  foot  to  call  my  people 
round  me  to  skin  and  cut  up  the  animal.  While  I  was  looking  for  them 
I  saw  a  native,  who  was  eagerly  making  signs  to  me,  which  at  first  I 
could  not  in  the  least  understand.  But  on  looking  in  the  direction  in 
which  he  was  pointing,  I  perceived,  with  surprise,  a  giraffe  standing  up 
under  a  large  ebony  tree,  and  attacked  by  my  dogs.  I  thought  it  was 
another  one,  and  ran  towards  it,  but  found  it  was  the  animal  I  had  first 
attacked,  which  had  managed  to  get  up  again,  but  fell  down  dead  just 
as  I  was  about  to  fire  a  second  shot. 

Who  would  believe  that  a  success  like  this  could  excite  in  my  mind 
transports  of  joy  almost  akin  to  madness  !  Pain,  fatigue,  cruel  want,  un- 
certainty as  to  the  future,  and  disgust  at  the  past,  all  vanished,  at  the  sight 
of  my  rare  prize ;  I  could  not  look  at  it  enough.  I  measured  its  enormous 
height,  and  gazed  with  astonishment  from  the  instrument  of  destruction 
to  the  animal  destroyed  by  it.  I  called  and  recalled  my  people,  one  by 
one  ;  and  though  each  of  them  might  have  been  able  to  do  as  much,  and 
we  had  all  slaughtered  heavier  and  more  dangerous  animals,  yet  I  was 
the  first  to  kill  one  of  this  particular  kind ;  with  it  I  was  about  to  enrich 
natural  history,  and,  putting  an  end  to  fiction,  establish  the  truth. 
An  Animal  Elegantly  Formed  and  Marked. 

The  zebra,  sometimes  called  the  horse-tiger,  is  generally  esteemed  not 
only  the  most  beautiful  of  the  equine  family,  but  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful of  quadrupeds,  on  account  of  the  markings  of  its  skin.  The 
ground  color  is  white,  or  yellowish-white,  but  the  head,  body,  and 
legs  to  the  hoofs  are  regularly  striped,  mostly  crosswise,  with  deep 
brown-black  bands,  lighter  in  the  middle.  From  this  form  of  marking 
we  have  the  word  zebraedt  significant  of  a  regular  banding  of  the  skin  of 
an  animal.  The  ears  of  the  zebra  are  long,  the  neck  short  and  deep, 
with  a  sort  of  dewlap  under  the  throat,  produced  by  a  loose  fold  of  the 
skin ;  the  mane  is  short,  and  the  tail  sparsely  clad  with  long  hair.  The 
form  resembles  that  of  the  ass,  but  the  size  nearly  equals  that  of  the 
horse.  Wild  and  swift,  this  species  lives  in  troops  in  the  bold  ranges  of 
craggy  mountains  remote  from  the  abode  of  man.  Its  disposition  is 


WILD  ZEBRAS  OF  SOUTHERN  AFRICA. 


(201) 


202  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

savage  and  intractable,  and  it  is  by  no  means  easily  obtained,  not  only 
from  its  fleetness,  but  from  the  nature  of  the  localities  it  frequents,  where, 
like  the  wild  ass  of  Thibet,  in  the  "  wilderness  and  the  barren  land  is  his 
dwelling ;  he  scorneth  the  multitude  of  the  city."  Nevertheless,  zebras 
have  been  taken  to  Europe  and  placed  in  the  menageries.  All  attempts 
to  domesticate  them,  or  to  train  them  to  the  service  of  man,  have  failed ; 
about  a  century  ago,  however,  the  King  of  Portugal  had  four  of  them, 
which  he  sometimes  drove  harnessed  to  his  carriage. 

The  zebra  is  larger  than  the  wild  ass,  sometimes  attaining  the  size  of  a 
mature  Arab  horse.  This  elegant  animal  is  a  native  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  and  probably  the  whole  of  southern,  and  a  part  of  eastern,  Africa. 
Travellers  state  that  they  have  met  with  it  in  Congo,  Guinea,  and  Abys- 
sinia. It  delights  in  mountainous  countries,  and,  although  it  is  less  rapid 
than  the  wild  ass,  its  paces  are  so  good  that  the  best  horses  are  alone  able 
to  overtake  it.  The  zebra  lives  in  droves,  but  is  very  shy  in  its  nature ; 
it  is  endowed  with  powers  of  sight  that  enable  it  to  perceive  from  great 
-distances  the  approach  of  hunters.  It  is,  consequently,  very  difficult  to 
capture  a  mature  living  specimen. 

That  it  is  impossible  to  reduce  this  quadruped  to  a  domestic  state  is 
currently  believed.  In  contradiction,  we  would  state  that  a  female  zebra, 
which  had  been  caught  young,  and  sent  by  the  Governor  of  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope  to  the  Zoological  Gardens  in  Paris,  was  so  tractable  that 
it  allowed  itself  to  be  approached  and  led  almost  as  readily  as  a  horse. 
The  zebra  was  not  unknown  to  the  ancients,  who  called  it  hippo-tigris. 
A  historian  relates  that  the  Emperor  Caracalla  killed  on  a  certain  day,  in 
one  of  the  circus  combats,  an  elephant,  a  rhinoceros,  a  tiger,  and  a  hippo- 
tigris.  Diodorus  of  Sicily  speaks  of  the  hippo-tigris,  although  in  rather 
obscure  terms.  The  kings  of  Persia,  during  certain  religious  festivals, 
were  accustomed  to  sacrifice  zebras  to  the  sun,  a  stock  of  which  were 
kept  by  these  potentates  in  some  of  the  islands  of  the  Red  Sea. 
The  Zebra's  Native  Country. 

The  zebra  is  only  to  be  met  with  in  the  most  eastern  and  the  most 
southern  parts  of  Africa,  from  Ethiopia  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and 
thence  to  Congo;  it  exists  neither  in  Europe,  Asia  nor  America,  nor 
even  in  all  the  northern  parts  of  Africa ;  those  which  some  travellers  tell 
us  they  have  seen  at  the  Brazils  have  been  transported  thither  from  Africa ; 
those  which  others  are  reported  to  have  seen  in  Persia,  and  in  Turkey, 
have  been  brought  from  Ethiopia ;  and,  in  short,  those  that  we  have  seen 
in  our  own  country  are  almost  all  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  This 
point  of  Africa  is  their  true  climate,  their  native  country,  and  where  the 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  ANIMAL  KINGDOM.  203 

Dutch  have  employed  all  their  care  to  subject  them  and  to  render  them 
tame,  without  having  been  hitherto  able  to  succeed.  One  that  was  cap- 
tured was  very  wild  when  he  arrived  at  the  royal  menagerie  in  France  ; 
and  he  was  never  entirely  tamed :  nevertheless,  he  was  broken  for  the  sad- 
dle; but  two  men  held  the  bridle,  while  a  third  mounted  him.  The 
mouth  of  the  zebra  is  very  hard ;  his  ears  so  sensitive,  that  he  winces 
whenever  any  person  goes  to  touch  them.  He  is  restive,  like  a  vicious 
horse,  and  obstinate  as  a  mule ;  but  there  is  reason  to  believe,  that  if  the 
zebra  were  accustomed  to  obedience  and  tameness  from  his  earliest  years 
he  would  become  as  mild  as  the  horse,  and  might  be  substituted  in  his 

place. 

The  Horned  Rhinoceros. 

Now  that  we  are  describing  the  marvels  of  animal  life  in  the  tropics, 
there  is  another  singular  quadruped,  a  monstrous  creature,  that  deserves 
especial  mention.  Rhinoceroses  were  much  more  numerous  in  remote 
eras  than  they  are  at  present.  There  have  existed  numerous  different 
species,  several  of  them  living  in  temperate  and  even  in  cold  climates — 
as  France,  Germany,  and  Russia.  These  animals  are  no  longer  found, 
except  in  the  hottest  portions  of  the  old  World.  Aristotle  says  nothing 
of  the  Rhinoceros  ;  but  Athenaeus,  Pliny,  and  Strabo  mention  it  in  their 
works.  The  first  Rhinoceros  mentioned  in  history  figured  in  a  f&te 
given  in  Egypt  by  one  of  the  Kings.  Later,  Pompey,  Augustus,  the 
emperors  Antoninus  and  Heliogabalus,  brought  some  into  Europe,  and 
made  them  fight  in  the  Coliseum,  at  Rome,  sometimes  with  the  hippo- 
potamus, and  sometimes  with  the  elephant.  We  must  then  pass  on  to  the 
sixteenth  century  to  find  in  Europea*n  history  any  new  mention  of  these 
animals.  In  1513,  Emanuel,  the  King  of  Portugal,  received  from  India 
a  one-horned  rhinoceros.  Albert  Durer  made  an  engraving  of  it  on 
wood,  which  was  for  a  long  time  copied  and  reproduced  in  works  on 
natural  history.  Only  this  representation  of  it  is  very  inexact;  for  Albert 
Durer  had  executed  it  after  an  incorrect  drawing  sent  him  from  Lisbon 
into  Germany.  During  the  eighteenth  century,  a  rhinoceros  was  brought 
to  Holland ;  two  were  taken  to  London  at  the  end  of  the  same  century. 
The  menagerie  at  Versailles  bought  one  of  these  last-named  animals, 
which  very  soon  died.  Since  the  beginning  of  our  century  civilized  na- 
tions have  received  many  of  these  gigantic  and  curious  quadrupeds. 

The  great  Indian  rhinoceros  inhabits  the  regions  situated  beyond  the 
Ganges,  and  especially  the  valley  of  Opam,  along  the  base  of  the  eastern 
Himalaya  Mountains.  Its  head  is  short  and  triangular;  its  mouth,  of  a 
moderate  size,  has  an  upper  lip,  which  is  longer  than  the  lower,  pointed 


204 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


and  movable.  It  has  in  each  jaw  two  strong  incisive  teeth.  Its  eyes  are 
small ;  its  ears  are  rather  long  and  movable.  The  horn  upon  its  nose  is 
pointed,  conical,  not  compressed,  sometimes  two  feet  in  length,  and 


THE    INDIAN    RHINOCEROS. 

slightly  curved  backwards.  This  singular  weapon  is  composed'of  a  clus- 
ter of  hairs  closely  adherent ;  for  when  the  point  is  blunted,  it  is  often, 
seen  divided  into  fibres  resembling  the  hairs  of  a  brush.  This  horn  is, 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  ANIMAL  KINGDOM.  205 

however,  very  solid,  hard,  of  a  brownish  red  on  the  outside,  of  a  golden 
yellow  inside,  and  black  in  the  centre-. 

A  Ponderous  Armor. 

The  neck  of  this  animal  is  short  and  covered  with  folds  and  creases. 
Its  shoulders  are  thick-set  and  heavy ;  its  ponderous  body  is  covered 
with  a  skin  remarkable  for  the  deep  wrinkles  or  creases  with  which  it  is 
furrowed,  backwards  and  across  the  forequarters,  and  across  the  thighs. 
Thus,  as  it  were,  to  all  appearance  cut  up  into  plaits  of  mail,  the  great 
Indian  rhinoceros  seems  to  be  covered  with  a  cloak  made  for  it.  This 
cloak  has,  indeed,  been  compared  to  a  suit  of  armor  of  well  adjusted 
pieces.  The  hide  is,  however,  so  thick  and  hard  that,  without  these 
creases  or  folds,  the  animal,  imprisoned,  as  it  were,  in  its  armor  could 
scarcely  move.  It  is  of  a  dark  color,  nearly  bare,  generally  provided  only 
with  a  few  coarse  and  stiff  hairs  on  the  tail  and  ears,  occasionally  with 
curly  woolly  hairs  on  certain  parts  of  the  body. 

The  great  Indian  rhinoceros  is  heavy  and  more  massive  than  even  the 
elephant,  on  account  of  the  shortness  of  its  limbs.  The  feet  have  each 
three  toes,  of  which  one  sees  nothing  but  the  hoof  which  covers  them. 
The  tail  is  short  and  thin.  This  huge  creature  lives  alone  in  the  forests 
and  near  rivers  and  marshes,  because  it  is  fond  of  wallowing  in  the  mud, 
like  the  wild  boar,  which  it  sometimes  resembles  in  its  habits.  Though 
such  a  powerful  animal,  it  rarely  attacks  before  it  is  interfered  with  ;  the 
other  large  animals  fear  it,  and  consequently  leave  it  unmolested.  Its  horn 
only  serves  it  for  moving  branches  out  of  its  way  and  for  clearing  a  road 
for  itself  in  the  thickets,  in  the  midst  of  which  it  passes  its  taciturn  exist- 
ence. Some  naturalists  have  said  that  it  uses  its  tusks  for  tearing  up  the 
roots  on  which  it  is  fond  of  feeding;  but  in  order  to  turn  up  the  soil, 'the 
animal,  from  the  position  of  its  horn  and  from  the  horn  being  curved 
backwards,  would  be  obliged  to  assume  an  attitude  which  the  shortness 
of  its  neck  and  its  general  conformation  render  impossible.  A  wounded 
rhinoceros  of  this  species  has  been  seen  to  cut  the  reeds  on  either  side  of 
it  as  perfectly  as  if*  done  with  the  sharpest  incisive  instrument. 
An  Untameable  Beast. 

Its  principal  food  consists  of  roots,  of  succulent  plants,  and  of  small 
branches  of  trees,  which  it  tears  off,  seizes,  and  breaks  with  its  upper  lip, 
which  is  elongated  and  movable,  and  which  it  uses  with  great  adroitness, 
almost  in  the  same  way  in  which  the  elephant  uses  its  trunk.  When  it  is 
kept  in  a  "state  of  captivity  it  eats  bread,  rice,  bran  soaked  in  water,  hay, 
and  carrots.  Its  clumsy  shape,  its  short  legs,  its  belly  almost  touching 
the  ground,  render  this  animal  very  ugly  and  ill-favored.  Its  diminutive 


206  EARTH,  SEA  AND  SKY. 

eyes  seem  to  indicate  a  low  order  of  intelligence.  And  so  the  rhinoceros 
is  a  dull  beast,  brusque,  and  almost  untameable.  When  it  is  not  irritated, 
its  voice  has  a  great  analogy  to  the  grunting  of  a  pig;  if  it  is  angered  it 
utters  sharp,  piercing  cries,  that  can  be  heard  at  great  distances. 

In  India,  in  former  times,  the  rhinoceros  was  hunted  on  light,  quick 
horses.  The  huntsmen  followed  it  from  afar  off,  and  without  any  noise, 
till  the  animal  became  tired  and  was  obliged  to  lie  down  and  sleep.  Then 
the  sportsmen  approached  it,  taking  care  to  keep  to  leeward,  for  it  has  a 
very  acute  sense  of  smell.  When  they  were  within  shot,  they  dismounted, 
aimed  at  the  head,  fired,  and  galloped  away  ;  for  if  the  rhinoceros  is  only 
wounded,  it  rushes  furiously  upon  its  aggressors.  When  struck  by  a 
bullet,  it  abandons  itself  wholly  to  rage.  It  rushes  straight  forward, 
smashing,  overturning,  trampling  under  foot,  and  crushing  to  atoms 
everything  which  is  unfortunate  enough  to  be  in  its  road.  Its  pursuers 
can  avoid  these  formidable  attacks  by  making  digressions  to  the  right  or 
left,  for  the  course  taken  by  the  rhinoceros  is  always  straight  ahead,  never 
turning  out  of  its  direction  or  retracing  its  steps. 
A  Dangerous  Pastime. 

If  the  Indians  dare  to  run  the  risks  involved  in  such  dangerous  sport, 
it  is  because  the  skin  and  horn  of  the  animal  are  of  great  value.  Sports- 
men also  find  the  skin  of  the  rhinoceros  of  utility :  it  is  made  into  leather, 
which  is  so  hard  that  it  can  only  be  cut  with  great  difficulty  by  the  best 
steel.  The  Indians  like  the  flesh  of  the  rhinoceros ;  but  the  Chinese  are 
excessively  fond  of  it.  After  swallows'  nests,  lizards'  eggs,  and  little 
dogs,  there  is  nothing  to  be  compared,  according  to  the  Chinese,  to  the 
tail  of  a  rhinoceros,  or  to  a  jelly  made  from  the  skin.  Let  us  add,  that 
the  Chinese  attribute  to  the  horn  of  this  pachyderm  marvelous  proper- 
ties, among  others  that  of  destroying  the  effects  of  the  most  deadly  poi- 
sons. The  Asiatic  kings,  who  had  too  often  to  be  afraid  of  poisoned 
beverages,  had  their  drinking-cups  made  of  the  horn  of  the  rhinoceros ; 
these  cups  were  considered  by  them  of  inestimable  value. 

In  menageries,  the  Asiatic  rhinoceros  is  generally  a  gloomy,  but  a 
mild  and  obedient  animal.  But  sometimes  the  constraint  in  which  it  is 
retained  gives  it  fits  of  impatience  and  fury,  when  it  becomes  dangerous. 
In  its  despair  it  has  been  known  to  dash  its  head  violently  against  the 
walls  of  its  stable.  Generally,  however,  it  recognizes  its  keeper's  au- 
thority, and  shows  itself  conscious  of  his  presence  and  grateful  to  him  for 
his  care.  The  African  rhinoceros  was  known  to  the  ancients,  for  its  effigy 
is  found  on  medals  struck  in  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Domitian.  It  has 
on  its  nose  two  conical  horns,  inclined  backwards.  The  foremost  horn  is 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  ANIMAL  KINGDOM.  207 

two  and  a  half  feet  long,  the  second  much  shorter.  Hidden  during  the 
day,  it  sallies  out  at  night,  to  eat  the  young  boughs  covered  with  leaves. 
After  feeding  it  wallows,  covering  itself  with  repeated  layers  of  mud,  to 
preserve  it  from  the  sting  of  the  gad-flies — its  small  but  troublesome  ene- 
mies. When  the  mud  is  dry,  it  falls  off,  exposing  the  animal  to  fresh  at- 
tacks. To  allay  the  irritation  caused  by  these  annoying  insects,  it  rubs 
itself  against  the  trunks  of  trees,  and  during  this  operation  it  grumbles 
and  grunts  so  loudly  that  it  betrays  its  place  of  retreat  to  the  huntersr 
who  attack  it  and  kill  it  by  shooting  arrows  into  its  flank,  the  most  vital 
portion  of  its  body,  and  in  which  a  wound  is  certain  to  produce  death. 
Hunting1  the  Rhinoceros. 

Other  hunters  pursue  on  horseback  and  kill  the  rhinoceros  with  extra- 
ordinary courage  and  address.  Two  men  ride  on  the  same  horse.  The 
one  is  dressed  and  armed  with  javelins ;  the  other  is  naked,  and  has  noth- 
ing but  a  long  sword  in  his  hand.  The  first  sits  on  the  saddle,  the  second 
rides  behind  him  on  the  horse's  rump.  As  soon  as  they  get  on  the  track, 
they  start  off  in  pursuit,  taking  care  to  keep  at  a  great  distance  from  the 
rhinoceros  when  it  plunges  into  the  thickets,  in  the  midst  of  which  it 
opens  for  itself  a  broad  passage,  which  closes  as  the  animal  passes  on,  but 
the  moment  it  arrives  in  an  open  spot  they  pass  it,  and  place  themselves 
opposite  to  it.  The  animal,  in  a  rage,  hesitates  for  a  moment,  then  rushes 
furiously  upon  the  horse  and  its  riders.  These  avoid  the  assault  by  a 
quick  movement  to  the  right  or  the  left,  and  the  man  who  carries  the 
long  sword  lets  himself  slide  ofF  on  to  ground  without  being  perceived 
by  the  rhinoceros,  which  takes  notice  only  of  the  horse.  Then  the  cour- 
ageous hunter,  with  one  blow  of  his  formidable  weapon,  cuts  through  the 
tendon  of  the  ham  or  hock  of  one  of  the  monster's  hind  legs,  which 
causes  it  to  fall  to  the  ground,  when  it  is  despatched  with  arrows  and  the 
sword.  The  grandees  of  Abyssinia  also  engage  in  the  pursuit  of  the 
rhinoceros.  But  they  attack  these  animals  with  guns.  It  is  in  this  way 
also  that  the  Hottentots  and  the  colonists  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  hunt 
this  pachyderm. 

A  Horse  and  Rider  Tossed  in  the  Air. 

Little  inferior  to  the  elephant  in  strength,  though  by  no  means  ap- 
proaching it  in  sagacity,  the  different  species  of  rhinoceros  manifest  an 
irascibility  against  man  which  waits  not  for  provocation ;  or  rather  the 
sight  of  a  man  is  itself  a  sufficient  provocation  to  excite  a  paroxysm  of  rest- 
less fury.  One  traveller  mentions  a  Hottentot  who  had  acquired  a  repu- 
tation as  a  bold  elephant-hunter,  who  on  one  occasion  had  his  horse 
killed  under  him  by  a  rhinoceros.  Before  he  could  raise  his  gun,  the 


208 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


enormous  beast  rushed  upon  him,  thrust  its  sharp-pointed  horn  into  the 
horse's  chest,  and  threw  him  bodily,  rider  and  all,  over  its  back.     The 


TERRIBLE   ENCOUNTER    WITH    A    RHINOCEROS. 

savage  animal  then,  as  if  satisfied,  went  off,  without  following  up  its 
victory,  and  before  the  Hottentot  could  recover  himself  sufficiently  for  an 
avenging  shot. 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  ANIMAL  KINGDOM.  209 

One  of  Livingstone's  men  met  with  a  similar  adventure.  He  was  once 
stalking  two  of  these  beasts,  and  as  they  came  slowly  to  him,  he  know- 
ing that  there  is  but  little  chance  of  hitting  the  small  brain  of  this  animal 
by  a  shot  in  the  head,  lay,  expecting  one  of  them  to  turn  his  shoulder, 
till  he  was  within  a  few  yards.  The  hunter  then  thought  that  by  making 
a  rush  to  his  side  he  might  succeed  in  escaping ;  but  the  rhinoceros, 
too  quick  for  that,  turned  upon  him,  and  though  he  discharged  his  gun 
close  to  the  animal's  head  he  was  tossed  in  the  air.  My  friend,  adds 
Doctor  Livingstone,  who  gives  the  account,  was  insensible  for  some  time, 
and  on  recovering  found  large  wounds  on  the  thigh  and  body.  I 
saw  the  one  on  the  former  part,  still  open,  and  five  inches  long.  The  white 
species,  though  less  savage  than  the  black,  is  not  always  quite  safe,  for 
one,  even  after  it  was  mortally  wounded,  attacked  a  horse,  and  thrust 
the  horn  through  to  the  saddle,  tossing  at  the  same  time  both  horse  and 
rider. 

The  Bone-Plated  Crocodile. 

One  species  of  the  crocodile  must  be  classed  among  the  veritable  curi- 
osities of  the  animal  creation.  It  has  not  the  size  of  its  great  antedilu- 
vian ancestor,  a  full  description  of  which  has  already  been  presented  to 
the  reader,  but  in  its  native  clime  it  has  long  been  regarded  as  a  creature 
very  remarkable  in  construction  and  habits. 

The  crocodile  was  considered  a  sacred  animal  by  the  ancient  Egyptians. 
In  ruins  of  temples  mummies  of  crocodiles  are  still  found  in  a  perfect 
state  of  preservation.  The  Romans  introduced  living  crocodiles  at  the 
national  games  in  the  Colosseum.  At  first  only  five  were  imported,  but 
under  the  Emperor  Augustus  thirty-six  were  killed  in  the  circus  of 
Flaminius.  Several  ancient  medals  represent  this  reptile,  the  body  of 
which  perfectly  resembles  those  now  found  in  the  Nile.  There  is  a  truly 
wonderful  fact  in  the  natural  history  of  the  crocodile.  Listen  to  what 
Herodotus,  the  father  of  history,  tells  us  with  regard  to  it :  When  the 
crocodile  takes  its  food  in  the  Nile,  the  interior  of  its  mouth  is  always 
covered  with  flies.  All  birds,  with  one  single  exception,  flee  from  the 
crocodile  ;  but  this  one,  the  Nile  bird,  far  from  avoiding  it,  flies  towards 
the  reptile  with  the  greatest  eagerness,  and  renders  it  a  very  essential  ser- 
vice. Every  time  the  crocodile  goes  on  shore  to  sleep,  and  at  the  mo- 
ment when  it  lies  extended  with  open  jaws,  the  Nile  bird  enters  the  mouth 
of  the  terrible  animal  and  delivers  it  from  the  insects  which  it  finds  there  ;j 
the  crocodile  shows  its  recognition  of  the  service  by  never  harming  the 
bird.  This  fact,  reported  by  Herodotus,  was  long  considered  to  be  a 
fable,  but  a  naturalist,  who  formed  part  of  the  commission  that  Bona- 
14 


210  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

parte  took  with  him  into  Egypt,  had  on  several  occasions  opportunities 
of  proving  the  truth  of  the  historian's  narrative. 

In  a  memoir  read  to  the  Academy  of  Sciences  he  says  it  is  perfectly 
true  that  there  exists  a  little  bird  which  flies  about,  perpetually  seeking, 
even  in  the  mouth  of  the  crocodile,  the  insects  which  form  the  principal 
part  of  its  nourishment.  This  bird  is  like  a  plover.  The  fly,  which  thus 
torments  the  crocodiles  and  even  excites  them  to  madness,  is  no  other 
than  our  common  gnat.  Myriads  of  these  insects  haunt  the  banks  of  the 
Nile,  and  when  these  giants  of  its  waters  repose  on  its  margin  to  warm 
themselves  in  the  sun,  they  become  the  prey  of  these  insignificant 
pigmies.  It  is  like  the  war  between  the  lion  and  the  mouse,  described  by 
La  Fontaine.  Crocodiles  are  more  voracious  than  alligators.  Hassel- 
quist  asserts  that  in  Upper  Egypt  they  often  devour  women  who  come  to 
draw  water,  or  children  playing  upon  the  banks  of  the  Nile.  Geoffroy 
Saint  Hilaire  says,  that  in  Thebaid  Napoleon's  army  often  met  with 
Arabs  mutilated  by  the  crocodiles.  Sir  Samuel  Baker  also  mentions,  in 
his  late  work  on  the  "  Nile  and  its  Tributaries,"  the  craving  of  these 
amphibia  for  human  flesh,  and  the  dread  they  are  held  in  by  the  na- 
tives. 

A  Monster  Devouring  Children. 

Livingstone  gives  the  following  account  of  these  ferocious  animals : 
The  crocodile,  says  the  famous  traveller,  makes  many  victims  every  year 
among  the  children  who  are  so  imprudent  as  to  play  on  the  banks  of  the 
Liambia  when  their  mothers  go  to  fetch  water.  The  crocodile  stupifies 
its  victim  with  a  blow  from  its  tail,  then  drags  it  into  the  river,  where  it 
is  soon  drowned.  In  general,  when  the  crocodile  perceives  a  man  it 
dives,  and  furtively  glides  away  from  the  side  which  he  occupies.  Some- 
times, on  the  other  hand,  it  precipitates  itself  with  surprising  agility  to- 
wards the  person  it  has  discovered,  which  may  be  noticed  from  the 
disturbance  caused  on  the  surface  of  the  water.  An  antelope  which  is 
being  hunted  and  takes  to  the  water,  in  the  lagunes  of  the  Barotse  valley, 
a  man  or  a  dog  who  goes  there  to  seek  for  game,  will  scarcely  fail  to  be 
seized  by  a  crocodile,  of  whose  presence  he  has  not  the  slightest  sus- 
picion. It  often  happens  that,  after  having  danced  in  the  moonlight,  the 
young  natives  will  plunge  into  the  water,  in  order  to  refresh  themselves^ 
when,  being  seized  by  an  alligator,  they  perish. 

This  mode  of  attack  (striking  with  the  tail)  is  also  one  of  the  methods 
adopted  by  the  alligator  of  America  for  disabling  its  prey.  A  sportsman 
whose  veracity  is  undoubted,  while  shooting  wild  fowl  on  one  of  the 
tributaries  of  the  Lower  Mississippi,  had  the  fortune  to  witness  a  fight 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  ANIMAL  KINGDOM.  211 

between  a  bear  and  an  alligator.  He  was  called  to  the  scene  of  the 
struggle  by  the  noise  made  by  the  combatants  in  the  dry  cane,  that 
yielded  to  their  pressure  as  they  fought  in  each  other's  embrace.  Several 
times  both  ceased,  only  to  recover  breath  and  fresh  energy ;  at  length 
the  alligator  missed  striking  the  foe  with  its  tail,  Bruin  seized  the  oppor- 
tunity, and  with  all  his  efforts  succeeded  in  turning  the  amphibian  on  its 
back,  where  he  held  him  for  some  minutes,  at  the  same  time  gnawing 
one  of  its  fore-shoulders.  A  final  struggle  of  the  now-worsted  alligator 
hurled  both  into  the  water,  where  they  disappeared,  the  disturbed  surface 
telling  of  the  dreadful  contest  that  was  being  prolonged  beneath ;  after 
the  lapse  of  over  a  minute  the  bear  came  up,  evidently  much  fatigued, 
and  swam  ashore,  the  sportsman  forbearing  to  wound,  or  possibly  kill, 
the  gallant  conqueror. 

Crocodiles,  it  is  said  which  have  never  eaten  human  flesh,  are  much  less 
dangerous  than  those  that  have  acquired  a  taste  for  it.  Mr.  Combes,  of 
"  Chinese  "  Gordon's  expedition,  states  that  he  was  assured  by  an  inhabi- 
tant of  Khartoum,  who  had  reached  the  town  with  the  Egyptian  troops — 
that  is  to  say,  before  the  horrors  committed  by  the  Desterdar,  acting  with 
Mehemet  Bey,  who  had  been  Governor  of  the  Soudan — that  the  croco- 
diles appeared  to  be  quite  indifferent  to  human  flesh  ;  but  after  the  many 
executions  by  drowning  ordered  by  Mehemit  Bey,  as  he  was  told  by  a 
native  whom  he  interrogated — "  since  the  Nile  has  been  loaded  with  the 
carcasses  of  my  brethren,  the  monsters  which  inhabit  it  have  become 
habituated  to  substantial  food,  which  they  scarcely  knew  before,  so  that 
afterwards  those  swimming  in  the  river,  or  even  bathing  on  its  banks,, 
were  exposed  to  imminent  danger." 

Stabbed  Under  Water  With  a  Dagger. 

Natives  of  Africa  shoot  the  crocodile,  or  attack  it  with  a  barbed  javelin;,, 
which  is  thrown  by  hand,  and  aimed  at  the  fore-shoulder.  Some  Egyp^ 
tians  are  reported  to  be  daring  enough  to  swim  under  the  crocodile,  and- 
pierce  him  in  the  belly  with  a  dagger.  The  negroes  of  Senegal  are  said 
to  be  equally  expert.  If  they  surprise  the  animals  in  parts  of  the  river 
where  there  is  not  sufficient  water  for  them  to  swim,  they  attack  the 
monster  with  a  lance,  commencing  the  'assault  by  aiming  with  their 
weapon  at  their  enemy's  eyes  and  throat ;  then  thrusting  their  arm,  encased 
in '  leather,  into  its  mouth,  they  hold  it  open  till  their  enemy  is  either 
suffocated  or  expires  under  its  wounds.  Traps  are  also  employed  suc- 
cessfully for  their  destruction.  In  Egypt  the  natives  dig  a  deep  hole  in 
the  ordinary  route  of  the  crocodile,  which  is  easily  discovered  by  the 
trail  they  leave  in  the  sand — this  is  covered  with  branches  ami  earth, 


212 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SK 


which  falls  in  when  trodden  upon ;  the  captive  is  then  killed,  often  with 
the  most  brutal  cruelty.  At  other  times  a  thick  cord  is  attached  to  a 
tree,  at  the  other  end  of  which  a  lamb  is  held  by  a  hook.  The  cries  of 
the  lamb  attract  the  crocodile,  which,  in  its  attempt  to  carry  off  the  bait, 
is  taken. 


THE   CURIOUS    GAVIAL    OF    INDIA. 

Still  another  method  for  the  destruction  of  these  repulsive-looking  crea- 
tures has  been  adopted  by  Englishmen  in  India.  A  dead  animal  is  pro- 
cured, in  its  abdomen  is  placed  a  loaded  shell,  to  which  is  attached  a 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  ANIMAL  KINGDOM.  213 

wire  made  fast  to  an  electric  battery ;  when  the  bait  has  been  seized  and 
carried  to  the  bottom,  the  shell  is  exploded,  and  invariably  maims  or  kills 
the  crocodile. 

The  gavials  have  long  narrow  cylindrical  muzzles,  slightly  inflated  at 
the  extremity ;  the  teeth  are  almost  the  same,  both  in  number  and  shape, 
on  each  jaw;  the  two  first  and  the  fourth  of  the  lower  jaw  pass  into 
notches  or  indentations  in  the  upper  jaw.  The  gavials  are  chiefly  remark- 
able for  their  long  head,  its  type  being  the  gavials  of  the  Ganges.  It  is 
of  a  deep  watery  green  color,  having  on  the  upper  part  numerous  irregu- 
lar brown  spots;  in  the  young,  the  back  and  limbs  are  transversely- 
banded  with  black ;  the  lower  part  is  of  a  pale  whitish  yellow ;  the  jaws 
are  marked  with  brown,  the  claws  are  of  a  clear  horn  color.  This  species 
is  not  so  carnivorous  as  the  others,  and  is  consequently  less  dreaded.  The 
gavial  of  the  Ganges  is  supposed  to  be  the  largest  of  the  existing  saurians; 
its  length,  as  given  by  one  traveller,  is  seventeen  feet  four  inches,  al- 
though in  reality  this  length  is  often  exceeded. 

The  gavial  of  the  Ganges  has  the  jaws  produced  to  an  enormous 
length,  forming  a  long,  slender  snout,  at  the  extremity  of  which  there  is 
a  large  cartilaginous  protuberance,  in  which  the  nostrils  are  situated.  The 
teeth  are  very  numerous,  and  nearly  equal  in  size  throughout  the  whole 
of  the  jaws.  It  is  web-footed  to  the  extremities  of  the  toes  of  the  hind 
feet.  This  species  is  found  abundantly  in  the  fresh  waters  of  India, 
where  it  sometimes  attains  a  length  of  thirty  feet.  It  is  not  dangerous 
to  man  nor  the  larger  quadrupeds.  It  was  known  to  the  ancients,  ^Elian 
mentioning  the  existence  of  a  crocodile  in  the  Ganges  which  had  a  horn 
at  the  extremity  of  its  nose.  Though  there  are  several  marked  varieties, 
there  appears  to  be  but  one  species. 

The  Flying  Dragon. 

At  the  present  day  we  have  no  examples  of  reptiles  which  can  really 
fly,  though  we  have  some  which,  like  the  flying  squirrels,  are  able  to 
sweep  for  some  distance  through  the  air.  These  animals  are  known  by 
the  popular  name  of  the  flying  dragon,  in  consequence  of  their  resem- 
blance to  the  conventional  dragon  of  fables.  There  are  several  species 
of  them,  all  agreeing  in  form  and  general  habits.  The  tail  is  very  long, 
very  slender,  and  tapers  to  a  sharp  point. 

The  structure  by  which  these  reptiles  are  enabled  to  pass  through  the 
air  is  very  remarkable.  As  the  reader  may  see  by  the  engraving,  the 
sides  of  the  body  are  expanded  like  those  of  the  flying  squirrels,  but  the 
expansion  is  obtained  in  a  different  manner.  In  the  flying  squirrel,  the 
skin  of  the  sides  is  expanded  with  the  membrane,  which  is  opened  by 


214 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


stretching  out  the  legs;  but  in  the  flying  dragon  the  ribs  are  employed 
for  the  purpose. 

The  reader  will  distinguish  the  difference  between  the  two  kinds  of 
ribs.  There  are  the  "true"  ribs,  which  occupy  the  upper  part  of  the 
chest,  and  which  have  their  ends  resting  on  the  breast-bone;  and  the 
" false"  ribs,  which  occupy  the  lower  part  of  the  chest,  and  which  have 
their  ends  free.  It  is  by  means  of  the  latter  set  of  ribs  that  the  expansion 
of  the  sides  is  managed. 

The  false  ribs,  instead  of  being,  as  they  usually  are,  much  shorter  than 


- 


FLYING    DRAGON    AND   FLYING   FROG. 

the  others,  are  generally  lengthened,  or,  to  be  more  accurate,  they  are 
furnished  with  very  long  and  slender  appendages.  These  additional 
bones  are  so  joined  to  the  ribs  that  they  can  be  spread  out  laterally,  or 
laid  against  the  sides  at  the  pleasure  of  the  animal.  When  they  are 
spread,  they  very  much  resemble  the  sticks  of  an  opened  fan,  and  as  they 
are  connected  with  each  other  by  a  membrane  which  is  formed  from  the 
skin  of  the  sides,  they  offer  a  very  wide  surface  to  the  air. 

The  movements  of  the  flying  dragon  are  curiously  like  those  of  the 
flying  squirrels  of  our  own  country,  and  the  flying  marsupials  of  Aus- 
tralasia ;  and  indeed,  if  the  flying  dragon  and  the  opossum  mouse  were 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  ANIMAL  KINGDOM.  215 

simultaneously  to  spring  from  one  tree  to  another,  their  sweeping  flight 
would  have  been  almost  identical,  and  it  would  not  be  easy  to  distinguish 
between  the  two  animals. 

There  is  another  point  in  the  structure  of  the  flying  dragon  which  has 
been  thought  to  have  some  effect  in  increasing  its  buoyancy  when  in  the 
air.  In  common  with  many  arboreal  lizards,  it  possesses  a  large  pouch 
under  the  throat,  which  it  is  capable  of  inflating  to  a  very  great  extent. 
When  the  lizard  is  preparing  to  launch  itself  into  the  air,  it  inflates  this 
sac  simultaneously  with  spreading  its  wings,  if  we  may  use  this  term  to 
express  its  peculiarly  constructed  side.  Many  naturalists  have  thought 
that  the  principal  object  of  this  sac  is  to  increase  the  buoyancy  of  the 
animal  while  in  the  air.  It  does  probably  have  thai  effect,  but  buoyancy 
is  not  its  chief  object,  for  the  reason  that  the  inflatable  pouch  is  found  in 
many  lizards  which  do  not  possess  the  expansible  sides,  nor  the  power  of 
skimming  through  the  air.  The  flying  dragons  are  tolerably  plentiful  in 
Borneo,  Java,  and  the  Philippine  Islands. 

The  Flying  Frog-. 

Many  readers  must  be  familiar  with  the  pretty  tree  frogs,  which  are 
now  so  plentiful  in  ferneries.  Their  habits  are  curiously  contrary  to 
those  of  the  ordinary  frogs,  for  they  abandon  both  earth  and  water  for 
the  trees,  and  lead  an  arboreal,  and  not  a  terrestrial  or  aquatic  life  as  do 
their  fellows.  In  order  to  enable  them  to  ascend  trees,  they  are  furnished 
with  sucker-like  appendages  at  the  tips  of  their  toes,  and  with  these  they 
can  cling  firmly  to  any  smooth  object,  such  as  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  the 
surface  of  a  leaf  or  even  a  flat  piece  of  glass. 

In  the  last-mentioned  case,  it  is  interesting  to  examine  with  a  magnify- 
ing lens  the  structure  of  the  suckers  as  they  are  pressed  against  the 
glass,  and  to  note  how  instantaneous  is  their  action  of  exhausting  or 
admitting  the  air  at  will.  This  structure,  indeed,  is  absolutely  necessary 
for  the  creature's  existence.  It  lives  upon  insects,  and  if  it  were  to  depend 
for  its  subsistence  upon  those  which  come  within  its  reach,  it  would 
stand  a  good  chance  of  starving.  But,  aided  by  these  marvelous  devel- 
opments of  the  feet,  it  is  able  to  spring  at  a  passing  insect,  to  catch  it, 
and  to  afHx  itself  instantaneously  to  another  branch.  There  are  many 
species  of  tree  frogs,  spread  over  a  large  portion  of  the  earth,  but  the 
most  remarkable  at  present  known  is  the  flying  frog  of  Borneo. 

If  the  reader  will  refer  to  the  accompanying  illustration,  he  will  see  the 
flying  frog  shown  in  the  act  of  passing  through  the  air,  its  toes  being 
widely  spread,  so  as  to  stretch  the  membrane  which  connects  them.  In 
proportion  to  the  size  of  the  reptile,  the  extent  of  surface  which  can  be 


216  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

thus  opposed  to  the  air  is  very  great.  The  body  of  the  frog  is  about 
four  inches  in  length,  while  the  web  of  each  hind  foot  covers  a  space  of 
four  square  inches,  and  if  the  webs  of  all  four  feet  be  put  together,  they 
will  be  seen  to  equal  a  space  of  twelve  square  inches.  It  is  evident 
enough,  therefore,  that  a  creature  which  is  only  four  inches  in  length, 
and  which  is  able  to  spread  a  flat  membrane  of  twelve  square  inches, 
would  be  upborne  for  some  distance  through  the  air,  if  it  only  projected 
itself  with  some  force. 

Wings  and  Feet  Combined. 

Except  that  the  limbs  do  not  seem  to  be  moved  when  the  frog  passes 
through  the  air,  there  is  but  little  difference  between  the  structure  of  the 
bat's  wing  and  the  membrane  of  the  flying  frog,  each  being  nothing  but 
an  existing  membrane  developed  and  expanded  by  being  attached  to  the 
lengthened  toes.  In  order,  also,  to  assist  in  the  buoyancy  of  the  creature, 
the  body  is  capable  of  considerable  inflation.  In  life  it  is  a  very  hand- 
some species.  The  back  is  a  rich  deep  green,  and  the  under  surface  yel- 
low. The  webs  are  black,  adorned  with  streaks  of  yellow. 

Probably  these  enormously  developed  feet  are  used  for  swimming  as 
well  as  for  flight,  and  in  that  case  they  will  form  a  remarkable  analogy 
with  the  wings  of  the  extinct  pterodactyls,  which  are  proved  with  tolerable 
certainty  to  be  organs  adapted  to  the  water  as  well  as  to  the  air. 

The  body  of  the  edible  frog,  sometimes  attains  a  length,  from  the  ex- 
tremity of  the  muzzle  to  the  end  of  the  hind  feet,  of  six  to  eight  inches. 
The  muzzle  terminates  in  a  point ;  the  eyes  are  large,  brilliant,  and  sur- 
rounded with  a  circle  of  gold  color.  The  mouth  is  large;  the  body, 
which  is  contracted  behind,  presents  a  tubercular  and  rugged  back.  It 
is  of  a  more  or  less  decided  green  color  on  the  upper,  and  whitish  on  the 
under  parts.  These  two  colors,  which  harmonize  well,  are  relieved  by 
three  yellow  lines,  which  extend  the  whole  length  of  the  back,  and  by 
scattered  black  marblings.  It  is,  therefore,  much  to  be  regretted  that 
prejudice  should  cause  some  at  least  of  us  to  dislike  this  pretty  little 
creature, 

• 

• 
. 

i 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
WILD  ANIMALS  OF  THE  FOREST  AND  JUNGLE. 

Old  Classic  Tales  Concerning  the  Lion — His  Majesty  Once  a  Native  of  Europe — 
Leaping  the  Hedge  Into  the  Trap— Captured  by  Stratagem — Boundaries  of  the 
Lion's  Kingdom — A  Human  Head  in  a  Lion's  Mouth — A  Roar  Like  the  Sound  of 
an  Earthquake — Alarm  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Plain  and  Forest — Massive  Muscles 
and  Immense  Shoulders — A  Singular  Encounter— Shocking  Scene— A  Heart- 
Rending  Cry  for  Help — Brute  Affection — The  Sailor  and  Baboon — Livingstone's 
Adventure  With  a  Lion — The  Royal  Tiger — Tamed  for  a  Pet  -Dreadful  Ferocity 
— A  Guide  Killed  by  a  Blow — Exciting  Episodes  in  Tiger  Hunting — Carrying  Off 
a  Buffalo— Savage  Courts  Entertained  by  Brutal  Sport — Elephants  Hunting  the 
Tiger— The  American  Black  Bear— The  Labiated  Bear— The  Bear's  Song— Ludi- 
crous Antics — The  Celebrated  "Martin." — The  Gigantic  Hippopotamus— De- 
scription of  the  Animal — Arrival  of  a  River-Horse  in  Europe — Strange  Actions 
and  Crowds  of  Curious  Spectators. 

HE  true  lions  belong  exclusively  to  the  Old  World,  and  they  were 
formerly  plentifully  and  widely  diffused,  but  confined  at  present 
to  Africa  and  Asia,  they  are  daily  becoming  more  scarce  in 
those  parts  of  the  earth.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  lions  were 
once  found  in  Europe.  Herodotus  records  that  the  baggage  camels  of 
the  army  of  Xerxes  were  attacked  by  lions,  the  other  beasts  and  the  men 
remaining  untouched.  Pausanias  tells  the  same  tale,  and  also  states  that 
lions  often  descended  into  the  plains  at  the  foot  of  Olympus,  which  sepa- 
rates Macedonia  from  Thessaly ;  and  that  a  celebrated  athlete  slew  one 
of  them,  though  he  was  unarmed  Pliny  affirms  that  the  lions  of  Europe 
were  stronger  than  those  of  Africa  and  Syria.  Lions  have  disappeared 
from  other  parts  of  the  world,  as  Egypt,  Palestine,  and  Syria  where  they 
once  were  evidently  far  from  uncommon. 

Ezekiel  speaks  of  a  lion — an  animal  with  which  his  people  must  have 
been  acquainted:  "Then  the  nations  set  against  him  on  every  side  from 
the  provinces,  and  spread  their  net  over  him  ;  he  was  taken  in  their  pit." 
Thus,  there  is  an  allusion  to  the  practice  of  the  Arabians  and  of  other  peo- 
ple. They  dug  a  large  circular  pit,  and  at  night  introduced  into  it  a  goat, 
which  they  bound  to  a  stake  or  pillar  of  earth  at  the  bottom,  and  then  so 
inclosed  the  pit  with  a  hedge  of  branches,  that  it  could  not  be  seen,  leav- 
ing no  entrance.  The  lion,  hearing  in  the  night  the  voice  of  the  goat, 
prowled  around  the  hedge,  and,  finding  no  opening,  leaped  over,  and  was 

taken. 

(217) 


218  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

When  the  hunter  proposed  to  catch  him  in  his  toils,  he  stretched  a  ser- 
ies of  nets  in  a  semicircular  form,  by  means  of  long  poles  fixed  in  the 
ground;  three  men  were  placed  in  ambush,  among  the  nets,  one  in  the 
middle,  and  one  at  each  extremity.  The  toils  being  disposed  in  this  man- 
ner, some  waved  flaming  torches,  others  made  a  noise  by  beating  their 
shields,  thinking  that  lions  were  not  less  terrified  by  loud  sounds  than  by 
fire.  The  men  on  foot  and  horseback,  skilfully  combining  their  move- 
ments, and  raising  a  great  bustle  and  clamor,  rushed  in  upon  them,  and 
drove  them  towards  the  nets,  till,  intimidated  by  the  shouts  of  the  hun- 
ters and  the  glare  of  torches,  they  approached  the  snares  of  their  own  ac- 
cord, and  became  entangled  in  the  folds, 

In  the  sandy  deserts  of  Arabia,  in  some  of  the  wild  districts  of  Persia, 
and  in  the  vast  jungles  of  India,  the  lion  still  maintains  a  precarious  foot- 
ing ;  but  from  the  classic  soil  of  Greece,  as  well  as  from  the  whole  of 
Asia  Minor,  both  of  which  were  once  exposed  to  his  ravages,  he  has  been 
utterly  dislodged  and  extirpated.  In  the  vast  and  untrodden  solitudes  of 
Africa,  from  the  immense  deserts  of  the  north  to  the  trackless  forests  of 
the  south,  he  reigns  supreme  and  uncontrolled.  From  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  however,  he  is  annually  retiring  farther  and  farther  before  the  per- 
secution of  man. 

An  Enormous  Mouth. 

The  opening  of  the  lion's  mouth  is  of  great  extent  in  proportion  to 
the  size  of  the  animal.  In  travelling  menageries  it  has  long  been  the 
custom,  "  more  honored  in  the  breach  than  the  observance,"  however,  for 
a  keeper  to  thrust  his  head  into  a  lion's  mouth — a  practical  proof  of  its 
capacity — to  the  no  small  amusement  of  some,  and  the  equal  terror  of 
others,  among  the  gaping  spectators.  t  The  muscles  which  move  the 
lower  jaw  are  also  of  great  bulk,  and  the  point  on  which  they  immediate- 
ly act  is  brought  so  far  forwards,  in  consequence  of  the  breadth  and 
shortness  of  the  muzzle,  as  to  give  them  the  highest  degree  of  attainable 
force. 

There  is  yet  one  peculiar  distinction  of  the  lion,  as  well  as  of  all  ani- 
mals of  the  same  family,  which  deserves  particular  attention.  The  most 
obtuse  of  their  senses  is  that  of  taste.  According  to  Desmoulins,  the 
lingual  nerve  of  the  lion  is  not  larger  than  that  of  a  middle-sized  dog. 
The  tongue  of  all  animals  of  the  cat  kind  is  an  organ  of  mastication,  as 
well  as  of  taste.  Whatever  flesh  a  lion's  teeth  may  leave  on  a  bone  is 
scraped  away  by  the  sharp  and  horny  points,  inclining  backwards,  of  his 
tongue. 

The  roar  of  a  lion  sometimes  resembles  the  sound  which  is  heard  at 


WILD  ANIMALS  OF  THE  FOREST  AND  JUNGLE.  219 

the  moment  of  an  earthquake ;  and  is  produced  by  laying  his  head  on 
the  ground,  and  uttering  a  half-stifled  growl,  by  which  means  the  sound 
is  conveyed  along  the  earth.  The  instant  it  is  heard  by  the  animals  re- 
posing in  the  plains,  they  start  up  in  alarm,  fly  in  all  directions,  and  even 
rush  into  the  danger  they  wish  to  avoid.  This  fearful  sound  is  produced 
by  the  great  comparative  size  of  the  larynx — the  part  of  the  throat  that 
forms  the  upper  part  of  the  windpipe. 

Terrible  Roar  of  the  Forest  King. 

The  roaring  of  the  lion  has  always  been  a  proverb.  When  heard 
within  a  distance  of  a  mile  or  two  during  the  silence  of  the  night,  it  awes 
"all  living  creatures.  When  this  great  voice  echoes  over  the  plain  the 
cattle  tremble  in  the  farms,  and  follow  with  anxiety  its  various  modula- 
tions, in  order  to  inform  themselves  of  the  direction  in  which  the  enemy 
is  approaching.  If  the  lion  comes  to  prowl  around  the  inclosure  in 
which  they  are  sheltered  they  exhibit  symptoms  of  the  most  intense  fear. 
Their  sense  of  smell  alone  suffices  to  indicate,  even  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, the  dreaded  presence. 

It  is  in  spring  that  the  lion  seeks  a  mate,  and  when  an  alliance  is 
formed  they  show  themselves  most  devoted  to  one  another.  Until  the 
female  has  young,  the  lioness  follows  her  lord  everywhere,  and  most  fre- 
quently the  male  is  charged  with  providing  the  common  subsistence.  It 
is  said  that  he  pushes  his  gallantry  so  far  as  to  refuse  to  eat  first,  and  that 
he  does  not  approach  the  prey  captured  by  himself  until  the  lioness  is 
satisfied  ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  latter  defends  him  with  energetic 
fury  if  he  be  attacked. 

The  immense  masses  of  muscle  around  the  lion's  jaws,  shoulders,  and 
fore  arms,  says  Livingstone,  proclaim  tremendous  force.  They  would 
seem,  however,  to  be  inferior  in  power  to  those  of  the  Indian  tiger.  Most 
of  these  prodigious  feats  of  strength,  that  I  have  seen  performed  by  lions 
— such  as  the  taking  away  of  an  ox — were  not  carrying,  but  dragging, 
or  trailing  the  carcass  along  the  ground.  They  have  sprung,  on  some 
occasions,  on  to  the  hind  quarters  of  a  horse.  They  do  not  mount  on 
the  withers  of  an  eland,  but  try  to  tear  him  down  with  their  claws. 
A  Ferocious  Struggle. 

Livingstone  gives  a  singular  encounter,  as  described  to  him  in  a  letter 
from  Mr.  Frank  Yard  on  ;  Oswell  and  I  were  riding  along  the  banks  of 
the  Leinpopo,  when  a  water-buck  started  in  front  of  us.  I  dismounted, 
and  was  following  it  through  the  jungle,  when  three  buffaloes  got  up,  and, 
after  going  a  little  distance,  stood  still,  and  the  nearest  bull  turned  round 
and  looked  at  me.  A  ball  from  the  two-ouncer  crashed  into  his  shoulder 


220 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


and  they  all  three  made  off.  Oswell  and  I  followed  as  soon  as  I  had  re- 
loaded, and  when  we  were  in  sight  of  the  buffalo,  and  gaining  on  him  at 
every  stride,  three  lions  leaped  on  the  unfortunate  brute ;  he  bellowed 
most  lustily  as  he  kept  up  a  kind  of  running  fight ;  but  he  was,  of  course, 
soon  overpowered  and  pulled  down. 

We  had  a  fine  view  of  the  struggle,  and  saw  the  lions  on  their  hind 
legs  tearing  away  with  teeth  and  claws  in  most  ferocious  style.  We  crept 
up  within  thirty  yards,  and,  kneeling  down,  blazed  away  at  the  lions. 
My  rifle  was  a  single  barrel,  and  I  had  no  spare  gun.  One  lion  fell  dead 
almost  on  the  buffalo ;  he  had  merely  time  to  turn  towards  us,  seize  a 
bush  with  his  teeth,  and  drop  dead  with  the  stick  in  his  jaws.  The  sec- 
ond made  off  immediately ;  and  the  third  raised  his  head,  coolly  looked 
round  for  a  moment,  then  went  on  tearing  and  biting  at  the  carcass  as 
hard  as  ever.  We  retired  a  short  distance  to  load,  then  again  advanced 
and  fired.  The  lion  made  off,  but  a  ball  that  he  received  ought  to  have 
stopped  him,  as  it  went  clear  through  his  shoulder-blade.  He  was  fol- 
lowed up  and  killed,  after  having  charged  several  times.  Both  lions  were 
males.  It  is  not  often  that  one  bags  a  brace  of  lions  and  a  bull  buffalo  in 
about  ten  minutes.  It  was  an  exciting  adventure,  and  I  shall  never  for- 
get it.  Such,  my  dear  Livingstone,  is  the  plain,  unvarnished  account. 
The  buffalo  had,  of  course,  gone  close  to  where  the  lions  were  lying 
down,  and  they,  thought  the  opportunity  too  good  a  one  to  be  lost. 
Safety  only  in  Distance. 

When  encountered  in  the  daytime,  says  Livingstone,  the  lion  stands  a 
second  or  two  gazing,  then  turns  slowly  round,  and  walks  as  slowly  away 
for  a  dozen  paces,  looking  over  his  shoulder ;  then  begins  to  trot,  and, 
when  he  thinks  himself  out  of  sight,  bounds  off  like  a  greyhound.  By 
day  there  is  not,  as  a  rule,  the  smallest  danger  of  lions,  which  are  not 
molested,  attacking  man,  nor  even  on  a  clear,  moonlight  night,  except 
when  they  have  young ;  this  makes  them  brave  almost  any  danger ;  and 
if  a  man  happens  to  cross  to  the  windward  of  them,  both  lion  and  lioness 
will  rush  at  him.  This  does  not  often  happen,  as  I  became  aware  of  two 
or  three  instances  of  it.  In  one  case  a  man,  passing  when  the  wind  blew 
from  him  to  the  animals,  was  bitten  before  he  could  climb  a  tree ;  and, 
occasionally,  a  man  on  horseback  has  been  caught  by  the  leg  under  the 
same  circumstances.  So  general,  however,  is  the  sense  of  security  on 
moonlight  nights,  that  we  seldom  tied  up  our  oxen,  but  let  them  lie  loose 
by  the  wagons ;  while  on  a  dark,  rainy  night,  if  a  lion  is  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, he  is  almost  sure  to  venture  to  kill  an  ox.  His  approach  is  always 
stealthy,  except  when  wounded ;  and  any  appearance  of  a  trap  is  enough 


WILD  ANIMALS  OF  THE  FOREST  AND  JUNGLE.  221 

to  cause  him  to  refrain  from  making  the  last  spring.     This  seems  char- 
acteristic of  the  feline  species. 

When  a  lion  is  hungry,  he  will  do  what  he  would  not  under  other  cir- 
cumstances. Thus,  one  had  been  near  a  Bushman's  hut  the  whole  night, 
doubtless  on  the  look-out  for  prey.  Two  Bechuana  herdsmen,  attending 
the  cattle  near  the  place  next  morning,  saw  him,  and  ran  towards  a 
neighboring  kraal,  or  village,  to  inform  the  people.  On  their  way  thither 
they  met  six  natives  coming  to  attack  the  formidable  creature,  having 
already  heard  he  was  there.  Advancing,  they  fired  and  wounded,  but 
did  not  disable,  him.  Enraged  by  the  smart,  he  took  some  steps,  when 
the  natives  instantly  leaped  from  their  horses,  formed  them  into  a  close 
line,  with  their  tails  towards  the  lion,  and  took  their  stand  at  the  horses' 
heads. 

The  lion  now  flew  on  a  Bechuana,  who  was  not  protected  by  the  inter- 
vention of  the  horses,  and  who  tried  to  defend  himself  with  his  sheep- 
skin cloak.  The  lion,  however,  caught  him  by  the  arm,  threw  him  on 
the  ground,  and,  while  the  poor  man  still  tried  to  defend  himself,  by 
keeping  his  cloak  wrapped  round  him,  the  lion  got  under  it  and  gnawed 
part  of  his  thigh.  His  Bechuana  companion  at  that  time  threw  his  spear, 
which  penetrated  the  man's  cloak,  and  entered  the  lion's  back.  The 
same  man  threw  another  spear,  but,  instead  of  taking  the  direction  he  in- 
tended, it  pierced  the  body  of  a  dog  that  was  barking  near.  The  natives 
would  have  fired,  but  they  were  afraid  of  shooting  the  man.  To  drive 
him  away,  however,  if  possible,  they  made  a  great  noise,  and  threw  some 
stones.  The  lion  then  left  the  man  and  rushed  toward  them,  when  they 
again  checked  his  attack  by  turning  the  horses  round.  He  next  crept 
under  the  belly  of  a  mare,  and  seized  her  by  the  fore  legs,  but,  with  a 
powerful  kick,  she  made  him  let  go  his  hold.  In  revenge,  and  by  one 
stroke  of  his  paw,  he  tore  open  the  body  of  the  mare,  and  retired.  After 
this,  he  tried  to  get  round  the  horses  to  the  men ;  but  when  within  two 
yards  of  one  of  them,  and  on  the  point  of  making  a  spring,  he  was  hap- 
pily killed  by  a  musket  shot,  the  ball  penetrating  behind  the  ear. 

A  Terrible  Scene. 

Mr.  Gordon  Gumming,  who  has  earned  for  himself  a  rather  unenvia- 
ble reputation  by  his  ruthless  slaughter  of  animals,  graphically  describes 
a  terrific  scene :  All  had  retired  to  rest,  when  suddenly  the  appalling  and 
murderous  voice  of  an  angry,  bloodthirsty  lion  burst  upon  my  ears  with- 
in a  few  yards  of  us,  followed  by  the  shrieking  of  the  Hottentots.  Again 
and  again  the  murderous  roar  of  attack  was  repeated.  We  heard  John 
and  Ruyter  shriek,  "The  lion!  the  lion!"  Still,  for  a  few  moments,  we 


222 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


thought  he  was  but  chasing  one  of  the  dogs  round  the  kraal,  but  the 
next  instant  John  Strofulus  rushed  into  the  midst  of  us,  almost  speech- 


less with  fear  and  terror,  his  eyes  bursting  from  their  sockets,  and  shrieked 
out,  "  The  lion !  the  lion  !  he  has  got  Hendrick  !  he  dragged  him  aw*y 
from  the  fire  beside  me,  I  struck  him  with  the  burning  brands  on  his  head, 


WILD  ANIMALS  OF  THE  FOREST  AND  JUNGLE.  223 

but  he  wouldn't  let  go  his  hold.     Hendrick  is  dead!     O  God  !  Hendrick 
is  dead  !  let  us  take  fire  and  seek  him  !  " 

The  rest  of  my  people  rushed  about  shrieking  and  yelling  as  if  they 
were  mad.  I  was  at  once  angry  with  them  for  their-  folly,  and  told  them 
that  if  they  did  not  stand  still  and  keep  quiet,  the  lion  would  have  another 
of  us,  and  that  very  likely  there  was  a  troop  of  them.  I  ordered  the 
dogs,  which  were  nearly  all  fast,  to  be  made  loose,  and  the  fire  increased 
as  far  as  could  be.  I  then  shouted  Hendrick's  name,  but  all  was  still.  I 
told  my  men  that  Hendrick  was  dead,  and  that  a  regiment  of  soldiers 
could  not  now  help  him  ;  and  hunting  my  dogs  forward,  I  had  every- 
thing brought  within  my  cattle  kraal,  when  we  lighted  our  fire,  and  closed 
the  entrance  as  well  as  we  could. 

In  the  Jaws  of  Death. 

It  appeared  that  when  the  unforunate  Hendrick  rose  to  drive  in  the  ox, 
the  lion  had  watched  him  to  his  fireside,  and  he  had  scarcely  lain  down 
when  the  brute  sprang  upon  him  and  Ruyter  (for  both  lay  under  one 
blanket),  with  his  appalling,  murderous  roar;  and,  roaring  as  he  lay, 
grappled  him  with  his  fearful  claws,  and  kept  biting  him  on  the  breast 
and  shoulders,  all  the  while  feeling  for  his  neck;  having  got  hold  of 
which,  he  at  once  dragged  him  away  backwards,  round  the  bush  into  the 
dense  shade.  As  the  lion  lay  on  the  unfortunate  man,  he  faintly  cried, 
"  Help  me !  help  me !  O  God,  men,  help  me  ! "  After  which  the  fearful 
beast  got  hold  of  his  neck,  and  then  all  was  still,  except  that  his  com- 
rades heard  the  bones  cracking  between  the  teeth  of  the  lion. 

The  Bushmen  have  remarked  that  the  lion  generally  kills  and  devours 
his  prey  in  the  morning  at  sunrise,  or  at  sunset ;  when,  therefore,  they  in- 
tend to  kill  these  animals,  they  notice  where  the  spring-bucks  are  graz- 
ing at  the  rising  of  the  sun,  and  by  observing,  at  the  same  time,  if  they 
appear  frightened  and  run  off*,  they  conclude  that  they  have  been  attacked 
by  the  lion.  Marking  accurately  the  spot  where  the  alarm  took  place, 
about  eleven  o'clock  in  the  day,  when  the  sun  is  powerful,  and  the  enemy 
they  seek  is  supposed  to  be  fast  asleep,  they  carefully  examine  the 
ground,  and,  finding  him  in  a  state  of  unguarded  security,  they  lodge  a 
poisoned  arrow  in  his  breast.  The  moment  the  lion  is  thus  struck,  he 
springs  from  his  lair  and  bounds  off  as  helpless  as  the  stricken  deer.  The 
work  is  done ;  the  arrow  of  death  has  pierced  his  heart  without  even 
breaking  the  slumbers  of  the  lioness  which  may  have  been  lying  be- 
side him;  and  the  Bushman  knows  where,  in  the  course  of  a  few 
hours,  or  even  less  time,  he  will  find  him  in  his  last  agonies,  or  actually 
dead. 


224  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Sir  George  Davis,  who  was  English  consul  at  Naples,  when  a  great 
plague  raged  there,  retired  in  consequence  to  Florence.  Visiting,  one 
day,  the  menagerie  of  the  Grand  Duke,  he  noticed  a  lion  at  the  further 
end  of  one  of  the  dens,  which  the  keepers  stated  they  had  been  unable  to 
tame,  though  every  effort  had  been  made  for  upwards  of  three  years.  Yet 
no  sooner  had  Sir  George  reached  the  gate  of  the  den,  than  the  lion  ran 
to  it,  reared  himself  up,  purred  like  a  cat  when  pleased,  and  licked  the 
hand  that  was  put  through  the  bars.  The  keeper  was  astonished,  and, 
frightened  for  the  safety  of  his  visitor,  entreated  him  not  to  trust  an  ap- 
parent fit  of  frenzy,  as  the  lion  was  the  most  fierce  and  sullen  of  his  tribe 
he  had  ever  seen.  This,  however,  had  no  effect  on  Sir  George,  who  in- 
sisted on  entering  the  lion's  den.  The  moment  he  got  in  the  lion  mani- 
fested the  greatest  delight,  threw  his  paws  on  his  shoulders,  licked  his 
face,  ran  about  him,  and  purred  like  an  affectionate  cat. 

This  occurrence  became  the  talk  of  Florence,  and  reached  the  ear  of 
the  Grand  Duke,  who  sent  for  Sir  George,  and  requested  an  interview  at 
the  menagerie,  that  he  might  personally  witness  the  conduct  of  the  lion. 

"  A  captain  of  a  ship  from  Parbary,"  said  Sir  George,  "  gave  me  this 
lion  when  quite  a  whelp.  I  brought  him  up  tame  ;  but,  when  I  thought 
him  too  large  to  run  about  the  house,  I  built  a  den  for  him  in  my  court- 
yard. From  that  time  he  was  never  permitted  to  be  loose,  except  when 
brought  to  the  house  to  be  exhibited  to  my  friends.  When  he  was  five 
years  old  he  did  some  mischief  by  pawing  and  playing  with  people  in  his 
frolicsome  moods.  Having  gripped  a  man  one  day  a  little  too  hard,  I 
ordered  him  to  be  shot,  for  fear  of  incurring  any  guilt.  On  this,  a  friend 
begged  him  as  a  present.  How  he  came  here  I  know  not." 

"Your  friend,  Sir  George,"  said  the  Grand  Duke,  "  was  the  very  same 
person  who  presented  this  lion  to  me." 

Device  of  a  Lioness  to  Save  Her  Young. 

The  following  well  authenticated  fact  helps  to  reveal  the  nature  of  this 
wonderful  animal.  Part  of  a  ship's  crew  being  sent  on  shore,  on  the  coast 
of  India,  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  wood,  one  man,  induced  by  curiosity 
to  stray  to  a  considerable  distance  from  his  companions,  became  greatly 
alarmed  as  he  saw  a  large  lioness  walking  towards  him.  On  her  coming 
up,  however,  his  fear  was  allayed;  she  laid  down  at  his  feet,  looking  very 
earnestly  first  in  his  face,  and  then  at  a  tree  a  little  way  off,  and  after- 
wards proceeded  to  the  tree,  yet  looking  back,  as  if  she  wished  the  sailor  . 
to  follow  her.  At  length  he  ventured,  and  approaching  the  tree  he  saw 
a  huge  baboon,  with  two  cubs  in  his  arms,  which  he  immediately  sup- 
posed to  be  those  of  the  lioness,  as  she  couched  down  like  a  cat,  and 


(225) 


226  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

eyed  them  intently.  Afraid  to  ascend  the  tree,  the  man  decided  on  cut- 
ting it  down  ;  provided  with  his  axe,  he  set  earnestly  to  work,  the  lioness 
watching  apparently  every  movement ;  as  soon  as  the  tree  fell  she  tore  the 
baboon  in  pieces,  and  then  turned  round  and  licked  her  cubs.  She  now 
returned  to  the  sailor,  rubbed  her  head  fondly  against  him,  and  then  car- 
ried away  her  cubs  one  by  one. 

A  Savage  Attack  Upon  Livingstone. 

The  villagers  of  Mabotoa,  among  whom  was  Livingstone,  were  much 
troubled  by  lions,  which  leaped  into  their  cattle-pen's  and  destroyed  their 
cows.  To  such  an  extent  did  the  lions  carry  their  depredations  that  the 
natives  announced  their  belief  that  they  were  bewitched — "  given  into  the 
power  of  the  lions  by  a  neighboring  tribe  " — and  sought  Livingstone's 
advice  on  the  subject.  Well  knowing  that  if  one  troop  of  lions  is  killed 
the  others  frequently  take  the  hint  and  leave  that  part  of  the  country, 
he  gave  the  villagers  advice  to  that  end ,  and,  in  order  to  encourage 
them,  offered  to  lead  the  hunt.  The  lions  were  found  on  a  hill  covered 
with  trees,  and  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length.  The  men  circled  the 
hill,  and  gradually  edged  in  closer  and  closer,  so  that  the  game  might  be 
completely  surrounded.  Presently  the  native  who  accompanied  Living- 
stone spied  a  lion  sitting  on  a  piece  of  rock  and  fired  at  him,  the  ball 
missing  the  beast  and  striking  the  rock  on  which  the  animal  was  sitting. 
The  animal  turned,  bit  like  a  dog  at  the  spot  where  the  bullet  had  struck, 
and  then  bounded  off  to  the  shelter  of  the  brushwood. 

Presently  Livingstone  spied  another  lion  in  much  the  same  situation  as 
the  former,  and  being  not  more  than  thirty  yards  distant  from  it,  let  fly 
both  barrels.  The  villagers  frantic  with  joy,  were  for  rushing  in  on  their 
enemy  at  once,  but  Livingstone  who  through  the  bushes  could  see  his 
game  still  on  its  legs,  with  its  eyes  glaring  and  its  tail  bolt  upright, 
checked  their  impetuosity,  and  requested  them  to  wait  until  he  again 
loaded  his  gun ;  but  while  in  the  act  of  ramming  home  his  bullets  the 
natives  set  up  a  sudden  and  frightful  cry,  and  raising  his  head,  there  was 
the  wounded  lion  fairly  springing  at  him. 

Livingstone  was  standing  on  a  slight  eminence,  and  in  his  great  leap 
the  maddened  beast  caught  the  missionary  by  the  shoulder,  and  lion  and 
man  rolled  to  the  ground  together.  And  now  comes  a  curious  fact — the 
better  worth  noting,  because  from  its  dangerous  nature  the  experiment  is 
rather  unlikely  to  be  tried  even  by  the  most  enthusiastic  zoologist. 
Growling  horribly  in  my  ear,  says  Livingstone,  he  shook  me  as  a  terrier 
does  a  rat.  The  shock  produced  stupor,  similar  to  that  which  seems  to 
be  felt  by  a  mouse  after  the  first  shake  of  the  cat.  It  caused  a  sort  of 


WILD  ANIMALS  OF  THE  FOREST  AND  JUNGLE.  227 

dreaminess,  in  which  there  was  no  sense  of  pain  or  feeling  of  terror^ 
though  quite  conscious  of  all  that  was  happening.  It  was  like  what  pa- 
tients partially  under  the  influence  of  chloroform  describe,  who  see  all 
the  operations  but  feel  not  the  knife.  This  singular  condition  was  not 
the  result  of  any  mental  process.  The  shake  annihilated  fear,  and  allow- 
ed no  sense  of  horror  in  looking  around  at  the  beast. 

The  great  fore-paw  of  the  lion  was  pressing  heavily  on  the  back  of 
Livingstone's  head,  and  he  almost  insensibly  turned  to  relieve  himself  of 
the  pressure,  and  at  that  very  instant  the  animal  leaped  from  his  prostrate 
victim  to  attack  one  of  the  natives  who  had  offered  to  shoot  at  him,  but 
his  piece  missed  fire.  This  man  he  bit  in  the  thigh,  and  left  him  to 
spring  at  the  neck  of  a  second  native,  who,  armed  with  a  spear  had  come 
to  the  rescue.  The  exertion,  however,  was  too  much  for  the  mortally- 
wounded  beast,  and  so,  with  his  claws  bedded  in  the  spearman's  shoulder 

he  rolled  over  and  died. 

The  Asiatic  Tiger. 

Nearly  equal  to  the  lion  in  strength,  and,  perhaps,  surpassing  him  in 
activity,  the  tiger  has  generally  been  placed  second  in  this  tribe  of  ani- 
mals. Its  general  form  and  appearance  are  so  well  known,  that  a  few 
words  of  description  will  suffice.  The  tiger  has  no  trace  of  the  shaggy 
mane  which  adds  so  greatly  to  the  bold-looking  front  of  the  lion ;  and 
his  countenance,  scowling  under  the  different  passions,  conveys  the  idea 
of  wanton  treachery  and  cruelty.  In  shape  he  is  more  slender  and 
lengthened  than  the  lion ,  the  head  is  rounder,  the  whole  form  is  more 
cat-like,  and  all  his  motions  are  performed  with  apparent  ease  and  great- 
est grace. 

The  tiger  is  exclusively  an  Asiatic  animal,  and  his  range  extends 
not  only  over  the  more  southern  part  of  the  continent,  but  to  the 
larger  islands  of  the  Archipelago,  where  he  is  particularly  destructive. 
He  is  as  tall  as  the  lion,  but  not  quite  so  powerful ;  he  is,  however,  more 
agile,  more  graceful,  and  more  insidious.  He  crouches,  and  mostly 
springs  in  the  same  manner  as  the  lion  and  other  feline  animals ;  he  is 
more  ferocious,  and  will  even  fight  with  the  lion.  He  seems  to  delight 
in  blood  itself,  for  he  will  kill  several  victims,  suck  their  blood,  and  leave 
their  carcasses  to  be  devoured  at  another  opportunity. 

The  color  of  the  tiger  is  a  bright  orange  tawny,  white  underneath,  and 
broad  black  stripes  on  the  back,  sides,  and  tail.  In  seeking  his  prey  he 
takes  the  most  enormous  leaps ;  he  can  be  tamed  to  a  certain  extent, 
but  is  never  to  be  trusted.  He  prowls  both  night  and  day;  and  in  some 
places,  the  devastation  he  has  caused  is  terrific.  Nothing  can  exceed 


228  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  tragic  tales  that  are  told  of  him,  in  the  countries  where  he  exists  in 
numbers ;  and  in  one  part  of  India,  it  is  said  that  at  least  three  hundred 
lives  are  taken  every  year,  within  a  district   containing  seven  villages, 
independent  of  an  enormous  number  of  sheep,  goats,  and  cattle. 
How  the  Elephant  Deals  With  the  Tiger. 

Horses  will  not  stand  in  his  presence  with  any  steadiness ;  and  the  ele- 
phant is  restless  when  in  his  vicinity.  This  sagacious  animal  often  man- 
ages to  shake  him  off;  and  if  he  takes  hold  of  his  trunk,  he  tramples  on 
him  with  his  fore-feet  and  so  destroys  him.  If  he  cannot  dislodge  him 
from  his  body,  he  lies  down  upon  him,  and  attempts  to  kill  him  by  rolling 
his  ponderous  weight  upon  him.  Seldom,  however,  is  the  tiger  the  ag- 
gressor, unless  he  be  driven  to  it  by  hunger,  or  maddened  by  pain  and 
dispair,  and  then  he  struggles  till  he  dies.  He  hides  himself  with  such 
caution  and  skill  that  travellers  are  laid  hold  of  without  being  aware  of 
his  nearness. 

The  history  of  an  unfortunate  guide  is  an  instance  of  the  immediate 
mischief  which  ensues  from  the  first  blow  of  one  of  these  powerful  crea- 
tures. The  man  remonstrated  with  the  officer,  whose  party  he  was  con- 
ducting, on  the  imprudence  of  marching  before  daylight;  but  the  officer, 
supposing  it  to  be  laziness,  threatened  to  punish  him  if  he  did  not  go. 
The  man  took  his  shield  and  sword,  and  walked  along  the  narrow  path, 
bordered  on  each  side  by  high  grass  and  bamboo.  After  going  five 
miles,  the  officer  heard  a  tremendous  roar,  and  a  large  tiger  passed  him, 
so  close,  that  he  nearly  brushed  his  horse,  and  sprang  upon  the  guide. 
The  latter  lifted  up  his  shield,  but  he  was  down  in  an  instant,  and  under 
the  tiger's  paws,  which  seized  him  with  his  teeth,  growled,  and  looked  at 
the  officer.  The  tiger  was  attacked,  and  so  severely  wounded  that  he 
dropped  his  victim  ;  but  it  was  all  over  with  the  poor  guide,  the  first  blow 
having  literally  smashed  his  head  in  pieces. 

A  Deadly  Blow. 

In  a  plain  near  the  Narbudda  river,  a  party  were  hunting  a  tiger ;  but 
the  beast  did  not  seem  inclined  to  come  to  a  battle  with  his  antagonists. 
He  trotted  across  the  plain,  and  as  he  passed  an  unfortunate  cow,  he 
raised  his  paw,  gave  her  a  blow  on  the  shoulder,  and  she  fell.  He  went 
on,  and  when  the  hunters  examined  the  cow,  she  was  dead,  he  having 
left  the  print  of  every  toe,  and,  in  fact,  every  part  of  his  paw  upon  the 
shoulder  blade,  without  making  the  smallest  wound. 

A  tiger  had  sprung  upon  the  shoulder  of  an  English  officer,  Lieutenant 
Colnett's  elephant,  who  in  this  situation  fired  at  him,  and  he  fell.  Con- 
ceiving him  to  be  disabled,  the  Lieutenant  descended  from  the  elephant 


WILD  ANIMALS  OF  THE  FOREST  AND  JUNGLE. 


229 


for  the  purpose  of  despatching  him  with  his  pistols ;  but  in  alighting  he 
came  in  contact  with  the  tiger,  which  had  only  crouched  for   a  second 


spring,  and  which,  catching  hold  of  him  by  the  thigh,  dragged  him  some 
distance  along  the  ground.     Having  succeeded  in  drawing  one  of  a  brace 


230  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

of  pistols  from  his  belt,  Lieutenant  Colnett  fired,  and  lodged  a  ball  in  the 
body  of  the  tiger,  when  the  beast  became  enraged,  shook  him  violently, 
without  letting  go  his  hold,  and  made  off  towards  the  thickest  part  of  the 
jungle  with  his  prey.  In  the  struggle  to  disengage  himself  from  the 
clutches  of  the  animal,  the  Lieutenant  caught  hold  of  the  tiger  by  both 
his  ears,  and  succeeded,  after  some  time,  in  throwing  the  beast  on  his 
side,  when  he  availed  himself  of  his  momentary  release  to  draw  forth  the 
remaining  pistol,  and  placing  the  muzzle  at  the  breast  of  the  tiger,  shot 
him  through  the  heart.  He  then  returned  to  his  elephant,  which  he 
mounted  without  assistance,  feeling  at  the  moment  little  pain  from  his 
wounds,  although  he  received  no  fewer  than  thirty-five,  from  the  effects 
of  which  he  long  afterwards  continued  to  suffer. 

Wild  Fury  of  a  Tigress. 

The  people  of  Chittagong  were  alarmed  by  the  appearance  of  a  tigress, 
which  was  first  discovered  among  some  cattle  that  were  grazing  at  the 
mouth*  of  the  river.  On  the  first  alarm,  the  natives  of  the  vicinity  as- 
sembled with  all  speed  and  advanced  against  her.  Irritated  by  this  she 
sprang  furiously  upon  the  person  nearest  to  her,  and  wounded  him  se- 
verely. The  immediate  attack  of  the  crowd,  however,  was  successful  in 
rescuing  the  man  from  her  grasp.  On  this  the  tigress,  finding  herself 
hemmed  in  on  all  sides,  and  seeing  no  way  of  avoiding  the  multitude, 
except  by  the  river,  took  to  the  water,  and  swam  about  five  miles 
closely  pursued  by  the  natives  in  their  boats,  until  she  landed  under  a 
tree  in  a  dockyard.  Here  she  laid  herself  down,  apparently  much 
fatigued;  but  before  the  people  in  the  yard  could  get  their  fire-arms  ready, 
she  had,  in  a  great  degree,  recovered  her  strength.  Several  shots  were 
fired  at  her,  and  two  of  them  penetrated  her  body,  one  of  which  lamed 
her. 

Rendered  desperate  by  this,  she  advanced  against  her  new  opponents, 
and  singling  out  a  European  gentleman  in  the  yard,  who  was  provided 
with  a  cutlass,  she  sprang  upon  him  before  he  could  make  use  of  his 
weapon ;  knocked  him  down  with  her  fore  paw,  seized  his  head  in  her 
mouth,  bit  off  a  considerable  part  of  the  skin  of  his  forehead,  and  wounded 
him  in  several  places.  After  this,  she  sprang  upon  a  native,  fractured  his 
skull,  and  otherwise  lacerated  him  so  dreadfully  that  he  died  next  day. 
She  then  entered  a  thicket  close  by,  where  she  was  allowed  to  remain  un- 
molested. On  the  morning  of  the  following  day  she  had  got  about  a 
mile  further  from  the  water  side,  and  near  to  a  Sepoy  village.  Here  she 
was  surrounded  by  about  a  thousand  natives,  when,  although  she  was 
very  lame,  she  sprang  furiously  on  several  of  them,  and  wounded  one  poor 


WILD  ANIMALS  OF  THE  FOREST  AND  JUNGLE.  231 

woman  so  dreadfully,  as  to  occasion  her   death.     A  fortunate  shot,  how- 
ever, laid  the  animal  prostrate. 

There  is  an  account  of  a  tame  tiger  which  was  brought  from  China  in 
an  East  Indiaman,  which  was  so  far  domesticated  as  to  admit  of  every 
kind  of  familiarity  from  the  people  on  board.  He  seemed  to  be  quite 
harmless  and  as  playful  as  a  kitten.  He  frequently  slept  with  the  sailors 
in  their  hammocks,  and  would  suffer  two  or  three  of  them  to  repose  their 
heads  upon  his  back,  as  upon  a  pillow,  while  he  lay  stretched  upon  the 
deck.  In  return  for  this,  he  would  now  and  then  steal  their  meat.  Hav- 
ing one  day  carried  off  a  piece  of  beef  from  the  carpenter,  the  man  fol- 
lowed the  animal,  took  it  out  of  his  mouth,  and  beat  him  severely  for  the 
theft,  which  punishment  he  suffered  with  all  the  patience  of  a  dog.  He 
would  frequently  run  upon  the  bow-sprit,  climb  about  like  a  cat,  and  per- 
form a  number  of  tricks  with  astonishing  agility.  There  was  a  dog  on 
board  with  whom  he  often  played  in  the  most  amusing  manner ;  he  was 
only  a  month  or  six  weeks  old  when  taken  on  board. 
The  Giant  of  the  Jungle. 

A  buffalo,  belonging  to  a  peasant  in  India,  having  fallen  into  a  quag- 
mire, the  man  was  himself  unable  to  extricate  it,  and  went  to  call  the  as- 
sistance of  his  neighbors.  Meanwhile,  a  large  tiger  coming  to  the  spot, 
seized  upon  the  buffalo,  and  dragged  him  out.  When  the  men  came  to 
the  place,  they  saw  the  tiger  with  the  buffalo  thrown  over  his  shoulder, 
in  the  act  of  retiring  with  him  towards  the  jungle.  No  sooner,  however, 
did  he  observe  the  men,  than  he  let  fall  the  dead  animal,  and  precipitately 
escaped.  On  coming  up,  they  found  the  buffalo  quite  dead,  and  his 
whole  blood  sucked  out.  Some  notion  may  be  gained  of  the  immense 
power  of  the  tiger  when  it  is  remembered  that  the  ordinary  weight  of  a 
buffalo  is  above  a  thousand  pounds,  and,  consequently,  considerably  more 
than  double  its  own  weight. 

Combats  between  these  animals  were  once  frequent  in  the  island  of 
Java,  and,  when  they  were  to  fight  for  the  amusement  of  the  court,  they 
were  brought  into  the  field  in  large  cages.  The  place  was  surrounded 
by  a  body  of  people  four  feet  deep,  with  levelled  pikes,  that,  if  the 
creatures  endeavored  to  break  through  they  might  be  immediately  killed. 
When  all  was  in  readiness,  the  cage  of  the  buffalo  was  first  opened  at  the 
top,  and  his  back  rubbed  with  the  leaves  of  a  plant,  which  occasioned 
him  intolerable  pain;  then  the  animal  leaped  out,  roaring  most  dreadful- 
ly. The  cage  of  the  tiger  was  then  opened,  and  fire  thrown  into  it  to 
make  the  beast  quit  it,  which  he  generally  did,  running  backwards  out  of 
it  No  sooner  did  the  tiger  perceive  the  buffalo,  than  he  sprang  upon 


232  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

him;  his  huge  opponent  standing  expecting  him,  with  his  horns  on  the 
ground,  in  order  to  catch  him  upon  them,  and  throw  him  in  the  air.  If 
the  buffalo  succeeded,  and  the  tiger  recovered  from  his  fall,  he  was  gen- 
erally indisposed  to  renew  the  contest ;  and  if  the  tiger  avoided  this  first 
attempt  of  the  buffalo,  he  sprang  upon  him,  and,  seizing  him  in  the  neck 
or  other  parts,  tore  his  flesh  from  his  bones.  •  In  most  cases,  however,  the 
strength  of  the  buffalo  overcame  the  address  and  ferocity  of  the  tiger. 

Barbaric  Sport. 

On  another  occasion,  a  lofty  bamboo  palisade  was  erected  at  Siarn, 
which  occupied  an  area  of  about  one  hundred  feet  square.  Into  this  en- 
closure two  elephants  were  introduced,  with  their  heads  and  trunks 
shielded  by  a  kind  of  mask.  A  large  tiger  was  now  brought  from  its  den, 
and  held  with  cords  till  one  of  the  elephants  approached,  and  inflicted 
two  or  three  blows  on  its  back  with  his  trunk,  so  heavily  that  it  fell 
stunned  as  if  dead.  Then  they  loosed  the  tiger.  No  sooner  did  he  re- 
cover than  he  sprang  with  a  dreadful  roar  at  the  elephant's  trunk,  stretch- 
ed out  in  the  act  to  strike  him,  but  the  wary  elephant  drew  up  his  trunk, 
and,  receiving  the  tiger  on  his  tusks,  hurled  him  into  the  air.  This 
checked  the  fury  of  the  tiger — as  it  well  might — and  it  gave  up  the  con- 
test with  the  elephant;  but  he  ran  several  times  round  the  palisade,  fre- 
quently springing  at  the  spectators.  Afterwards  three  elephants  were 
set  upon  him,  and  they,  in  turn,  dealt  him  such  heavy  blows  that  he 
again  lay  senseless,  and  would  have  been  killed,  had  not  the  struggle 
been  stopped.  Such  a  trial  of  strength,  however,  was  wanton  and  cruel,, 
but  it  placed  beyond  all  doubt  the  "  pluck  "  of  the  tiger. 

The  only  animal,  says  a  traveller  in  the  East,  found  suitable  to  assist  in 
the  capture  of  the  tiger  is  the  elephant,  which  often  displays  great  cour- 
age and  coolness  in  the  chase,  and  at  times  a  sagacity  which  has  saved 
the  rider's  life.  On  notice  being  given  that  there  was  a  tiger  in  the 
neighborhood,  the  whole  station  was  aroused,  and  in  a  state  of  prepara- 
tion began  to  proceed  to  the  cover;  the  elephants  were  brought  out,  and 
the  tumult  that  arose  before  all  was  ready,  between  drivers,  'dogs  and 
horses,  elephants  and  their  masters,  was  indescribable.  From  ten  to 
thirty  of  these  animals,  each  carrying  a  sportsman  armed  with  rifles  of 
various  descriptions,  have  generally  started  for  the  jungle  (though  some- 
times a  field  of  nearly  one  hundred  elephants  have  been  out),  and  com- 
menced regularly  to  beat  for  the  game. 

Seeking  the  Game. 

We  found  immense  quantities  of  game,  wild  dogs,  hogs  and  the  neil- 
ghie,  literally  the  blue  cow.  We,  however,  strictly  abstained  from  firing, 


(233) 


HUNTING   A    FEROCIOUS   TIGER. 


234  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

reserving  our  whole  battery  for  the  nobler  game — the  tiger.  It  was 
perhaps  fortunate  that  we  did  not  find  one  in  the  thick  part  of  the  forest, 
as  the  trees  were  so  close  set,  and  so  interwoven  with  thorns  and  parasitic 
plants,  that  the  elephants  were  often  obliged  to  clear  for  themselves  a 
passage  by  their  own  pressing  exertions.  It  is  curious,  on  these  occa- 
sions, to  see  the  enormous  trees  these  animals  will  overthrow  on  a  word 
from  the  driver ;  they  place  their  foreheads  against  the  obnoxious  plant, 
twisting  their  trunks  round  it,  and  gradually  bending  it  towards  the 
ground,  until  they  can  place  a  foot  upon  it.  This  done,  down  comes  the 
tree  with  crashing  stem  and  upturned  roots.  The  elephant  must  be  well 
educated  to  accomplish  this  duty  in  a  gentleman-like  manner ;  that  is, 
without  roaring  sulkily,  or  shaking  his  master  by  too  violent  exertions. 

On  clearing  the  wood,  we  entered  an  open  space  of  marshy  grass,  not 
three  feet  high ;  a  large  herd  of  cattle  were  feeding  there,  and  the  herds- 
man was  sitting  singing  under  a  bush ;  when,  just  as  the  former  began  to 
move  before  us,  up  sprang  the  very  tiger  to  which  our  visit  was  intended, 
and  cantered  off  before  a  bare  plain,  dotted  with  small  patches  of  bush- 
jungle.  He  took  to  the  open  country  in  a  style  that  would  have  more 
become  a  fox  than  a  tiger,  which  is  expected  by  his  pursuers  to  fight  and 
not  to  run  ;  and  as  he  was  flushed  on  the  flank  of  the  line,  only  one 
bullet  was  fired  at  him  ere  he  cleared  the  thick  grass.  He  was  unhurt, 
and  we  pursued  him  at  full  speed. 

An  Exciting-  Capture. 

Twice  he  threw  us  out  by  stopping  short  in  small  strips  of  jungle,  and 
tearing  back  after  we  had  passed ;  and  he  had  given  us  a  very  fast  trot  of 
about  two  miles,  when  an  officer,  who  led  the  field,  at  last  reached  him 
by  a  capital  shot,  his  elephant  being  in  full  career.  As  soon  as  he  felt 
himself  wounded,  the  tiger  crept  into  a  close  thicket  of  trees  and  bushes, 
and  crouched.  The  two  leading  sportsmen  overran  the  spot  where  he 
lay  ;  and  as  I  came  up  I  saw  him,  through  an  aperture,  rising  to  attempt 
a  charge.  My  driver  had  just  before,  in  the  heat  of  the  chase,  dropped 
his  goad,  which  I  had  refused  to  allow  him  to  recover;  and  the  elephant 
being  notoriously  savage,  and  further  irritated  by  the  goading  he  had 
undergone,  became,  consequently,  unmanageable;  he  appeared  to  see  the 
tiger  as  soon  as  myself,  and  I  had  only  time  to  fire  one  shot,  when  he 
suddenly  rushed  with  the  greatest  fury  into  the  thicket,  and  falling  on 
his  knees,  nailed  the  tiger  with  his  tusks  to  the  ground. 

Such  was  the  violence  of  the  shock,  that  my  servant,  who  sat  behind, 
was  thrown  out,  and  one  of  my  guns  went  overboard.  The  struggles  of 
my  elephant  to  crush  his  still  resisting  foe,  which  had  fixed  one  paw  on 


WILD  ANIMALS  OF  THE  FOREST  AND  JUNGLE.  235 

his  eye,  were  so  energetic  that  I  was  obliged  to  hold  on  with  all  my 
strength  to  keep  myself  in  the  seat.  The  second  barrel,  too,  of  the  gun 
which  I  still  retained  in  my  hand,  went  off  in  the  scuffle,  the  ball  passing 
close  to  the  driver's  ear,  whose  situation,  poor  fellow,  was  anything  but 
enviable.  As  soon  as  my  elephant  was  prevailed  upon  to  leave  the 
killing  part  of  the  business  to  the  sportsmen,  they  gave  the  roughly- 
used  tiger  the  go  by.  It  was  a  very  fine  female,  with  the  most  beautiful 
skin  I  ever  saw. 

The  Famous  Black  Bear. 

This  animal  inhabits  every  wooded  district  of  the  American  continent, 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  and  from  Carolina  to  the  shores  of  the 
Arctic  Sea.  Man  has,  however,  gradually  driven  it  from  its  haunts  to 
make  way  for  his  works,  and  has  compelled  it  to  take  refuge  in  the  moun- 
tains and  the  immense  inland  forests.  In  Canada  it  is  still  found,  and  it  is 
tolerably  numerous  on  the  Western  coast,  as  far  as  California. 

The  black  bear  is  smaller  than  other  American  bears — the  total  length 
of  an  adult  seldom  exceeding  five  feet.  Its  favorite  food  is  berries  of  var- 
ious kinds,  but,  when  these  are  not  to  be  procured,  it  preys  on  roots,  in- 
sects, fish,  eggs,  and  such  birds  or  quadrupeds  as  it  can  surprise.  It  does 
not  eat  animal  food  from  choice  ;  for,  when  it  has  abundance  of  its  favorite 
vegetable  diet,  it  will  pass  the  carcass  of  a  deer  without  touching  it. 

It  is  rather  a  timid  animal,  and  will  seldom  face  a  man  except  it  is 
wounded,  or  has  its  retreat  cut  ofT,  or  is  urged  by  affection  to  defend  its 
young.  In  such  instances  its  strength  renders  it  a  dangerous  assailant. 
The  female  has  been  known  to  confront  her  enemy  boldly,  until  she  had 
seen  her  cubs  attain  the  highest  branches  of  a  tree,  when  she  made  off,  ev- 
idently considering  them  to  be  in  safety,  but  leaving  them,  in  fact,  an  easy 
prey  to  the  hunter.  The  speed  of  the  black  bear  when  in  pursuit,  is  not 
very  great,  and  a  man  may  escape  from  it,  particularly  if  he  runs  into  a 
willow  grove,  or  among  loose  grass  ;  for  the  caution  of  the  bear  obliges  it 
to  stop  frequently,  and  rise  on  its  hind  legs,  for  the  purpose  of  reconnoiter- 
ing.  A  black  bear,  however,  has  been  known  to  make  off  with  a  speed 
that  would  have  baffled  the  fleetest  runner,  and  ascend  a  nearly  perpen- 
dicular cliff,  with  a  facility  that  a  cat  might  envy. 

One  of  the  most  curious  of  this  race  of  animals  is  the  labiated,  or  sloth 
bear.  This  animal,  on  its  first  arrival  in  Europe,  was  taken  for  a  sloth,  but 
Blainville  proved  that  it  is  a  species  of  bear.  It  is  a  favorite  with  the  jug- 
glers of  India,  who  consider  its  ugliness  an  attraction.  The  cartilage  of 
the  nose  is  capable  of  extention,  and  the  lips  of  considerable  protrusion,  as 
may  be  seen  if  the  spectator  hold  a  morsel  of  fruit  or  biscuit  at  a  proper 


236 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


distance  for  exciting  the  animal  to  exert  this  faculty.     The  muzzle  is  elon- 
gated, and,  as  well  as  the  ends  of  the  feet,  is  whitish  or  yellowish.     The 


THE   SLOTH    BEAR. 

forehead  rises  almost  abruptly  from  the  muzzle.  Upon  the  under  side  of 
the  neck  and  breast  is  a  white  mark,  resembling  the  letter  V  or  Y.  With 
these  exceptions,  the  fur  is  deep  black,  with  here  and  there  some  browa 


WILD  ANIMALS  OF  THE  FOREST  AND  JUNGLE.  237 

spots,  and  is  rather  long,  particularly   round  the  breast,  in  old  specimens. 
In  bulk  it  is  about  the  size  of  the  brown  bear. 

The  food  of  this  species,  in  its  natural  state,  consists  of  fruits,  honey,  and 
the  white  ants,  which  are  so  numerous  and  destructive.  It  inhabits  the 
mountainous  parts  of  India,  where  some  cavern  is  its  retreat.  In  captivity 
it  is  mild  but  melancholy.  A  pair  lived  for  some  time  in  the  Gardens  of 
the  London  Zoological  Society,  very  sociably,  and  often  lay  huddled  to- 
gether, uttering  a  kind  of  rattling,  but  low,  whine,  or  purring,  which  was 
continuous  and  monotonous,  but  not  entirely  unmusical  ;  indeed,  it  was 
termed  by  more  than  one  who  heard  it  their  song.  The  paw  was  gener- 
ally at  the  mouth  when  they  made  this  singular  noise. 

In  India,  bears  will  often  continue  on  the  road,  in  front  of  a  palanquin 
for  a  mile  or  two,  tumbling  and  playing  all  sorts  of  antics,  as  if  they  were 
taught  to  do  so.  I  believe,  says  Johnson,  in  his  "Sketches"  of  that  coun- 
try, it  is  their  natural  disposition  ;  for  they  are  certainly  the  most  amusing 
creatures  imaginable,  in  a  wild  state.  It  is  no  wonder  that  they  are  led 
about  with  monkeys  to  amuse  mankind.  It  is  astonishing,  as  well  as  lu- 
dicrous to  see  them  climb  rocks,  and  tumble,  or  rather  roll  down  precipi- 
ces. If  they  are  attacked  by  a  person  on  horseback,  they  stand  erect  on 
their  hind  legs,  showing  a  fine  set  of  white  teeth,  and  make  a  crackling 
kind  of  noise.  If  the  horse  comes  near  them,  they  try  to  catch  him  by  the 
legs ;  and,  if  they  miss  him,  they  tumble  over  and  over  several  times.  They 
.are  easily  speared  by  a  person  mounted  on  horseback. . 

Capers  of  the  World-Renowned  "Martin." 

The  drollest  and  most  accomplished  of  all  bears  was  the  celebrated 
Martin,  of  Paris,  whose  dancing,  climbing,  curtseying,  tumbling,  begging, 
and  many  other  antics,  were  the  delight  of  every  child  in  the  metropolis, 
and  of  many  grown-up  children  also.  It  is  true,  that  the  nursemaids  en- 
dangered the  lives  of  their  charges,  by  holding  them  over  the  side  of  the 
pit  in  which  he  was  kept ;  but  as  none  did  fall,  they  continued  to  amuse 
themselves  and  their  nurslings  at  the  same  risk.  One  morning  early,  he 
very  cleverly  withdrew  the  bolts  of  his  pit  door,  and  sallied  forth 
on  his  hind-legs  to  take  a  walk.  The  keepers  of  the  garden  had  not 
risen;  but  the  dogs  were  on  the  alert,  and  surrounded  Martin,  jumping 
and  barking,  half  in  play  and  half  in  earnest.  This  roused  the  men,  who, 
rushing  out  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  beheld  the  beast  in  the  midst  of 
the  canine  troop,  his  tongue  lolling  out  of  his  mouth,  and  an  expression 
of  fun  and  enjoyment  in  his  countenance,  which  was  indescribable. 

Never  was  the  malignant  scowl,  so  often  noticed  in  bears,  from  pulling 
the  third  eyelid  half  over  the  eye,  seen  in  poor  Martin's  face ;  yet  he  be- 


238  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

came  unpopular  from  the  cupidity  of  one  of  the  sentinels.  This  man 
fancied  he  saw  a  five-franc  piece  lying  in  the  bear's  pit,  and  determined  to 
go  during  the  night,  when  he  would  be  on  duty,  and  secure  it.  He  accord- 
ingly provided  himself  with  a  ladder,  and  when  the  guard  was  changed, 
was  found  lying  lifeless  at  the  bottom,  the  coveted  piece  in  his  hand, 
which  proved  to  be  nothing  but  a  large  button.  No  marks  of  violence 
were  to  be  seen  upon  his  body,  but  the  contusions  on  his  head  seemed  to 
tell  that  he  had  fallen  from  the  ladder  when  near  the  top,  and  so  met  his 
death.  Whether  he  had  been  frightened  or  seized  with  giddiness,  or 
whether  Martin  had  shaken  the  ladder,  no  one  could  say ;  the  animal  was 
sitting  quietly  by  his  side  when  his  fate  was  first  made  known. 

The  story  fled  like  wildfire  from  one  end  of  Paris  to  the  other,  and  in 
a  short  time  the  populace  were  fully  convinced  that  Martin  had  killed 
him ;  and  this,  combined  with  other  exaggerations,  induced  them  to  flock 
in  multitudes  to  see  the  murderous  bear.  Afterwards,  two  balls  of  arsenic, 
wrapped  up  in  some  sweet  substance,  were  found  in  the  pit,  fortunately 
before  Martin  had  touched  them ;  and  the  authorities  of  the  garden 
thought  it  prudent  to  remove  him  to  a  den  in  the  managerie.  The  front 
of  these  dens  was  closed  at  night  with  a  sliding  shutter,  pulled  down  by 
inserting  a  hook  at  the  end  of  a  long  pole  into  a  ring,  which  ring  when 
down,  served  to  admit  a  bolt.  This  did  not  please  Martin,  and  the  keep- 
er never  could  accomplish  the  fastening,  till  some  one  else  went  to  the 
other  side  to  take  off  the  bear's  attention  ;  for  the  moment  the  shutter 
was  down,  Martin  inserted  his  claws  and  pushed  it  up  again,  and  this 
practice  continued  as  long  as  he  existed. 

The  Unwieldy  Hippopotamus. 

Hippopotamus,  the  Roman  name,  of  Greek  origin,  for  the  river-horse, 
is  still  retained  by  modern  zoologists  as  the  generic  appellation  of  these 
animals.  They  are  natives  exclusively  of  Africa,  where — though  much 
more  limited  than  formerly  in  the  range  of  their  habitat — they  inhabit  the 
banks  and  beds  of  the  larger  rivers,  and  of  the  inland  lakes  from  the 
Gariep  to  the  upper  Nile  and  its  tributary  branches.  The  hippopotamus 
is,  however,  not  restricted  to  these,  for  it  is  also  a  marine  animal.  It  is 
difficult  to  decide  whether  it  prefers  the  river  or  the  sea  for  its  abode 
during  the  day.  When  there  is  an  opportunity  of  choice,  some  select 
the  sea,  and  others  the  river. 

Scarcely,  if  at  all,  inferior  to  the  elephant  in  bulk,  this  massive  animal 
is  much  lower  in  stature,  from  the  shortness  of  its  limbs.  Its  body,  like 
an  enormous  barrel  supported  on  four  thick  pillars,  almost  touches  the 
ground ;  the  head  is  ponderous ;  the  muzzle  is  swollen ;  and  the  great, 


(239) 


240  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

thick  lips,  studded  with  wire-like  bristles,  entirely  conceal  the  projecting 
incisors  of  the  lower  jaw,  and  the  huge  curved  tusks,  or  canines  ;  the 
mouth  is  wide ;  the  nostrils  open  on  the  top  of  the  swollen  muzzle  ;  and 
the  eyes,  which  are  very  small,  are  situated  high  on  the  head ;  hence, 
when  in  the  water,  the  animal,  by  raising  merely  a  small  upper  section  of 
the  head  above  the  surface,  can  both  breathe  and  look  around — the  body 
remaining  submerged.  The  ears  are  small  and  pointed  ;  the  tail  is  short, 
.and  furnished  with  a  few  wiry  bristles.  The  toes — four  on  each  foot — are 
tipped  with  small  hoofs.  The  hide  is  coarse,  naked,  and  of  great  thick- 
ness. 

This  part  is  made  into  various  articles,  as  shields,  whips,  and  walking- 
sticks.     Whips  in  Egypt  are  made  of  its  skin,  and   form   an   important  » 
.article  of  trade  with  the  Sennaar  and  Dalfour  caravans.     To  render  the 
narrow  strip  pliable,  they  must  be  rubbed  with  butter  or  grease.     In 
Egypt,  where  they  are  in  general  use,  and  the  dread  of  every  servant  and 
peasant;  they  cost  from  half-a-dollar  to  a  dollar  each.     In  colder  climates, 
even  in  Syria,  they  become  brittle,  crack  and  lose  their  elasticity. 
Appearance  and  Habits  of  the  River-Horse. 

Between  the  skin  and  the  flesh  is  a  layer  of  fat,  which  is  salted  and 
eaten  as  a  delicacy  by  the  Dutch  colonists  of  South  Africa.  Indeed,  the 
epicures  of  Cape  Town  do  not  disdain  to  use  their  influence  with  the 
country  farmers  to  obtain  a  preference  in  the  matter  of  "  sea-cow's  speck," 
as  this  fat  is  termed,  when  salted  and  dried.  The  flesh,  also,  is  excellent. 
The  large  canines  are  much  valued  by  dentists,  as  they  make  from  them 
better  artificial  teeth  than  can  be  obtained  from  the  ivory  of  the 
elephant. 

The  general  color  of  the  hippopotamus  is  dusky,  brownish-red,  passing 
on  the  sides  and  limbs  into  a  light  purple,  red,  or  brown  ;  the  under 
parts,  the  lips,  and  the.  eyelids,  are  light  wood-brown,  with  a  tinge  of 
flesh-color ;  the  hinder  quarters  and  the  under  surface  are  freckled  with 
spots  of  dusky  brown ;  the  hairs  of  the  tail  and  ears  are  black,  those  en 
the  muzzle  yellowish-brown.  The  male  far  exceeds  the  female  in  size. 
The  hippopotamus  is  gregarious,  wary,  and  cautious. 

These  animals  feed  chiefly  on  grass,  resorting  to  situations  near  the 
banks  of  rivers  which  supply  that  food.  In  districts  fully  inhabited  by 
man  they  generally  pass  the  day  in  the  water,  and  seek  their  nourishment 
during  the  night;  but  in  localities  differently  circumstanced,  they  often 
pass  a  portion  of  the  day  as  well  as  the  night  on  dry  land.  In  countries 
in  which  the  night-time  constitutes  the  only  safe  period  for  leaving  the 
water,  they  are  exceedingly  wary. 


WILD  ANIMALS  OF  THE  FOREST  AND  JUNGLE.  241 

In  Dargola,  a  narrow  strip  of  country  lying  on  both  sides  the  Nile,  the 
harpoon  with  which  the  natives  attack  the  hippopotamus  terminates  in  a 
flat,  oval-shaped  piece  of  iron,  three-fourths  of  the  outer  rim  of  which  are 
sharpened  to  a  very  fine  edge.  To  the  upper  part  of  this  iron  one  end  of 
a  long,  stout  cord  is  fastened,  and  the  other  is  tied  to  a  thick  piece  of 
light  wood.  The  hunters  attack  the  animal  either  by  day  or  by  night, 
but  they  prefer  the  former,  as  it  enables  them  better  to  escape  the  assaults 
of  their  furious  enemy.  One  part  of  the  rope,  with  the  shaft  of  the  har- 
poon, the  hunter  takes  in  his  right  hand  ;  in  the  left  he  holds  the  rest  of 
the  rope  and  the  piece  of  wood.  He  now  cautiously  approaches  the  ani- 
mal when  he  is  asleep  during  the  day  on  some  island  in  the  river,  or  he 
looks  for  him  at  night,  when  the  hippopotamus  is  likely  to  come  out  of 
the  water  to  graze  in  the  corn  fields. 

When  the  huntsman  is  about  seven  paces  from  the  beast  he  throws  the 
spear  with  all  his  might,  and,  if  he  is  a  good  marksman,  the  iron  pierces 
through  the  thick  hide,  burying  itself  in  the  flesh  deeper  than  the  barbed 
point.  The  animal  generally  plunges  into  the  water ;  and,  though  the 
shaft  of  the  harpoon  may  be  broken,  the  piece  of  wood  which  is  attached 
to  the  iron  floats  on  the  surface,  and  shows  what  direction  he  takes. 
There  is  great  danger  should  the  hippopotamus  spy  the  huntsman  before 
he  can  throw  his  spear.  He  then  springs  forward  with  the  utmost  fury, 
and  crushes  him  at  once  in  his  wide,  open  mouth. 

As  soon  as  the  animal  is  fairly  struck,  the  huntsmen,  in  their  small  ca- 
noes, cautiously  approach  the  floating  wood,  and,  after  fastening  a  strong 
rope  to  it,  they  hasten  with  the  other  end  toward  the  large  boat  which 
contains  their  companions.  The  huntsmen  now  pull  the  rope,  when  the 
animal,  irritated  by  the  pain,  seizes  the  boat  with  his  teeth,  and  some- 
times succeeds  in  crushing  and  overturning  it.  Meanwhile  his  assail- 
ants are  not  idle ;  four  or  five  more  harpoons  are  plunged  into  him,  and 
every  effort  is  made  to  drag  the  beast  close  up  to  the  boat,  so  as  to 
give  him  less  room  to  plunge  about  in.  Then  they  try  to  divide  the 
strong  ligament  that  holds  the  head  in  its  place,  with  a  sharp  weapon, 
or  to  pierce  his  skull.  Since  the  body  of  a  full-grown  hippopotamus 
is  too  bulky  to  be  pulled  out  of  the  water  without  a  great  number  of 
hands,  they  generally  cut  him  up  in  the  river,  and  bring  the  pieces  to 

land. 

Story  of  an  Imported  Hippopotamus. 

In  May,  1850,  the  good  ship  "  Ripon  "  steamed  up  to  her  berth  in  the 
Southampton  Water,  and  various  strange  sights  did  she  present  to  inquir- 
ing eyes.     The  most  striking  was  an  aged  Arab  of  noble  bearing,  but  by 
.16 


242 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


no  means  clean,  looking  calmly  out  of  one  of  the  ports  ;  and,  next  in  in- 
terest, a  young  one,  who  outdid  all  the  boys  on  the  quay  could  do,  by 
drawing  out  of  his  ragged  dress  a  splendid  cobra,  whose  hiss,  and  the 
spreading  of  whose  hood,  had  no  chance  of  a  parallel.  A  dark-skinned 
Nubian,  who  went  by  the  name  of  Hamet,  had  arrived  with  the  first  hip- 
popotamus that  had  reached  Europe  since  the  Emperor  Commodus 


''OBA.YSCH" — FIRST  HIPPOPOTAMUS  TRANSPORTED  TO  EUROPE. 
slaughtered  five   of  these  huge  animals  in   the   Flavian  Amphitheatre  at 
Rome. 

His    Highness   Abbas   Pasha,  with    great   liberality,   had  the   animal 
brought  to  Cairo  at  his  own  expense,  from  the  White  Nile ;  a  lieutenant 


WILD  ANIMALS  OF  THE  FOREST  AND  JUNGLE.  243 

and  a  party  of  ten  Nubian  soldiers  formed  his  escort ;  a  boat  had  been 
built  on  purpose  for  him. 

Harriet,  whose  services  had  been  engaged  at  Cairo,  from  his  experience 
and  skill  in  the  care  and  management  of  animals,  had  some  amusing 
incidents  to  relate  as  to  his  extraordinary  charge.  It  was  clear,  for  in- 
stance, that  he  had  attracted  to  himself,  and  that  most  deservedly,  the  warm 
affections  of  Obaysch,  the  name  given  to  the  animal  from  the  place  where 
he  was  captured.  Thus,  Hamet  slept  side  by  side  with  him  at  Cairo, 
and  in  the  same  way  he  slumbered  during  the  first  week  of  the  voyage. 
But  as  the  weather  grew  warmer,  and  Obaysch  larger  and  larger,  though 
"poverty  makes  us  acquainted  with  strange  bedfellows,"  the  charge  of  a 
hippopotamus  did  not  necessarily,  it  was  thought,  render  such  an  incon- 
venience imperative.  Hamet  had,  therefore,  a  hammock  slung  from  the 
beams  immediately  over  the  place  where  he  used  to  sleep — -just  over,  in 
fact,  his  side  of  the  bed,  his  position  being  raised  some  two  or  three 
feet.  Assuring  Obaysch,  not  only  by  words,  but  by  extending  one  arm 
over  the  side  so  as  to  touch  him,  Hamet  got  into  his  hammock  and  fell 
asleep,  when  he  was  suddenly  awaked  by  a  jerk  and  a  hoist,  only  to  find 
himself  close  by  the  side  of  his  companion.  Another  experiment  at  sep- 
arate sleeping  was  attended  by  the  same  successful  movements  on  the 
part  of  Obaysch,  and,  till  they  arrived  at  Southampton,  Hamet  desisted 
from  any  further  trial,  as  he  avoided,  in  all  ways,  any  irritation  of  the 
animal. 

Recently,  a  female  hippopotamus,  was  safely  deposited  in  the  gardens 
of  the  Zoological  Society.  It  was  ascertained,  during  the  voyage,  that 
she  was  not  insensible  to  music,  for,  when  any  one  of  the  musicians  on 
board  played  his  instrument  near  her,  she  invariably  raised  her  head  in 
the  attitude  of  listening.  The  keeper,  also,  an  Arab  snake-charmer,  was 
in  the  habit  of  exciting  the  attention  of  his  charge  by  a  kind  of  musical 
call,  which  she  answered  by  vibrating  her  great  bulk  to  and  fro,  with 
evident  pleasure,  keeping  time  to  the  measure  of  the  keeper's  song.  At 
the  date  just  mentioned  she  was  about  four  months  old,  and  weighed 
above  a  ton.  She  was  fed  by  her  keeper  opening  her  mouth  with  his 
hand,  which  he  thrust  down  her  throat,  covered  with  milk  and  corn-meal. 


CHAPTER   IX. 
REMARKABLE  TYPES   OF   ANIMAL   LIFE. 

The  American  Puma — Killing  Prey  for  the  Sake  of  Killing — Two  Hunters  in  the- 
Catskills — A  Sportsman's  Shocking  Death — Singular  Encounter  with  a  Puma — 
Power  of  Gentleness  upon  the  Brute  Creation — The  Great  Grizzly  Bear — A 
Clumsy  Creature — Blind  Bears  Regaining  Sight— The  Famous  Jungle  Bear — 
Claws  of  Unique  Construction — Hunters'  Ingenious  Methods  of  Capture — How 
the  "  Jungler"  Acts  in  Captivity— The  Bear's  Song— The  Hedgehog— A  Prickly 
Covering— A  Long  Winter's  Sleep — The  Hedgehog  Proof  Against  Poison — The 
Eternal  Foe  of  Serpents — The  Brazilian  Porcupine — A  Creature  with  an  Extra- 
ordinary Armor — Classic  Legends  Concerning  the  Porcupine — An  Animal  that 
Lacks  Brains — Common  Porcupine — Method  of  Showing  Anger — A  Quadruped 
Rolled  up  like  a  Ball— The  Armadillo— A  Thick  Coat  of  Mail— A  Rapid  Digger 
in  the  Earth— A  Bone-Covered  Ball — Tumbling  Unhurt  Down  a  Precipice — A 
Sense  of  Wonderful  Acuteness — The  Scaly  Ant-Eater — A  Toothless  Animal — 
Scales  like  those  of  a  Fish — The  Agile  Kangaroo — Curious  Pouch  for  Carrying 
Young — A  Long  Leaper — Hard  Fighters — American  Opossum — A  Lover  of 
Barn-yards — Odd  Method  of  Transporting  Little  Opossums. 

HE  puma,  sometimes  called  the  couguar,  has  a  very  extensive 
range  over  both  North  and  South  America.  The  total  length 
of  the  adult  is  from  four  feet  to  four  feet  and  a  half,  that  or 
the  tail  from  two  feet  to  two  feet  and  a  half.  The  females 
are  somewhat  less.  .The  fur  is  thick  and  close,  of  a  reddish-brown, 
approaching  nearly  to  the  color  of  a  fox  on  the  back.  It  lightens  on  the 
outsides  of  the  limbs  and  on  the  flanks,  and  on  the  belly  becomes  of  a 
pale  reddish  white.  The  muzzle,  chin,  throat,  and  insides  of  the  legs,  are 
grayish-white,  and  on  the  breast  the  color  becomes  more  marked,  and  is 
almost  pure  white.  The  part  from  which  the  whiskers  spring,  and  the  lips 
and  the  backs  of  the  ears,  are  black ;  the  whiskers  themselves  white.  On 
the  face  and  flanks  of  the  young  animal  there  are  some  indications  of 
stripes  or  brindling  ;  but  when  the  puma  reaches  maturity  these  are  lost, 
and  the  color  becomes  entirely  uniform,  except  where  it  shades  into  a 
paler  tint. 

Though  very  active  in  climbing,  this  animal  seems  more  to  frequent 
the  grassy  plains  of  the  southern  part  of  America  and  the  marshy  meadow 
lands  bordering  the  rivers,  than  the  forest,  and  is  found  in  a  country  so 
open  as  to  be  frequently  taken  by  the  lasso,  when  attacking  the  herds.  In 
the  northern  districts  it  inhabits  the  swamps  and  prairies,  living  chiefly  on. 
(244) 


REMARKABLE  TYPES  OF  ANIMAL  LIFE.  245 

different  species  of  deer,  on  which  it  is  said  to  drop  down  from  a  tree, 
which  it  had  ascended  to  watch  their  path ;  or  it  makes  inroads  on  the 
bogs  of  the  squatter,  who  has  gone  to  the  unopened  country.  Other 
kinds  of  food,  are  sought  after  and  taken  without  much  discrimination. 

Unlike  most  of  the  other  animals  of  the  tribe,  it  is  not  satisfied  with  the 
seizure  of  a  single  prey ,  but,  when  meeting  with  a  herd  of  animals,  will 
kill  as  many  as  it  can,  sucking  only  a  small  portion  of  the  blood  from 
each.  It  is  thus  extremely  destructive  among  sheep,  and  has  been  known 
to  kill  fifty  in  one  night.  Active  means  are  therefore  constantly  required 
for  its  destruction,  and  it  is  either  hunted,  speared,  or  shot. 
Fatal  Encounter  in  the  Catskills. 

Two  hunters  went  out  in  quest  of  game  on  the  Catskill  Mountains,  in  New 
York,  each  armed  with  a  gun  and  accompanied  by  his  dog.  It  was  agreed 
between  them  that  they  should  go  in  contrary  directions  round  the  base 
of  the  hill,  and  that  if  either  discharged  his  piece,  the  other  should  cross 
the  hill  as  expediously  as  possible,  to  join  his  companion  in  pursuit  of  the 
game  shot  at.  Shortly  after  separating,  one  heard  the  other  fire,  and,  agree- 
ably to  their  compact,  hastened  to  his  comrade.  After  searching  for  him 
for  some  time  without  effect, he  found  his  dog  dead  and  dreadfully  torn. 
Apprised  by  this  discovery  that  the  animal  shot  at  was  large  and  ferocious, 
he  became  anxious  for  his  friend,  and  assiduously  continued  the  search 
for  him ;  when  his  eyes  were  suddenly  directed,  by  the  deep  growl  of  a 
puma,  to  the  large  branch  of  a  tree,  where  he  saw  the  animal  crouching 
on  the  body  of  a  man,  and  directing  his  eyes  towards  him,  apparently 
hesitating  whether  to  descend  and  make  a  fresh  attack  on  the  survivor, 
or  to  relinquish  his  prey,  and  take  to  flight. 

Conscious  that  much  depended  on  celerity,  the  hunter  discharged  his 
piece,  and  wounded  the  puma  mortally,  when  it  and  the  body  of  the  man 
fell  together  from  the  tree.  The  surviving  dog  then  flew  at  the  prostrate 
beast ;  but  a  single  blow  from  his  paw  laid  him  dead  by  his  side.  Find- 
ing that  his  comrade  was  dead,  and  that  there  was  still  danger  in 
approaching  the  wounded  animal,  he  retired,  and,  with  all  haste,  brought 
several  persons  to  the  spot,  where  the  unfortunate  hunter  and  both  the 
dogs  were  lying  dead  together.  The  skin  of  this  animal  was  preserved 
in  the  Museum  of  New  York,  as  a  memorial  of  the  story. 
Curious  Adventure  With  a  Puma. 

The  following  curious  encounter  with  a  puma  is  related  by  Sir  E.  Head, 
in  his  "Journey  Across  the  Pampas:  "  The  fear  which  all  wild  animals  in 
America  have  of  man  is  very  singularly  seen  in  the  Pampas.  I  often 
rode  towards  the  ostriches,  crouching  under  the  opposite  side  of  my 


THE   PUMA   OR   AMERICAN   TIGER. 


REMARKABLE  TYPES  OF  ANIMAL  LIFE.  247 

horse's  neck;  but  I  always  found  that,  although  they  would  allow  any 
loose  horse  to  approach  them,  they,  even  when  young,  ran  from  me, 
though  little  of  my  figure  was  visible;  and  when  I  saw  them  all  enjoying 
themselves  in  such  full  liberty,  it  was  at  first  not  pleasing  to  observe  that 
one's  appearance  was  everywhere  a  signal  to  them  that  they  should  fly 
from  their  enemy.  Yet  it  is  by  this  fear  "  that  man  hath  dominion  over 
the  beasts  of  the  field,"  and  there  is  no  animal  in  South  America  that  does 
not  acknowledge  this  instinctive  feeling.  As  a  singular  proof  of  this, 
and  of  the  difference  between  the  wild  beasts  of  America  and  the  Old 
World,  I  will  venture  to  relate  a  circumstance  which  a  man  sincerely 
assured  me  had  happened  to  him  in  South  America : 

He  was  trying  to  shoot  some  wild  ducks,  and,  in  order  to  approach 
them  unperceived,  he  put  the  corner  of  his  poncho  (which  is  a  sort  of 
long,  narrow  blanket)  over  his  head,  and  crawling  along  the  ground  upon 
his  hands  and  knees,  the  poncho  not  only  covered  his  body,  but 
trailed  along  the  ground  behind  him.  As  he  was  thus  creeping  by  a 
large  bush  of  reeds,  he  heard  a  loud,  sudden  noise,  between  a  bark  and 
a  roar :  he  felt  something  heavy  strike  his  feet,  and,  instantly  jumping  up, 
he  saw,  to  his  astonishment,  a  large  puma  actually  standing  on  his 
poncho ;  and,  perhaps,  the  animal  was  equally  astonished  to  find  himself 
in  the  immediate  presence  of  so  athletic  a  man.  The  man  told  me  he 
was  unwilling  to  fire,  as  his  gun  was  loaded  with  very  small  shot ;  and  he 
therefore  remained  motionless,  the  puma  standing  on  his  ponchp  for 
many  seconds :  at  last,  the  creature  turned  his  head,  and  walking  very 
slowly  away  about  ten  yards,  he  stopped  and  turned  again :  the  man  still 
maintained  his  ground,  upon  which  the  puma  tacitly  acknowledged  his 
supremacy,  and  walked  off. 

Making  Pets  of  Wild  Beasts. 

The  puma  is  very  easily  tamed,  and  becomes  harmless,  and  even 
affectionate.  Kean,  the  actor,  possessed  one,  called  "  Tom,"  which 
followed  him  about,  and  was  often  introduced  to  company  in  his  drawing- 
room.  Another  was  extremely  gentle  and  playful,  and  showed  no 
symptoms  of  ferocity  to  strangers  who  went  to  see  it.  It  rejoiced  greatly 
in  the  society  of  those  to  whose  company  it  was  accustomed ;  laid  down 
on  its  back  between  their  feet,  and  played  with  the  skirts  of  their 
garments,  exactly  like  a  kitten.  It  was  very  fond  of  water,  frequently 
jumping  into  and  out  of  a  large  tub,  greatly  pleased  with  the  refreshment. 

It  was  brought  from  the  city  of  St.  Paul's,  the  capital  of  the  district  of 
that  name,  in  the  Brazils.  During  its  voyage  it  was  on  intimate  terms 
with  several  dogs  and  monkeys,  none  of  which  it  ever  attempted  to 


248 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


injure  ;  nor  did  it  even  attempt  to  return  the  petty  insults  which  the  latter 
sometimes  offered.  But  if  an  unfortunate  fowl  or  goat  came  within  its 
reach,  it  was  immediately  snapped  at  and  killed.  While  in  London,  it 
escaped  into  the  street  during  the  night,  but  allowed  itself  to  be  taken  by 
a  watchman,  without  offering  even  a  show  of  resistance.  After  its  arrival 
in  Edinburgh,  it  was  not  indulged  with  living  prey,  and  the  only  animals 


I    |pL 

<' 


GRIZZLY    BEAR    AND    ITS    PREY. 

which  fell  victims  to  its  rapacity  were  a  duck  and  cock-pheasant,  both  of 
which  approached  inadvertently  within  the  circle  of  its  spring,  and  were 
each  killed  by  a  blow  of  its  fore  paw. 

The  grizzly  bear  is  to  the  animal  tribes  of  America  what  the  Bengal  ti- 
ger is  to  those  of  Hindostan  and  the  lion  to  those  of  Central  Africa.  It 
is  the  most  savage  of  its  race  and  the  most  tenacious  of  life  of  all  quad- 
rupeds. The  European  brown  bear  and  the  American  black  bear  are 


REMARKABLE  TYPES  OF  ANIMAL  LIFE.  249 

closely  allied,  and  are  similar  in  habits,  although  the  former  is  fiercer  and 
more  sanguinary.  They  are  excellent  climbers,  passionately  fond  of 
honey,  great  devourers  of  roots  and  green  corn,  and  especial  enemies  to 
hogs  and  small  calves. 

The  grizzly  bear  is  larger,  heavier,  clumsier  and  stronger,  than  the 
others.  It  easily  crosses  broad  streams  by  swimming  and  when  enraged 
even  attacks  its  enemy  in  the  water.  It  is  not  afraid  of  man  and  many  a 
hunter  has  fallen  a  victim  to  its  powerful  claws  and  jaws.  Indians  and 
trappers  relate  wonderful  stories  about  its  ferocity  and  strength.  The 
tenacity  of  life  of  the  grizzly  is  very  great  and  a  wound  that  does  not  kill 
it  right  out,  is  often  more  dangerous  to  the  hunter  than  to  the  bear  itself. 
For  this  reason  the  Indians  consider  the  killing  of  a  grizzly  as  a  proof  of 
prowess  of  the  young  warrior,  even  more  so  than  the  slaying  of  an 
enemy.  A  necklace  of  the  claws  and  teeth  of  a  grizzly  is  considered  one 
of  their  greatest  and  most  honoring  ornaments,  because  the  Indian  is  not 
allowed  to  wear  it,  except  he  killed  the  bear  himself. 

Restoring  Sight  to  Blind  Bears. 

It  is  said  that  the  mere  scent  of  man  causes  the  grizzly  to  run  away. 
The  other  animals  are  as  much  afraid  of  the  scent  of  the  grizzly,  as  this 
animal  is  of  that  of  man.  In  captivity  the  grizzly  does  not  act  differently 
from  its  European  cousins.  Two  grizzly  bears  in  the  Zoological  Garden 
of  London  became  utterly  blind  and  it  was  resolved  to  perform  an  opera- 
tion on  them.  By  administering  chloroform  they  were  stupefied,  and 
then  the  operation  was  performed.  When  they  came  to,  they  staggered 
about  as  if  recovering  from  drunkenness,  but  later  on  seemed  to  enjoy  the 
regaining  of  their  eyesight. 

A  Creature  with  Monstrous  Claws. 

The  home  of  the  jungle  bear  is  the  continent  of  Asia,  especially  the 
southern  part,  and  the  Island  of  Ceylon.  It  frequently  is  found  in  moun- 
tains and  solitary  forests,  and  also  near  the  habitations  of  man.  On  the  isle 
of  Ceylon,  during  the  great  drouth,  it  left  its  hiding  places,  and  was  met  so 
often  by  the  inhabitants  that  the  women  had  to  relinquish  their  accus- 
tomed baths  and  ablutions  in  the  rivers.  These  bears  frequently  fright- 
ened them  away,  yet  without  any  intention,  because  they  have  fallen  into 
the  river  while  drinking,  and  on  account  of  their  clumsiness  are  not  able 
to  gain  dry  land. 

During  the  hot  hours  of  the  day  the  jungle  bear  rests  in  self-dug  holes. 
It  is  very  sensitive  to  heat,  and  suffers  greatly  when  forced  to  cross  the 
hot  and  dry  mountain  plateaus.  Its  soles  are  nearly  scorched  by  the 
heat,  so  much  so  that  it  is  sometimes  unable  to  walk. 


(250) 


THE   JUNGLE    BEAR    OF   SOUTHERN   ASIA. 


REMARKABLE  TYPES  OF  ANIMAL  LIFE.  251 

The  hunters  therefore  wait  until  the  bear  is  nearly  exhausted  by  the 
heat  before  they  attack  it.  It  generally  appears  to  be  harmless  while 
traveling  through  the  mountains,  but  becomes  very  dangerous  when 
wounded.  Roots,  fruits,  bees  and  their  hives,  worms,  snails  and  ants  are 
its  main  nourishment,  and  its  long  and  strong  claws  assist  it  in  finding 
roots  or  opening  an  ant-hill.  It  climbs  the  highest  tree  to  procure  bees 
or  ants.  It  is  very  docile  after  being  captured,  and  is  easily  taught  all 
kinds  of  tricks.  In  captivity  it  is  fed  with  milk,  bread  and  meat.  For 
hours  it  lays  on  its  belly  and  amuses  itself  by  licking  its  paws.  It  is 
unconcerned  about  what  happens  around  it.  Its  fat  is  considered  to  be  a 
never-failing  remedy  against  rheumatism  and  gout. 

A  pair  of  jungle  bears  were  kept  for  some  time  in  the  gardens  of  the 
Zoological  Society,  London.  They  lived  very  sociably,  and  often  lay 
huddled  together,  uttering  a  kind  of  rattling  but  low  whine,  or  purring, 
which  was  continuous  and  monotonous,  but  not  entirely  unmusical ;  in- 
deed, by  more  than  one  who  heard  it,  it  was  termed  their  song.  The 
paw  was  generally  at  the  mouth  when  they  made  this  noise. 

The  Hedgehog-. 

The  common  hedgehog,  an  insectivorous  animal,  has  a  heavy  form, 
short  limbs,  and  slow  motion.  The  upper  part  of  the  body  is  covered 
with  sharp  prickles  about  an  inch  long,  arranged  in  clusters,  divergent 
and  crossing  each  other,  of  a  brownish-black  with  a  white  point ;  the 
head  is  clothed  with  hard,  brownish  hairs  and  the  under  part  of  the  body 
with  a  dirty  white  fur.  The  five  toes  are  armed  with  long  nails,  the  mid- 
dle the  longest,  suitable  for  digging.  The  soles  are  covered  with  naked 
tubercles,  possessing  an  exquisite  sense  of  touch. 

The  animal  is  able  to  roll  itself  into  a  ball  and  preserve  this  attitude  as 
long  as  it  pleases  without  much  effort,  presenting  to  its  enemies  a  thorny 
mass,  which  the  most  voracious  and  powerful  dare  not  attack.  The 
hedgehog  conceals  itself  during  the  day  in  burrows  or  natural  holes, 
coming  out  at  night  in  search  of  worms,  insects,  snails  and  fruits.  There 
is  no  hedgehog  in  America ;  the  porcupine,  armed  with  quills,  is  some- 
times called  by  this  name. 

The  usual  residence  of  these  animals,  which  are  found  in  the  temperate 
parts  of  Asia  and  Europe,  is  in  thickets.  It  may  be  in  some  degree  ren- 
dered domestic,  and  has  been  frequently  introduced  into  houses  for  the 
purpose  of  destroying  cockroaches  and  beetles,  which  it  pursues  and  de- 
vours with  great  avidity.  At  the  commencement  of  winter  the  hedgehog 
wraps  itself  up  in  a  warm  nest  of  dried  moss,  grass,  or  leaves,  and  sleeps 
out  the  rigors  of  the  season.  When  taken  out  and  placed  before  a  fire  it 


252 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


soon  recovers  from  torpidity.  The  female  produces  from  three  to  six  blind 
ones  at  a  birth,  which  are  soon  covered  with  prickles,  like  those  of  the 
parent  animal. 

The  hedgehog  is  said  to  be  very  delicate  eating.  The  skin  was  used  by 
the  ancients  for  the  purpose  of  a  clothes  brush.  The  most  violent  animal 
poisons  have  no  effect  on  the  hedgehog.  This  renders  it  of  peculiar 
value  in  forests,  where  it  destroys  a  great  many  noxious  reptiles.  Fights 
between  the  hedgehogs  and  vipers  have  been  witnessed,  in  which,  after  a 
very  severe  and  prolonged  encounter,  the  hedgehog  seized  the  viper  by 


THE    PRICKLY    HEDGEHOG. 

the  head,  which  it  ground  between  its  teeth,  compressing  the  fangs  and 
glands  of  poison,  and  then  devouring  every  part  of  the  body.  The 
hedgehog  received  several  wounds  on  the  ears,  mouth,  and  even  the 
tongue,  without  appearing  to  experience  any  of  the  ordinary  symptoms 
produced  by  the  venom  of  the  viper.  According  to  physiological  notes 
it  is  not  easily  understood,  how  a  warm-blooded  animal  could  stand  the 
bites  of  the  viper,  which  would  cause  the  decomposition  of  the  blood  in 
other  animals  and  occasion  death. 

The  Brazilian  tree-porcupine  is  abundant  in  Guiana,  Brazil  and  Bolivia, 


REMARKABLE  TYPES  OF  ANIMAL  LIFE.  253 

and  feeds  on  the  fruit  of  palms.  Like  its  cousins  it  sleeps  during  the  day 
sitting  on  a  tree.  It  greatly  dislikes  to  be  touched  and' by  a  sudden 
movement  tries  to  intimidate  any  one  who  approaches  it.  When  caught 
by  the  tail  it  becomes  tame  and  pliable  and  then  can  be  taken  on  the  arm 
without  trying  to  bite.  When  irritated,  it  erects  its  quills  and  then  ap- 
pears to  be  twice  as  large  as  it  really  is 

The  ancients  were  acquainted  with  the  porcupine,  and  Aristotle  alludes; 
to  the  story  of  its  power  in  shooting  its  quills  to  a  distance  at  its  enemy, 
showing  that  this  illusion  had  thus  early  taken  possession  of  the  popular 
mind.  The  tale  is  dwelt  upon  by  Pliny  with  his  usual  love  of  the  mar- 
velous, and  ^Elian,  Oppian,  and  Claudian  have  repeated  the  story  with  ex- 
aggerations. In  suddenly  raising  his  spiny  armor,  a  loose  quill  may  be 
detached  by  the  porcupine,  but  the  power  of  throwing  them  to  a  distance 
does  not  exist  except  when  shedding  its  coat. 

A  Creature  with  a  Formidable  Armor. 

The  use  of  the  quills  is  simply  that  of  a  defensive  armor,  but  as  this 
seems  a  cumbrous  device  for'such  a  purpose,  we  are  led  to  insist  on  find- 
ing other  advantages  to  be  derived  from  them.  Hence,  Thunberg  tells 
us  that  he  was  informed  that  the  Ceylonese  porcupine  had  a  very  curious 
method  of  fetching  water  for  its  young,  namely,  the  quills  in  the  tail  are 
said  to  be  hollow,  and  to  have  a  hole  at  the  extremity,  and  the  animal 
can  bend  them  in  such  a  manner  as  that  they  can  be  filled  with  water, 
which  afterward  is  discharged  in  the  nest  among  the  young.  Such  in- 
ventions, to  help  nature  out,  so  as  to  satisfy  a  narrow  conception  of  her 
works,  are  doubtless  the  source  of  many  of  the  common-place  errors  in 
respect  to  animals  of  peculiar  organization  ;  but  the  truth  certainly  is, 
that  the  porcupine  finds  his  quill  armor  an  exceedingly  convenient,  use- 
ful, and  effective  defence,  and  he  would  be  as  imperfect  without  it  as  a 
wasp  without  its  sting,  or  a  cock  without  its  spurs. 

The  porcupine  is  an  exceedingly  stupid  creature,  and  hence,  no  doubt, 
nature  supplied  him  with  his  formidable  covering  as  a  compensation  for 
his  lack  of  brains ;  as  an  indispensable  provision  in  order  to  put  him  on  a 
level  with  other  brutes  of  his  order.  The  modes  by  which  nature  equalizes 
her  favors  are  infinitely  diversified :  some  animals  she  endows  with  in- 
stincts, some  with  gifts  analogous  to  reason,  some  with  strength,  spme 
with  dexterity,  some  with  defensive  or  offensive  weapons.  The  hare  has 
speed,  the  squirrel  activity,  the  marmot  caution,  the  beaver  ingenuity,  the 
rat  most  or  all  of  these  qualities;  the  porcupine,  destitute  of  all,  has  his 
quiver  of  arrows,  which  he  shakes  in  the  face  of  his  foe,  to  frighten  him  if 
he  is  a  coward,  and  to  pierce  him  if  he  has  the  courage  to  make  an  at- 


REMARKABLE  TYPES  OF  ANIMAL  LIFE. 


tack.  In  case  of  need,  he  will  run  backward  at  his  enemy,  and  thus 
strike  his  sharp-pointed  arrows  into  him.  Without  his  quills,  the  porcu- 
pine would  seem  to  be  a  singularly  unmeaning,  uncouth,  and  helpless  sot; 
with  them,  he  has  a  position  in  history,  and  figures  in  literature  as  the 
emblem  of  human  fretfulness  and  conceit. 

Rodents  are  called  the  animals  which  are  furnished  with  two  remarkably 
large  and  long  front  teeth  in  each  jaw,  but  which  have  no  canine  teeth. 
Their  feet  have  claws  and  are  formed  for  leaping  as  well  as  for  running. 
The  porcupines,  which  belong  to  this  family,  have  two  front  teeth,  set 
obliquely  in  each  jaw,  and  grinders  ;  they  have  four  toes  on  the  fore  and 


ifS^Sa^mS^ 

3it?KMl 


THE  COMMON  PORCUPINE  OF  CANADA. 

five  on  the  hind  feet,  and  the  body  is  covered  with  spires  intermixed 
with  hair.  To  the  hedgehog  they  have  a  further  similitude  than  in  the 
spiry  covering  of  their  bodies.  The  best  known  species  is  the  Canada 
porcupine,  about  two  and  one  half  feet  long,  weighing  from  twenty  to 
thirty  pounds.  It  appears  larger  than  it  really  is,  from  the  length  of  the 
hair  and  spires. 

The  fur  is  generally  dark  brown,  soft,  woolly  and  grayish  next  the  skin  ; 
coarse  and  bristly  in  some  parts,  six  or  seven  inches  long  on  the  back; 
the  coarse  hair  usually  having  dirty  white  points,  giving  to  the  whole  a 
hoary  tint  The  spires  more  or  less  hidden  by  the  fur  and  abundant  on 
the  upper  surface  of  the  head,  body  and  tail,  are  several  inches  long,  and 
white  with  dark  points.  It  is  found  between  northern  Pennsylvania  and 


25G 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


to  the  east  of  the  upper  Missouri  River.  It  is  an  excellent,  though  a  slow 
climber,  is  not  able  to  escape  its  enemies  by  flight,  but  cannot  be  attacked 
even  by  the  largest  flesh-eaters  with  impunity. 

Dogs,  wolves,  the  lynx  and  the  couguar  have  died,  from  the  imflamma- 
tion  produced  by  its  quills.  These  are  loosely  attached  to  the  skin  and 
barbed  at  the  point,  so  that  they  easily  penetrate,  retain  their  hold,  and 
tend  continually  to  become  more  deeply  inserted.  When  irritated,  it  erects 
its  quills,  and  by  a  quick  lateral  movement  of  the  tail,  strikes  its  enemy, 
leaving  the  mouth,  nose  and  tongue  beset  with  its  darts.  Whenever  these 
animals  are  irritated  or  offended,  they  stamp  forcibly  on  the  ground  with 


BONE-PLATED    ARMADILLO. 

their  hind  feet,  somewhat  in  the  manner  of  rabbits,  making  at  the  same  time 
a  kind  of  grunting  noise. 

The  usual  method  of  defence  adopted  by  these  animals  is  to  recline  on 
one  side,  and  at  the  approach  of  their  enemy  to  rise  up  quickly,  and  gore 
him  with  the  erected  quills  of  the  opposite  side.  It  is  stated  that  when 
the  porcupine  meets  with  serpents,  against  which  it  carries  on  a  perpetual 
war,  it  closes  itself  up,  like  a  ball,  concealing  its  head  and  feet,  and  then 
rolls  upon  and  kills  them  with  its  bristles,  without  running  any  risk  of 
being  wounded  itself. 

This  armadillo  belongs  to  a  family  of  mammals,  intermediate  between  the 


REMARKABLE  TYPES  OF  ANIMAL  LIFE.  257 

sloths  and  ant-eaters.  They  are  distinguished  by  the  possession  of  molar 
teeth  only,  and  have  a  singular  coat-armor  covering  their  whole  body  and 
head.  It  consists  of  three  bony  bucklers  embracing  the  head,  shoulders 
and  rump,  the  two  latter  solid  and  capable  of  little  movement,  but  con- 
nected by  transverse  bands  of  smaller  plates,  which  are  very  pliable  and 
elastic.  The  tail  is  armed  with  an  annular  band.  The  legs  are  short  and 
stout,  covered  with  scaly  plates,  and  furnished  with  powerful  claws  for 
burrowing  in  the  ground.  The  teeth  are  cylindrical,  varying  from  seven 


ARMADILLO  ROLLED  UP  AND  ERECT. 

to  eighteen  in  number  on  each  side  of  each  jaw,  and  when  the  mouth  is 
closed  they  shut  one  into  another. 

The  armadillos  are  mostly  nocturnal,  and  perfectly  inoffensive ;  they  run 
with  great  speed,  easily  outstripping  a  man,  but  when  pursued  imme- 
diately commence  burrowing  with  rapidity.  Their  ordinary  food  consists 
of  fallen  fruits,  roots,  worms,  ants  and  carrion.  When  the  armadillo  is  in 
danger  of  being  attacked  by  its  enemies,  it  rolls  itself  up  in  the  manner 
of  the  hedgehog,  and,  except  its  nose,  leaving  nothing  but  the  shell  in 
view. 

In  this  position  it  sometimes  -resembles  a  large  ball  flattened  at  the 
17 


258  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

sides,  and  it  continues  in  this  position  till  the  danger  is  past,  and  frequently 
for  a  long  time  afterwards. 

If  the  animal  happens  to  be  near  a  precipice,  it  will  sometimes  roll  itself 
over,  and  generally  falls  to  the  bottom  unhurt.  These  animals  root  up  the 
earth  in  search  of  food;  they  live  in  burrows,  which  they  dig  in  the 
ground,  and  which  they  seldom  quit,  except  during  the  night.  Although 
they  are  natives  of  the  hot  climates  they  will  live  in  temperate  regions. .1 
They  are  hunted  with  small  dogs,  which  are  trained  up  for  this  purpose. 
The  hunters  know  when  they  are  concealed  in  their  holes  by  the  number 
of  flies  which  then  hover  round,  and  their  usual  mode  of  forcing  them  out 
is  by  smoking  the  burrows  or  pouring  in  water.  If  they  begin  to  dig, 
the  animal  digs  also,  and,  by  throwing  the  earth  behind  it,  so  effectually 
closes  up  the  hole  that  the  smoke  cannot  penetrate.  The  Indians  are 
very  fond  of  the  flesh  of  the  armadillo. 

The  armadillos  see  but  indifferently,  particularly  in  bright  sunshiny 
weather ;  but  their  sense  of  hearing  is  extremely  acute,  and  amply  com- 
pensates for  any  imperfection  of  sight.  When  alarmed  by  any  unusual  or 
strange  sound  they  prick  up  their  ears,  stop  for  a  moment  to  satisfy 
themselves  of  its  distance  and  direction,  then  commence  a  precipitate  re- 
treat to  their  burrow,  or,  if  that  be  too  remote,  begin  to  construct  a  new 
one.  Smell  is,  however,  by  far  the  most  acute  of  their  senses.  Azara 
tells  a  singular  story,  which  strikingly  illustrates  the  intensity  of  this 
sense  in  the  armadillos,  as  well  as  the  unerring  certainty  with  which,  by 
a  kind  of  intuitive  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  engineering,  they  are 
enabled  to  direct  their  subterraneous  course  to  any  particular  point.  Hav- 
ing arranged  a  trap  for  the  purpose  of  taking  armadillos,  and  having 
placed  in  it,  by  way  of  bait,  a  cock  with  a  small  quantity  of  maize  to  sup- 
port him,  it  so  happened  that  a  few  grains  of  the  maize  fell  through  be- 
tween the  boards  which  formed  the  bottom  of  the  trap.  An  armadillo  ar- 
rived during  the  night,  and  wishing  to  get  at  the  maize  thus  accidentally 
spilt,  opened  a  trench  or  burrow  at  some  distance  from  the  trap,  and  with- 
out deviating  a  hair's  breadth  from  the  straight  line  of  his  direction, 
pushed  it  on  to  the  very  spot  where  the  grain  had  fallen,  and  possessed 
himself  of  the  booty. 

The  Pangolin  or  Scaly  Ant-Eater. 

A  burrowing  toothless  mammal  is  found  in  the  warm  parts  of  Africa 
and  Asia,  living  in  holes,  which  it  digs  in  the  ground  or  in  hollow  trees 
and  feeding  upon  insects,  especially  ants.  The  largest  species  is  the 
short-tailed  pangolin,  three  or  four  feet  long ;  it  is  found  in  India  or  Cey- 
lon ;  the  scales  are  deep  brown  in  the  adult  animal,  and  hard  enough  to 


REMARKABLE  TYPES  OF  ANIMAL  LIFE. 


259 


turn  a  musket  ball.  The  flesh  of  the  pangolins,  which  are  probably  the 
best  protected  of  mammals  against  carnivora,  is  delicate  and  much  prized 
by  the  natives  of  Africa. 

The  pangolins  have  no  teeth  ;  their  mouth  is  long  and  tubular,  and  the 
tongue  cylindrical,  and  extensile.  In  their  general  appearance  these  ani- 
mals greatly  resemble  the  lizards.  They  are,  however,  truly  mammifer- 
ous  animals,  bringing  forth  living  offspring  and  nourishing  them  in  the 
same  manner  as  other  quadrupeds.  The  scales  with  which  the  bodies  of 
these  extraordinary  animals  are  covered,  are  not  attached  to  the  skin 
by  their  whole  under  surface,  but  only  by  their  lower  extremities,  and 
thus,  like  the  quills  of  the  porcupine,  are  movable  at  pleasure.  When 


THE    SCALY    ANT-EATER. 

exasperated  the  animals  erect  them,  and  when  attacked,  they  roll  them- 
selves into  a  ball  and  present  to  their  enemy  a  surface  armed  on  every 
side. 

The  scales  are  sharp  at  the  points  and  of  a  substance  so  hard,  that  on 
collision,  they  will  strike  fire  like  flint.  The  mode  in  which  these  animals 
feed  is  similar  to  that  of  the  ant-eaters.  They  lay  down  in  places  fre- 
quented by  insects  and  extend  their  long,  cylindrical  tongue  upon  the 
ground ;  the  insects  are  attracted  by  the  visco.us  fluid  with  which  it  is 
covered,  and  run  upon  it  in  great  numbers.  When  the  animal  finds  that 
its  tongue  is  sufficiently  covered,  it  suddenly  withdraws  it  and  swallows 
its  prey. 


260  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  kangaroo  is  a  marsupial  animal,  that  is,  an  animal  with  a  pouch  for 
carrying  its  young.  It  is  peculiar  to  Australia  and  the  neighboring 
islands.  The  fore  limbs  are  usually  very  small  in  proportion  to  the  hind 
legs,  which  are  large  and  powerful.  Kangaroos  are  vegetable  feeders, 
browsing  like  ruminants,  and,  like  these,  occasionally  chew  the  cud. 
They  vaiy  in  height  from  that  of  a  hare  to  that  of  a  man.  When  brows- 
ing, they  apply  the  fore  feet  to  the  ground,  but  at  other  times  rest  upon 
the  tripod,  formed  by  the  hind  legs  and  powerful  tail  with  the  forepart  of 
the  body  inclining  slightly  forward.  They  are  the  only  marsupials  which 
are  not  of  nocturnal  habits. 

The  largest  and  best  known  species  is  the  great  kangaroo  discovered  in 
1770  on  the  coast  of  New  South  Wales  during  Cook's  first  voyage.  An 
adult  male  in  the  British  Museum  measures  more  than  five  feet  from  the 
tip  of  the  nose  to  the  root  of  the  tail,  the  latter  being  three  and  one-half  feet 
additional ;  the  female  is  about  one-third  smaller.  The  hair  is  moderately 
long  and  soft,  of  a  general  gray-brown  above  and  paler  below,  and  end  of 
the  tail  black.  It  prefers  low  grassy  hills  and  plains,  and  open  districts, 
where  it  browses  upon  the  herbage  and  low  bushes.  The  fore  feet  are 
prehensile,  or  adapted  to  seizing  and  grasping,  and  are  used  in  the  various 
offices  connected  with  the  care  of  the  young.  Kangaroos  are  not  gen- 
erally gregarious,  but  live  in  families ;  their  skin  is  valuable  for  leather, 
which  is  esteemed  for  shoes  and  gloves ;  the  flesh  is  also  considered  a 

delicacy. 

Terrible  Fig-liters. 

Kangaroos  have  vast  strength  in  their  tail ;  this  they  occasionally  use 
as  a  weapon  of  defence,  for  they  are  able  to  strike  with  it  so  violent  a  blow 
as  even  to  break  a  man's  leg.  But  this  is  not  their  only  weapon,  for  when 
hunted  with  dogs  they  use  both  their  claws  and  teeth.  On  the  dogs 
seizing  them  they  turn,  and  catching  hold  with  the  nails  of  the  fore  paws, 
strike  the  dog  with  the  claws  of  their  hind  feet,  and  sometimes  lacerate 
his  body  in  a  shocking  manner. 

The  kangaroo  generally  feeds  standing  on  its  four  feet,  like  other  quad- 
rupeds, and  it  drinks  by  lapping.  In  a  state  of  captivity  it  sometimes 
springs  forward  and  kicks  in  a  forcible  manner  with  its  hind  feet,  during 
which  action  it  props  itself  on  the  base  of  its  tail.  It  has  a  singular  fac- 
ulty of  separating  to  a  considerable  distance  the  two  long  fore  teeth  of  the 
upper  jaw. 

Singular  Arrangements  for  Carrying  the  Young. 

The  female  seldom  produces  more  than  one  young  one  at  a  birth,  and 
so  exceedingly  small  is  this  that  it  scarcely  exceeds  an  inch  in  length,  and 


(261) 


A   FAMILY    OF   KANGAROOS. 


262 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


weighs  but  twenty-one  grains.  It  is  received  into  the  abdominal  pouch 
of  the  mother.  At  this  period  of  its  growth  its  fore  paws  are  compara- 
tively large  and  strong,  and  the  claws  extremely  distinct,  to  facilitate  its 
motion  during  its  residence  in  its  mother's  pouch.  The  hind  legs,  which 
are  afterwards  to  become  very  bony  and  stout,  are  then  shorter  and 
smaller  than  the  others. 

The  young  one  continues  to  reside  in  the  pouch  till  it  has  nearly 
attained  maturity.  It  occasionally  creeps  out  for  exercise  or  amuse- 
ment, and  even  after  it  has  quitted  this  retreat  it  often  returns  to 


OPOSSUM  CARRYING  ITS  YOUNG. 

it  for  shelter  on  the  least  indication  of  danger.  Kangaroos  live  in 
burrows  under  the  ground  and  subsist  on  vegetable  substances,  chiefly 
grass ;  when  they  feed  in  herds  of  thirty  and  forty  together,  as  they 
sometimes  do,  one  of  the  herd  is  generally  stationed  as  a  guard  at 
a  distance  from  the  rest.  Their  eyes  are  furnished  with  winking 
membranes,  capable  of  being  extended  at  pleasure  entirely  over  the 
ball. 

From  the  general  form  and  structure  of  the  kangaroo  it  is  evident  that 
its  chief  progressive  motion  must  be  by  leaps ;  in  these  exertions  it  has  been 
seen  to  exceed  twenty  feet  at  a  time,  and  this  so  often  repeated  as  almost 


REMARKABLE  TYPES  OF  ANIMAL  LIFE.  263 

to  elude  the  fleetest  grey-hound,  and  it  is  able  with  ease  to  bound  over 
obstacles  nine  feet  or  more  in  height. 

The  American  Opossum. 

The  opossum,  found  in  the  southern  part  of  our  country,  has  a  pointed 
head,  wide  gape,  numerous  sharp  teeth,  a  rough  tongue,  ears  large  and 
naked,  smalt  eyes,  the  tail  long,  tapering,  flexible,  and  prehensile ;  the  toes 
are  armed  with  sharp,  strong,  curved  claws.  In  its  habits  it  is  mostly 
nocturnal  and  arboreal,  feeding  alike  upon  insects,  eggs,  birds  and  fruits. 
It  sometimes  invades  the  barn-yards,  and  destroys  the  poultry,  it  is  said, 
for  their  blood.  It  is  a  good  deal  hunted,  and  manifests  much  dexterity 
in  escaping,  by  creeping  away  amid  the  grass,  and  sometimes  pretending 
to  be  dead.  In  defending  itself  it  bites  severely.  It  is  sluggish  in  its 
movements,  and  will  sometimes  lie  on  its  back  in  the  sun  for  hours ;  it 
often  suspends  itself  from  the  brush  of  a  tree  by  its  tail.  It  is  very  prolific, 
producing  from  six  to  fifteen  at  a  birth.  The  young  at  this  period  are 
well  formed,  and  weigh  from  three  to  four  grains  each.  As  soon  as  pro- 
duced, they  are  shoved  into  the  pouch  by  the  mother  with  her  snout,  and 
there  find  their  food  by  instinct.  Their  growth  is  very  rapid  ;  at  a  week  old 
they  weigh  thirty  grains.  They  remain  in  the  pouch  till  they  are  able 
to  move  about.  At  the  age  of  four  weeks  they  may  be  seen  peeping  out 
of  their  sack  ;  a  week  afterward  they  venture  forth,  but  keep  close  to  the 
mother,  and  hold  on  to  her  by  their  tails,  often  riding  on  her  back. 

Sometimes  with  a  dozen  young  ones  of  the  size  of  rats,  thus  clinging 
around  her  legs,  neck  and  body,  and  some  of  them  dragging  along  on  the 
ground,  she  may  be  seen  going  about  in  search  of  food.  At  this  age  these 
•animals  are  pretty.  They  remain  with  their  mother  till  about  two  months 
old  ;  they  then  learn  to  take  care  of  themselves,  but  continue  in  the 
vicinity,  seeming  still  to  be  under  maternal  gaurdianship  in  a  certain  de- 
gree. Meantime  another  litter  is  produced,  and  during  the  season  a 
third,  and  some  of  all  these  maybe  seen  at  once  with  their  prolific  parent. 
In  winter,  if  the  climate  is  cold,  the  opossums  become  sluggish,  but  not 
torpid  like  the  woodchuck.  They  are  common  in  all  the  Southern  and 
Southwestern  States,  and  in  California  and  Mexico.  They  are  also  found 
in  the  Middle  States  as  far  north  as  Pennsylvania,  and  sometimes  in  New 
Jersey. 


CHAPTER   X. 

<» 

WILD    SPORTS   IN   THE  TROPICS. 

The  Bulky  Elephant — Tale  of  the  Assyrian  Queen — Panic  and  Frightful  Carnage — 
Ivory  Palaces — Thrones  of  Elephants'  Tusks — Elephant  Gymnasts — The  Mon- 
ster Frightened  by  a  Horse — Revenge  for  an  Insult — Droves  of  Game — Passion- 
ate Cry  and  Wild  Rush — A  Situation  Apparently  Hopeless — At  the  Mercy  of 
the  Infuriated  Beast— Exploits  of  Jan  Wildeman— A  Frightened  Scotsman — 
Immense  Quantities  of  Ivory — Baldwin  Pursued  by  an  Elephant — Miraculous 
Escape — Exciting  Chase — Goatskin  Clothing  Torn  to  Shreds — The  Rhinoc- 
eros— Powerful  Animal— Hunted  with  Elephants — Terrible  Weapon  of  Attack 
and  Defense — Story  of  a  Desperate  Fight — Hunting  Rhinoceroses  with  Horses — 
Strange  "Rhinoceros  Birds" — Mad  Beast  Attacking  Hunters — Lucky  Shot — 
"Fire-Eating  Rhinoceros" — Routing  a  Camp  at  Night — Horse  Saved  by  a 
Bullet— Sudden  Upset  of  a  Wagon — Helping  the  Young  to  Escape — Vast  Size 
of  the  Hippopotamus — Anger  Easily  Aroused — Manner  of  Hunting  the  River- 
Horse — Hiding  Under  Water — Cumming's  Adventure  with^a  Hippo— Man  and 
Beast  Splashing  in  the  Water  Together— Unique  Surgical  Operation — Steering 
the  Huge  Creature  Ashore — Boat  Smashed  by  a  Sea-Cow — Snatched  from 
Devouring  Jaws — Crocodiles  Startled  from  Slumber — Dangers  of  Gorilla  Hunt- 
ing— Fierce  Aspect  of  the  Gorilla — Amazing  Power  of  the  "Wild  Man" — Ele- 
phants Routed  by  Gorillas— The  Fleet  Ostrich — Modes  of  Capturing  the  "Flying; 
Camel  " — Hunters'  Disguise— A  Flying  Run — Baldwin  and  Andersson's  Adven- 
tures— Concern  of  the  Old  Birds  for  their  Young. 

F  we  go  back,  desirous  to  trace  the  earliest  knowledge  of  the 
elephant,  we  are  lost  in  traditions  referring  to  heroes  or  kings, 
whose  names  survive,  but  of  whose  acts,  howeyer  famous,  no 
record  remains.  Thus,  Bacchus,  one  of  the  conquerors  of  In- 


dia, is  said  to  have  been  the  first  that  yoked  the  elephant  to  a  car ;  and, 
according  to  Lucian,  he  brought  not  only  gems,  but  the  bones  of  ele- 
phants from  Ethiopia,  which  were  deposited  in  the  temple  of  Dea  Syria. 

Throughout  the  Iliad  of  Homer,  ivory  is  but  once  mentioned,  and  that 
notice  occurs  in  the  description  of  the  bit  of  a  horse's  bridle,  belonging  to 
a  Trojan.  But  in  the  Odyssey,  the  palace  of  Menelaus,  after  his  return 
from  his  voyages  in  Egypt  and  Phoenicia,  is  enriched  with  ornaments  of 
ivory,  as  well  as  amber  and  gold.  Of  the  union  of  gold  and  ivory  of  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  in  works  of  art,  we  have  many  accounts. 

Ancient  historians,  such  as  Diodorus,  the  Sicilian,  relate  the  following 
tale : — Semiramis,  the  Assyrian  Queen,  longed  for  the  conquest  of  India, 
(264) 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  265 

but  dreaded  the  elephants  which  Stabrobates,  the  king  she  purposed  at- 
tacking, could  bring  into  the  field.  She  therefore  directed  300,000  black 
oxen  to  be  slain,  and  of  the  skins,  sewn  together  and  stuffed  with  straw, 
artificial  elephants  to  be  formed,  so  that  each  one  might  be  carried  by  a. 
camel,  and  directed  by  a  man.  All  this  being  secretly  done,  and  the 
horses  of  the  army  familiarized  with  the  machines,  Semiramis  took  the 
field  at  the  head  of  an  immense  force  of  cavalry  and  infantry.  Stabro- 
bates, meanwhile,  had  increased  the  number  of  his  elephants,  and  fur- 
nished them  completely  with  offensive  and  defensive  armor.  He  sent 
embassadors  to  the  Queen  with  protests  against  her  invasion  and  threats 
of  her  destruction,  but  her  reply  was  a  smile,  and  proceeding  to  the  In- 
dus she  sank  a  thousand  of  his  vessels,  and  took  a  great  number  of  cap- 
tives. Stabrobates  feigned  a  panic,  and  fled ;  the  feint  took ;  Semiramis 
crossed  the  river,  and  pursued  the  Indians  with  the  greater  part  of  her 
forces. 

In  her  front  she  placed  the  artificial  elephants.  Stabrobates  repented 
of  his  retreat  when  he  heard  of  their  number,  but  he  was  comforted  by 
the  tidings  of  deserters  as  to  their  true  character.  Semiramis,  supposing 
the  cheat  undiscovered,  led  on  the  attack  ;  the  machines  frightened  the 
horses  so  that  they  threw  their  riders,  or  rushed  with  them  among  the 
enemy.  But  vain  was  the  contention  when  the  true  elephants  of  Stabro- 
bates came  up ;  dreadful  was  the  carnage.  The  Assyrians  fled,  and  the 
life  of  their  Queen,  pierced  in  the  arm  by  one  of  his  arrows,  and  in  the 
shoulder  by  one  of  his  darts,  was  only  saved  by  the  fleetness  of  her  horse. 

Palaces  and  Thrones  of  Ivory. 

The  .Scriptures  contain  no  allusion  to  the  elephant  till  the  time  of 
David,  when  we  find  mention  is  made  of  "  ivory  palaces."  In  the  reign 
of  Solomon  ivory  was  imported  by  the  vessels  of  Tharshish  from  India, 
with  other  productions  of  that  country.  We  read  of  "a  great  throne  of 
ivory,"  and  afterwards  of  "  benches  and  horns"  of  the  same  substance,  as 
it  formed  part  of  the  merchandise  of  "  the  proud  city"  of  Tyre. 

Half  a  century  after  the  death  of  Alexander,  in  the  battle  of  Heraclea 
(B.  c.  280),  were — 

Cuirassiers  all  in  steel  for  standing  fight, 

Chariots,  and  elephants  indorsed  with  towers 

Of  archers. 

It  is  stated  in  the  history  of  the  Maccabees,  that  in  the  army  of  Anti- 
ochus  "  to  every  elephant  they  appointed  a  thousand  men,  armed  with 
coats  of  mail,  and  five  hundred  horsemen  of  the  best ;  these  were  ready 
on  every  occasion  ;  wherever  the  beast  was,  and  whithersoever  he  went,. 


266  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

they  went  also ;  and  upon  the  elephants  were  strong  towers  of  wood, 
filled  with  armed  men,  besides  the  Indian  that  ruled  them." 

Hannibal  crossed  the  Alps  with  elephants,  considering  them  indispen- 
sable to  the  conduct  of  the  war;  and  when  they  perished  he  was  supplied 
with  large  reinforcements  from  Carthage.     At  the  battle  of  Cannae  (B.  c. 
216),  the  incidents  occurred  which  are  thus  given  by  Silius  Italicus: 
The  yet  prevailing  Roman,  to  withstand 
The  fury  of  these  monsters,  gives  command 
That  burning  torches,  wheresoe'er  they  go, 
Should  be  opposed,  and  sulph'rous  flames  to  throw 
Into  their  towers.     This,  with  all  speed,  obey'd, 
The  elephants  they  suddenly  invade  ; 
Whose  smoking  backs  with  flames  collected  shined, 
That,  driven  on  by  the  tempestuous  wind, 
Through  their  high  bulwarks  fire  devouring  spread, 
As  when  on  Rhodope  or  Pindus'  head 
A  shepherd  scatters  fire,  and  through  the  groves 
And  woods,  like  a  hot  plague,  it  raging  moves, 
The  leafy  rocks  are  fired,  and  all  the  hills, 
Leaping  now  here,  now  there,  bright  Vulcan  fills. 
But  when  the  burning  sulphur  once  begun 
To  parch  their  skins,  th'  unruly  monsters  run 
Like  mad,  and  drive  the  cohorts  from  their  stand  ; 
Neither  durst  any  undertake  at  hand 
To  fight  them  ;  but  their  darts  and  javelins  throw 
At  distance  :  burning,  they  impatient  grow, 
And,  through  the  heat  of  their  vast  bodies,  here 
And  there,  the  flames  increasing  bear  ; 
€  Till,  by  the  smooth  adjoining  stream,  at  last 

Deceiv'd  themselves,  into  't  they  headlong  cast ; 
And  with  them  all  their  flames,  that  still  appear 
'Bove  the  tall  banks,  till,  both  together,  there, 
In  the  deep  channel  of  the  flood,  expire. 

In  stately  show  these  animals  bore  a  conspicuous  part : 

Trampling  the  snows 

The  war-horse  reared,  and  the  towered  elephant 
Upturned  his  trunk  into  the  murky  sky, 

In  the  year  802  an  elephant  was  sent  to  Charlemagne  by  Haroun  Al 
Raschid,  caliph  of  the  Saracens.     Milton  has  said : 

The  unwieldy  elephant 

To  make  them  mirth  used  all  his  might,  and  wreath'd 
His  lithe  proboscis  ; 

and,  according  to  ^Elian,  the  elephants  of  Germanicus  were  trained  to 
take  part  in  the  performances  of  the  Roman  theatre.  On  one  occasion 
twelve  of  the  most  sagacious  and  well-trained  were  selected,  which  marched 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  267 

Into  the  theatre  with  a  regular  step  at  the  voice  of  their  keeper,  some- 
times in  a  circle,  and  sometimes  divided  into  parties,  scattering  flowers 
over  the  pavement.  The  Romans,  after  this  display,  feasted  the  elephants 
with  prodigal  luxury.  Splendid  couches  were  placed  in  the  arena,  orna- 
mented with  paintings,  and  covered  with  tapestry.  Before  the  couches, 
upon  tables  of  ivory  and  cedar,  was  spread  the  banquet  of  the  elephants, 
in  vessels  of  gold  and  silver. 

On  the  preparations  being  completed,  the  twelve  elephants  marched  in, 
six  males  clad  in  the  robes  of  men,  and  six  females  attired  as  women. 
They  laid  down  in  order  on  their  couches,  and  at  a  signal  extended  their 
trunks  and  ate  with  praiseworthy  moderation.  Not  one  of  them  appeared 
the  least  voracious,  or  manifested  any  disposition  for  an  unequal  share  of 
the  food  or  an  undue  proportion  of  the  delicacies.  They  were  as  moder- 
ate also  in  their  drink,  and  received  the  cups  that  were  presented  to  them 
with  the  greatest  decorum. 

Elephants  on  the  Tight  Rope. 

According  to  Pliny,  at  the  spectacles  given  by  Germanicus,  it  was  not 
an  uncommon  thing  to  see  elephants  hurl  javelins  in  the  air,  and  catch 
them  in  their  trunks,  fight  with  one  another  as  gladiators,  and  then  exe- 
cute a  Pyrrhic  dance.  Lastly,  they  danced  upon  a  rope,  and  their  steps 
were  so  practised  and  certain,  that  four  of  them  traversed  the  rope,  or 
rather  parallel  ropes,  bearing  a  litter,  which  contained  one  of  their  com- 
panions, who  feigned  to  be  sick.  Such  feats  seem  scarcely  credible,  but 
many  ancient  writers  of  authority  agree  with  Pliny,  that  the  elephants 
trained  at  Rome  would  not  only  walk  forward  along  a  rope,  but  retire 
backward  with  equal  precision.  And  Busbequius,  who  visited  Constanti- 
nople about  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  centuiy,  there  witnessed  an  elephant 
not  only  dance  with  accuracy  and  elegance,  but  play  at  ball  with  great 
skill,  tossing  it  with  his  trunk  and  catching  it  again,  as  easily  as  a  man 
could  with  his  hands.  An  old  writer  tells  us  that  Caesar,  having  attempted, 
unsuccessfully,  to  cross  the  Thames,  covered  a  large  elephant  which  he 
had  with  him  with  a  coat  of  mail,  built  a  large  turret  on  his  back,  and 
filling  it  with  bowmen  and  slingers,  ordered  them  to  pass  first  into  the 
stream.  The  Britons  were  terrified  at  the  sight  of  this  unknown  and  mon- 
strous animal,  and  fled  in  the  wildest  confusion. 

Matthew  Paris  relates  that,  about  the  year  1255,  an  elephant  was  sent 
over  to  England  as  a  grand  present  from  the  King  of  France  to  Henry  III. ; 
and  states  that  it  was  believed  to  be  the  first  and  only  elephant  ever  seen 
in  England,  or  even  on  that  side  the  Alps ;  and  that,  consequently,  the 
people  flocked  in  large  numbers  to  behold  so  great  a  novelty  on  its  arrival. 


I.i 


s 

(268) 


ELEPHANTS  IN  THEIR  NATIVE  JUNGLE. 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  269 

Among  the  Close  Rolls,  one  of  about  this  date  is  extant,  in  which  the 
Sheriff  of  Kent  is  ordered  to  proceed  to  Dover  in  person  to  arrange  in 
what  manner  the  king's  elephant  might  be  most  conveniently  brought 
over,  and  to  provide  a  ship,  and  other  things  necessary  to  convey  it;  and 
directing  that,  if  the  king's  mariners  judged  it  practicable,  it  should  be 
brought  to  London  by  water.  Another  order  was  shortly  after  issued  to 
the  sheriffs  of  London,  commanding  them  to  cause  to  be  built,  without 
delay,  in  the  Tower  of  London,  a  house,  forty  feet  in  length  and  twenty 
in  breadth,  for  the  king's  elephant ;  and  directing  that  it  should  be  so 
strongly  constructed  that,  whenever  there  should  be  need,  it  might  be 
adapted  to  and  used  for  other  purposes.  Next  year,  the  king,  in  like 
manner,  commanded  the  sheriff  "to  find  the  said  elephant  and  his  keeper 
such  necessaries  as  should  be  reasonable  and  needful." 

The  Huge  Animal's  Sagacity. 

The  tame  elephant  soon  becomes  reconciled  to  other  domestic  quad- 
rupeds. He  has  been  said  to  be  afraid  of  the  horse,  but  the  experience 
of  Sir  Emerson  Tennent  favors  the  belief  that  it  is  the  horse  which  is 
alarmed  at  the  aspect  of  the  elephant.  Of  this  fact  he  records  an  instance, 
which  we  quote,  because  it  illustrates  at  the  same  time  the  peculiar  sagacity 
of  the  great  animal,  and  illustrates  also  the  disposition  to  make  good  use 
of  his  tusks,  when  he  happens  to  have  them  :  One  evening,  whilst  riding 
in  the  vicinity  of  Kandy,  my  horse  evinced  some  excitement  at  a  noise 
which  approached  us  in  the  thick  jungle,  and  which  consisted  of  a  repe- 
tition of  the  ejaculation  urmph  !  urniph  !  in  a  hoarse  and  dissatisfied  tone. 
A  turn  in  the  forest  explained  the  mystery,  by  bringing  me  face  to  face 
with  a  tame  elephant,  unaccompanied  by  any  attendant.  He  was  labor- 
ing painfully  to  carry  a  heavy  beam  of  timber,  which  he  balanced  across 
his  tusks ;  but  the  pathway  being  narrow,  he  was  forced  to  bend  his  head 
on  one  side  to  permit  it  to  pass  endways ;  and  the  exertion  and  incon- 
venience combined,  led  him  to  utter  the  dissatisfied  sounds  which  dis- 
turbed the  composure  of  my  horse.  On  seeing  us  halt,  the  elephant 
raised  his  head,  reconnoitered  us  for  a  moment  then  threw  down  the 
timber,  and  forced  himself  backwards  among  the  brushwood,  so  as  to 
leave  a  passage,  of  which  he  expected  us  to  avail  ourselves.  My  horse 
still  hesitated,  the  elephant  observed  it,  and  impatiently  thrust  himself  still 
deeper  into  the  jungle,  repeating  his  cry  of  urmph!  in  a  voice  evidently 
meant  to  encourage  us  to  come  on.  Still  the  horse  trembled;  and, 
anxious  to  observe  the  instinct  of  the  two  sagacious  creatures,  I  forbore 
any  interference — again  the  elephant  wedged  himself  further  in  amongst 
the  trees,  and  waited  impatiently  for  us  to  pass  him ;  and  after  the  horse 


270  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

had  done  so  tremblingly  and  timidly,  I  saw  the  wise  creature  stoop  and 
take  up  his  heavy  burden,  trim  and  balance  it  on  his  tusks,  and  resume 
his  route,  hoarsely  snorting,  as  before,  his  discontented  remonstrance. 
An  Elephant's  Revenge. 

An  elephant  is  said  never  to  forget  an  insult.  Wolf,  in  his  "  Voyage 
to  Ceylon,"  relates  the  following  anecdote :  A  person  in  that  island,  who 
lived  near  a  place  where  elephants  were  daily  led  to  water,  and  often  sat 
at  the  door  of  his  house,  used  occasionally  to  give  one  of  these  animals 
some  fig-leaves — a  food  to  which  elephants  are  very  partial.  Once  he 
took  it  into  his  head  to  play  the  elephant  a  trick.  He  wrapped  a  stone 
round  with  fig-leaves,  and  said  to  the  driver,  "  This  time  I  will  give  him 
a  stone  to  eat,  and  see  how  it  will  agree  with  him.0  The  driver  an- 
swered, that  the  elephant  would  not  be  fool  enough  to  swallow  a 
stone.  The  man,  however,  handed  the  stone  to  the  elephant,  which,  tak- 
ing it  with  his  trunk,  immediately  let  it  fall  to  the  ground.  "  You  see," 
said  the  keeper, "that  I  was  right;"  and,  without  further  words,  drove 
away  his  elephants.  After  they  were  watered,  he  was  conducting  them 
again  to  their  stable.  The  man  who  had  played  the  elephant  the  trick 
was  still  sitting  at  his  door,  when,  before  he  was  aware,  the  animal  ran 
at  him,  threw  his  trunk  around  his  body,  and,  dashing  him  to  the  ground, 
trampled  him  immediately  to  death. 

The  tenderest  affection,  it  may  be  remarked,  appears  to  subsist  be- 
tween the  elephant  and  the  calf.  When  merchants  bring  elephants  to 
anyplace  for  sale,  it  is  a  pleasant  sight  to  see  them  go  along.  There  are 
old  and  young  together,  and  when  the  old  are  gone  by,  the  children  run 
after  the  little  ones,  and  leap  upon  their  backs,  giving  them  something  to 
eat ;  but  they,  perceiving  their  dams  are  gone  forward,  throw  the  chil- 
dren off  without  hurting  them,  and  double  their  pace.  Bruce  mentions 
that  a  young  elephant  came  boldly  out  to  defend  its  wounded  mother, 
and  ran  upon  the  men  and  horses,  heedless  of  its  own  life  or  safety,  till 
one  of  the  hunters  ran  it  through  with  a  lance. 

Peculiar  Instincts  of  the  Great  Beast. 

The  head  of  the  African  is  smaller,  rounder,  more  elongated,  and 
less  irregular  than  is  that  of  the  Asiatic  kind;  the  ears  are  nearly  twice 
as  large,  and  the  tail  not  above  half  the  length.  On  the  banks  of  the 
Fish  river  this  animal  abounds.  As  many  as  three  thousand  in  a  troop 
have  been  seen  in  that  locality ;  indeed,  the  surrounding  country  ap- 
pears to  have  been  the  abode  of  elephants  for  ages,  the  paths  or  beaten 
roads  made  by  them  intersecting  it  in  all  directions. 

Of  one  territory,  comprising  an  irregular  area  of  about  two  million 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  271 

acres,  from  which  the  Kaffirs  were  expelled,  and  which  was  resorted  to 
by  wild  animals  in  considerable  numbers,  Pringle  gives  the  following 
highly  graphic  account : 

The  upper  part  of  this  extensive  tract  is  an  exceedingly  wild  and  be- 
wildering region,  broken  into  innumerable  ravines,  encumbered  with 
rocks  and  precipices,  and  impenetrable  woods  and  jungles,  and  sur- 
rounded on  almost  every  side  by  lofty  and  sterile  mountains.  During 
our  first  day's  journey,  although  we  saw  many  herds  of  large  game, 
such  as  quaggas,  gnus,  hartebeests,  koodoos,  with  a  variety  of  smaller 
antelopes,  there  was  no  appearance  of  elephants ;  but  in  the  course  of 
the  second  day,  as  we  pursued  our  route  down  the  valley  of  the  Koo- 
nap  river,  we  became  aware  that  a  numerous  troop  of  these  gigantic 
animals  had  recently  preceded,  as  footprints  of  all  dimensions,  from 
eight  to  fifteen  inches  in  diameter,  where  everywhere  visible ;  and  in  the 
swampy  spots  on  the  banks  of  the  river  it  was  evident  that  some  of 
them  had  been  luxuriously  enjoying  themselves,  by  rolling  their  un- 
wieldy bulks  in  the  ooze  and  mud. 

But  it  was  in  the  groves  and  jungles  that  they  had  left  the  most  strik- 
ing proofs  of  their  recent  presence  and  peculiar  habits.  In  many  places 
paths  had  been  trodden  through  the  midst  of  dense,  strong  forests,  other- 
wise impenetrable.  They  appeared  to  have  opened  these  paths  with 
great  judgment,  always  taking  the  best  and  straightest  cut  to  the  next 
open  savanna,  or  ford  of  the  river ;  and  in  this  way  they  were  of  the 
greatest  use  to  us,  by  pioneering  our  route  through  a  most  difficult  and 
intricate  country,  never  yet  traversed  by  a  wheel-carriage,  and  great 
part  of  it,  indeed,  inaccessible  even  on  horseback,  except  for  the  aid  of 
these  powerful  and  sagacious  animals. 

In  such  places  (as  the  Hottentots  assured  me)  the  great  bull  elephants 
always  march  in  the  van,  bursting  through  the  jungle  as  a  bullock  would 
through  a  field  of  hops,  treading  down  the  thorny  brushwood,  and  break- 
ing with  his  proboscis  the  larger  branches  that  obstruct  his  passage ;  the 
females  and  younger  part  of  the  herd  follow  in  his  wake  in  single  file; 
and  in  this  manner  a  path  is  cleared  through  the  densest  woods  and  for- 
ests, such  as  it  would  take  the  pioneers  of  an  army  no  small  labor  to  ac- 
complish. 

Almost  Fatal  Adventure. 

A  little  squadron,  engaged  in  surveys  of  Africa,  Arabia,  and  Madagas- 
car, on  taking  leave  of  the  latter  island,  proceeded  to  the  Bay  of  Delagoa. 
A  party  set  out  to  ascend  one  of  the  rivers,  for  the  purpose  of  hunting 
the  hippopotamus.  Whilst  they  were  in  quest  of  the  haunts  of  these  huge 


-272 


EARTH,  SEA    AND  SKY 


animals,  a  shrill,  angry  scream  reached  their  ears,  and,  presently  a  midship- 
man, rushed  from  the  reeds,  his  face  covered  with  blood,  calling  loudly 


for  assistance  to  Lieutenant  Arlett,  who  had  just  been  attacked  by  an 
elephant.     The  party  proceeded  to  the  spot,  and  found  their  unfortunate 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  273 

comrade  stretched  motionless  on  his  back,  covered  with  blood  and  dirt, 
and  his  eyes  starting  from  their  sockets,  in  all  the  expressive  horror  of  a 
violent  death.  It  was  some  time  before  he  showed  any  symptoms  of  life ; 
they  succeeded,  however,  in  carrying  him  on  board,  where  he  gradually 
recovered  ;  and,  when  he  became  sufficiently  collected,  he  gave  an  account 
of  what  had  befallen  him,  which  shows  the  extraordinary  sagacity  of  the 
elephant,  even  in  its  wild  state.  At  the  first  approach  of  the  animal,  he 
thought  he  had  stumbled  on  an  enormous  hippopotamus. 
Struck  Senseless  to  the  Ground. 

The  animal,  which  appeared  highly  irritated  at  the  intrusion,  waved  its 
trunk  in  the  air,  and,  the  moment  he  spoke,  reared  up  on  its  hind  legs, 
turned  short  round,  and,  with  a  shrill,  passionate  cry,  rushed  after  him, 
bearing  down  the  opposing  reeds  in  his  way,  while  Lieutenant  Arlett  vainly 
attempted  to  effect  his  escape.  For  a  short  time  he  had  hopes  of  eluding 
his  pursuer,  as  the  animal  perceived  one  of  the  seamen  mounted  on  the 
top  of  a  tree,  about  twenty  feet  high,  and  three  in  circumference,  menacing 
him  by  his  voice  and  gestures  while  preparing  to  fire.  The  elephant 
turned  short  round,  and,  shrieking  with  rage,  made  a  kind  of  spring 
against  the  tree,  as  if  to  reach  the  object  of  his  attack,  when  his  ponder- 
ous weight  brought  the  whole  to  the  ground,  but,  fortunately,  without 
hurting  the  man,  who  slipped  among  the  reeds.  The  ferocious  animal 
still  followed  him,  foaming  with  rage,  to  the  rising  bank  of  the  river,  the 
man  crying  loudly,  "  An  elephant !  an  elephant ! "  until,  closely  pressed  by 
his  pursuer,  both  the  man  and  the  elephant  came  upon  the  top  of  the 
slope,  where  the  party,  who  had  heard  his  cries,  were  prepared,  and 
instantly  fired  a  volley  as  the  elephant  appeared.  This  made  him  return 
with  increased  fury  to  Arlett,  who,  in  his  eagerness  to  escape,  stumbled 
and  fell — the  huge  beast  running  over  him,  and  severely  bruising  his  ankle. 

As  soon  as  he  had  passed,  Arlett  arose,  and  limping  with  pain,  attempted 
once  more  to  retreat,  but  the  animal  returned  to  the  attack ;  his  trunk  was 
flourished  in  the  air,  and  the  next  moment  the  unfortunate  officer  was 
struck  senseless  to  the  ground.  On  recovering  himself,  his  situation 
appeared  hopeless,  his  huge  antagonist  standing  over  him,  chafing  and 
screaming  with  rage,  pounding  the  earth  with  his  feet,  and  ploughing  it 
with  his  tusks.  When  the  party  first  saw  them,  Arlett  was  lying  between 
the  elephant's  legs,  and  had  it  been  the  intention  of  the  animal  to  destroy 
him,  placing  a  foot  on  his  senseless  body  would,  in  a  moment,  have 
crushed  him  to  atoms;  but  it  is  probable  that  his  object  was  only  to 
punish  and  alarm,  not  to  kill — such  conjecture  being  perfectly  in  accord- 
ance with  the  character  of  this  noble  but  revengeful  beast. 
18 


274  EARTH,.  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Lieutenant  Moodie,  in  his  amusing  "  Ten  Years  in  South  Africa,"  gives 
the  following  account  of  his  elephant  hunting : 

Some  months  after  forming  my  new  settlement,  I  engaged  a  Hottentot 
to  shoot  elephants  and  buffaloes  for  me,  on  condition  of  receiving  half  of 
the  profits.  This  man,  who  was  called  Jan  Wildeman,  was  a  most  expert 
hunter,  rarely  failing  to  kill  on  the  spot  whatever  he  fired  at.  He  was  a 
complete  wild  man  of  the  woods,  and  had  as  many  wiles  as  a  fox  in  es- 
caping the  dangers  to  which  he  was  daily  exposed.  His  activity  was 
most  extraordinary  ;  and  I  was  often  surprised  at  his  nimbleness  in  climb- 
ing the  highest  trees  to  get  at  wild  vines  growing  over  their  tops.  While 
I  was  considering  how  I  could  get  up,  he  would  take  hold  of  one  of  the 
"  baboon's  ropes,"  as  they  are  called,  which  hang  in  festoons  from  the 
branches,  and,  in  a  few  seconds,  he  would  be  perched  like  a  crow  on  the 
top,  enjoying  my  surprise,  and  flinging  down  whole  bunches  of  the  fruit. 
Though  naturally  timid,  he  had  acquired,  by  long  practice,  such  entire 
confidence  in  the  correctness  of  his  aim,  that  he  would  go  right  up  to  an 
elephant  in  the  woods,  and  bring  him  down  with  the  first  shot.  Some- 
times, however,  his  gun  would  miss  fire,  when  he  would  betake  himself 
to  his  heels,  and,  by  his  agility,  never  failed  to  effect  his  escape. 

"Where'll  We  Run?" 

Wildeman  came  to  inform  me,  one  evening,  that  he  had  shot  three 
elephants  and  a  buffalo ;  and  that  there  was  a  young  elephant  still  re- 
maining with  the  body  of  its  dead  mother,  which  he  thought  might  be 
caught  and  brought  home  alive.  There  happened  to  be  two  friends  with 
me  from  the  district  of  Albany,  who  had  never  seen  an  elephant,  and 
whom,  therefore,  I  persuaded  to  accompany  me. 

As  soon  as  we  had  finished  our  breakfast,  we  set  off,  accompanied  by 
Jan  Wildeman,  my  Hottentot,  Speulman,  and  their  wives,  to  assist  in 
cutting  up  the  buffalo,  and  carrying  the  flesh  home.  Entering  the  forest, 
Jan  first  brought  us  to  the  carcass  of  the  buffalo.  He  next  led  us  to  one 
of  the  elephants  he  had  killed,  and  showed  us  the  place  whence  he  had 
fired.  The  ball  had  entered  the  shoulder  in  the  slanting  direction,  and 
passed  through  the  heart.  This  was  an  exceedingly  difficult  shot,  as  he 
required  to  be  very  near  to  hit  the  right  place,  for  the  ball  to  penetrate 
through  such  a  mass  of  skin  and  flesh. 

After  following  several  of  the  paths  made  by  these  animals  and  strug- 
gling through  the  tangled  mazes  of  the  forest,  we  ascended  a  steep,  sandy 
ridge,  covered  with  low  bushes,  near  the  shore,  and,  on  reaching  the  top, 
we  came  in  sight  of  the  carcass  of  another  of  the  elephants,  and  the 
young  one  standing  by  it.  A  few  paces  from  it,  we  saw  a  large  elephant 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  275* 

browsing  among  the  low  bushes.  He  smelt  us  as  soon  as  we  appeared 
on  the  top  of  the  hill ;  and  throwing  up  his  trunk,  and  spreading  his 
huge  ears,  uttered  a  most  discordant  cry.  "  Gownatsi !"  ejaculated  Jan 
Wildeman,  "  that's  the  rascal  that  gave  me  so  much  trouble  yesterday ;; 
he's  as  cunning  as  the  devil."  The  dogs  instantly  assailed  the  animal, 
and,  after  several  ineffectual  attempts  to  seize  them  with  his  trunk,  he 
made  off.  The  dogs  now  attacked  the  young  elephant,  and  chased  him 
up  the  steep,  sandy  hill  where  we  were  standing.  My  visitors,  who  were 
unaccustomed  to  large  game,  were  exceedingly  agitated.  They  had 
brought  a  gun  with  them,  for  form's  sake,  but  had  neglected  to  load  it. 
One  of  them,  who  was  a  Scotsman,  seized  me  by  the  coat,  and  cried  out, 
in  great  agony — "  Eh,  man!  whaur'll  we  rin  ? — whaur'll  we  rin  ?"  It  was 
no  use  telling  him  that  there  was  not  any  danger,  for  he  still  kept  fast 
hold  of  me,  saying,  "What!  nae  danger,  man,  and  the  beest  comin'  right 
up  amang  us?  I  say,  man,  what'll  we  do?  Whaur'll  we  rin?"  The 
women  instinctively  ran  and  squatted  behind  the  bushes. 

The  Game  Escapes. 

As  soon  as  I  could  break  loose  from  the  grasp  of  my  countryman,  I 
ran  to  endeavor  to  seize  the  young  elephant  by  the  trunk,  and  Speulman 
took  his  stand  on  the  opposite  side  for  the  same  purpose.  I  was  astonished 
at  the  nimbleness  with  which  the  animal  ascended  the  steep  hill.  As  he 
approached  the  spot  where  we  stood,  we  found  he  was  much  older  than 
we  expected,  and,  after  making  an  ineffectual  attempt  to  get  hold  of  his 
trunk,  we  were  obliged  to  give  him  a  free  passage  between  us.  I  now 
picked  up  my  gun,  and  gave  chase  to  him ;  but  he  ran  so  fast  that  I  could 
not  overtake  him. 

I  was  well  pleased  we  had  not  succeeded  in  seizing  him,  as,  in  all  pro- 
bability, he  would  have  done  us  some  serious  injury  with  his  tusks,  which 
were  just  appearing  at  the  root  of  the  trunk.  When  they  are  only  a  few 
days  old,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  catching  them,  and  they  become  docile 
almost  immediately. 

Elephants  are  still  numerous  in  the  interior,  and  are  killed  both  by  the 
Kaffirs  and  the  Boers.  The  elephant  hunt  seems  to  have  peculiar  fascina- 
tion for  the  latter — men  and  boys,  from  the  age  of  fourteen  to  seventy, 
following  the  exciting  sport  An  Englishman,  however,  is  said  to  bear 
away  the  palm  as  the  most  fearless  hunter;  for,  during  one  year,  he 
remained  in  the  Veldt  without  cover  for  nearly  three  months,  accompanied 
by  two  half-caste  servants.  These  three  are  said  to  have  killed,  during 
that  period,  seventy  elephants,  the  tusks  of  which  weighed  three  thousand 
pounds !  Ivory  is  exported  by  these  Boers  in  large  quantities ;  those  of 


276  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Zautpansberg  alone,  in  the  short  space  of  three  months,  having  brought 
sixty  thousand  pounds,  Dutch  weight,  or  nearly  thirty  tons. 

A  Miraculous  Escape. 

William  Charles  Baldwin,  in  his  book  on  "  African  Hunting  from  Natal 
to  the  Zambesi,"  relates  two  very  thrilling  adventures  with  elephants.  He 
says  :  Meeting  upon  one  occasion  five  bull  elephants,  I  gave  chase,  sin- 
gled and  drove  out  the  largest,  and  gave  him  a  couple  of  pills  to  make  him 
quiet ;  he  shortly  turned  and  stood  at  bay,  about  forty  yards  off,  and  then 
came  on  with  a  terrific  charge.  My  newly  purchased  horse,  Kebon,  which 
I  was  riding  for  the  first  time,  stood  stock  still,  and  I  intended  to  give  the 
elephant  my  favorite  shot  in  the  chest,  but  at  every  attempt  to  raise  the 
gun  for  the  purpose  of  so  doing  my  horse  commenced  tossing  his  head  up 
and  down,  and  entirely  prevented  me  from  taking  aim.  During  my  at- 
tempts to  pacify  and  steady  him,  the  bull  charged,  and  I  fired  at  random, 
and  whether  the  ball  whistled  uncomfortably  near  the  horse's  ear  or  not  I 
can't  say,  but  he  gave  his  head  so  sudden  a  jerk  as  to  throw  the  near  rein 
over  on  the  off-side  ;  the  curb-chain  came  undone,  and  the  bit  turned  right 
round  in  his  mouth. 

The  huge  monster  was  less  than  twenty  yards  off,  ears  erected  like  two 
enormous  fans,  and  trumpeting  furiously.  Having  no  command  whatever 
of  my  horse,  I  dug  the  long  rowels  in  most  savagely,  when  Kebon  sprang 
straight  forward  for  the  brute,  and  I  thought  it  was  all  up  ;  I  leaned  over 
on  the  off-side  as  far  as  possible,  and  his  trunk  was  within  a  few  feet  of  me 
as  I  shot  close  by  him.  I  plied  the  rowels,  and  was  brought  again  to  a 
sudden  stand  by  three  mapani-trees,  in  a  sort  of  triangle  ;  a  vigorous  dig, 
and  he  got  through,  my  right  shoulder  coming  so  violently  in  contact  with 
one  of  the  trees  as  almost  to  unhorse  me,  slewing  my  right  arm  behind 
my  back,  over  my  left  hip.  I  know  not  how  I  managed  to  stick  to  my 
gun,  14  ft)s.  weight,  with  my  middle  finger  only  hooked  through  the  trig- 
ger-guard, my  left  hand  right  across  my  chest,  holding  by  the  end  of  the 
reins,  which,  most  fortunately  I  had  in  my  hand  when  I  fired,  and  in  this 
fashion  we  went  at  a  tearing  gallop  through  a  thick  tangled  bush  and 
underwood,  mostly  hack-thorns,  over  which  my  nag  jumped  like  a 
buck. 

He  was  very  nearly  on  his  head  three  or  four  times,  as  the  soil  was  very 
heavy,  sandy,  and  full  of  holes.  The  monster  was  all  this  time  close  in  my 
wake;  at  length  I  got  clear  from  him,  and  he  turned  and  made  off  in  the 
opposite  direction  at  his  best  pace.  As  soon  as  I  could  pull  up,  which  I 
managed  after  performing  three  or  four  circles,  I  jumped  off,  righted  my 
bridle,  and  went  after  him  like  the  wind,  as  he  had  a  long  start,  and  I  was 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS. 


277 


afraid  of  losing  him  in  thick  bush.     After  giving  him  ten  shots,  and  sus- 
taining three  more  savage  charges,  the  last  a  long  and  silent  one,  far  from 


pleasant,  as  my  horse  had  all  the  puff  taken  out  of  him,  and  he  could  only 
manage  to  hold  his  own  before  the  brute,  to  my  great  satisfaction  he  at 
length  fell,  to  rise  no  more. 


278  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  other  incident  is  as  follows  :  We  found  a  troop  of  eleven  or  twelve 
bull  elephants  in  a  thick  hack-thorn  bush  on  the  banks  of  the  river.  As 
they  crashed  away  I  rode  hard  in  the  rear,  shouting  lustily,  and  singled 
out  the  largest  bull.  I  rode  close  under  his  stern,  and  he  cleared  a  path 
for  me.  He  turned  to  see  who  had  the  audacity  to  ride  so  neat,  for  the 
horse's  nose  touched  him,  when  I  gave  him  a  bullet  behind  the  shoulder, 
and  cleared  out  of  his  path.  In  reloading  I  lost  him,  and,  cantering  on  his 
spoor,  he  very  nearly  caught  me,  as  he  had  stopped  and  turned  round  just 
where  the  path  turned  suddenly  and  sharply  to  the  right,  and  I  was  almost 
under  his  very  trunk  ere  I  saw  him. 

Running-  for  Dear  Life. 

He  was  lying  in  wait,  and  made  a  terrific  charge,  trumpeting  furiously ; 
the  horse  whirled  like  a  top,  and  away  I  went,  with  both  rowels  deep 
in  his  flanks  as  I  threw  myself  on  his  neck.  It  was  a  very  near  shave ; 
his  trunk  was  over  the  horse's  hind-quarters.  I  went  through  bush  that, 
in  cold  blood,  I  should  have  pronounced  impenetrable,  but  did  not  come 
off  scatheless ;  my  poor  hands  were  shockingly  torn,  and  my  trowsers, 
from  the  knee,  literally  in  shreds,  though  made  of  goatskin.  After  giv- 
ing the  elephant  two  more  bullets  I  lost  him.  The  dogs  were  frightened 
to  death,  and  would  not  leave  the  horse's  heels. 

I  shortly  came  across  another  troop  of  bulls,  which  started  off  against 
the  wind,  leaving  such  a  dust  behind  them  that  I  was  half  smothered. 
I  went,  at  last,  a  little  wide  of  them,  on  the  weather-side,  and  was  able  to 
get  a  view  of  their  tusks,  and  I  rode  out  one  with  beautiful  long  tusks. 
He  very  soon  lessened  his  speed,  turned,  and  before  I  was  aware,  charged 
me.  I  could  not  turn  in  time,  and,  therefore,  fired  right  between  his  eyes. 
The  shot  struck  him  about  an  inch  above  the  left  eye,  and  brought  him 
on  one  knee,  and  I  was  able  to  get  out  of  his  way.  He  then  took  up  a 
position  in  the  bush,  and  I  loaded  and  gave  him  two  more  bullets  in  the 
head,  one  in  the  centre  of  his  forehead. 

He  kept  backing  farther  and  farther  into  the  bush,  with  his  two  enor- 
mous ears  erected  like  fans,  and,  as  I  was  thinking  the  last  shot  must  tell 
on  him,  he  made  the  longest  and  most  furious  charge  I  ever  saw;  he 
fairly  hunted  me,  while  I  was  half  loaded,  clear  away.  I  rode  in  a  circle 
to  endeavor  to  dodge  him,  and  at  length  succeeded.  He  stopped  at  last, 
and  I  began  to  reload.  I  had  none  but  conical  balls,  and  the  gun  was 
foul.  I  could  not  get  one  down.  I  sought  in  vain  for  a  stone,  and  at 
length,  in  despair,  took  up  a  thick  branch,  and,  what  with  hammering  the 
ramrod,  and  driving  it  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  I  at  length  got  the  bul- 
let home :  but  my  elephant  had  made  good  use  of  his  time  and  got  away. 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  279 

Rhinoceroses  are  found  in  the  same  regions  of  the  Old  World  as  those 
inhabited  by  the  elephants  ;  they  live  like  them  in  the  forests,  and  feed 
exclusively  upon  coarse  herbage  and  the  leafy  twigs  of  trees  and  shrubs. 
They  appear,  as  a  general  rule,  to  be  peaceable  animals,  unless  irritated; 
in  this  case  they  charge  with  great  fury  upon  their  enemy,  holding  the 
head  down,  so  as  to  present  the  point  of  the  horn  toward  him.  They 
are  generally  hunted  merely  for  the  sake  of  sport,  but  the  natives  of  the 
countries  inhabited  by  them  kill  them  for  the  flesh ;  walking  sticks  of 
great  beauty  are  cut  out  of  their  thick  hides,  and  their  horns  are  worked 
into  boxes  and  drinking-cups,  to  the  latter  of  which  the  eastern  nations 
attribute  the  power  of  detecting  poison  in  any  fluid  put  into  them. 
Gigantic  Creature  Clad  in  Armor. 

The  most  celebrated  is  the  Indian  rhinoceros.  Of  this  the  head  and 
neck  are  rather  short ;  the  eye  is  small  and  lateral,  and  the  animal  can- 
not see  in  front,  more  particularly  when  the  horn  is  full-grown,  as  it 
.stands  in  the  way  of  vision.  The  body  is  about  nine  feet  long  and  five 
feet  high ;  in  its  structure  it  is  peculiarly  massive,  heavy,  and  hog-like, 
and  often  weighs  six  thousand  pounds.  It  has  a  single  horn  from  two  to 
three  feet  long.  The  skin  is  of  an  earth  color,  hard  and  thick,  and  often 
turns  a  musket  bullet;  its  surface  is  rough,  especially  on  the  croup  and 
down  the  fore-shoulders ;  its  folds  are  very  distinct,  and  resemble  plate 
armor.  It  is  almost  wholly  destitute  of  hair,  except  at  the  tip  of  the  tail 
and  on  the  margins  of  the  ears.  •  This  species  inhabits  Hindostan,  Siam, 
and  Cochin  China ;  shady  and  marshy  places  in  the  neighborhood  of 
rivers  being  its  chosen  haunts.  It  is  fond  of  wallowing  in  the  mire  some- 
what in  the  manner  of  hogs.  Its  food  consists  of  grass  and  branches  of 
trees.  The  flesh  is  not  unpalatable. 

This  powerful  animal,  living  amid  the  tall,  rank  vegetation  of  the  jun- 
gles of  India,  and  especially  along  the  marshy  borders  of  the  Ganges,  the 
Burrampooter,  and  other  great  rivers,  is  commonly  hunted  with  the  aid  of 
elephants.  They  are  usually  found  in  small  herds  of  four  to  six,  led  on 
by  the  most  powerful  among  the  troop.  Their  first  instinct  is  to  fly  from 
such  an  attack,  but  if  hard  pressed  they  rush  upon  the  elephants  and 
seek  to  thrust  the  nose  beneath  the  belly  and  rip  them  up  by  a  fierce  toss 
of  the  horn.  The  elephants,  however,  avoid  this  movement,  and  turning 
the  back,  receive  the  shock  in  that  quarter,  usually  with  little  damage. 
Often,  however,  the  impetus  of  the  rhinoceros  precipitates  the  elephant 
in  a  headlong  plunge  to  the  ground,  and  finding  this  to  succeed,  he 
will  repeat  the  operation  several  times  in  succession.  Formerly  it  was 
found  that  the  hide  of  the  rhinoceros  was  impenetrable  to  ordinary 


280  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

musket  balls ;  they  are  now  easily  brought  down  by  larger  and  harder 
bullets. 

The  Indian  rhinoceros  is  that  usually  brought  to  Europe  and  America, 
and  which  we  are  familiar  with  in  the  manageries ;  it  is  also  that  which 
is  best  known  in  history.  The  Romans  became  acquainted  with  it 
toward  the  close  of  the  republic,  and  Pompey  introduced  it  into  the  cir- 
cus. It  also  figured  in  the  triumphal  procession  of  Augustus  with  Cleo- 
patra— the  beautiful  Queen  of  Egypt  and  the  hoggish  rhinoceros  com- 
bining to  swell  the  pomp  of  the  victor !  Representations  of  this  animal 
also  appear  on  various  coins  of  this  period,  and  in  the  mosaics  of  Rome. 
Old  Story  of  a  Famous  Fight. 

In  the  fanciful  tales  of  the  Arabian  Nights  a  curious  passage  tells  us 
that  the  rhinoceros  fought  with  the  elephant,  pierced  his  belly  with  his 
horn,  and  carried  him  off  on  his  head;  but  the  fat  and  the  blood  filled 
his  eyes  and  rendered  him  entirely  blind,  so  that  he  fell  prostrate  on  the 
earth.  In  this  state  of  things  a  huge  bird  came  and  carried  them  both 
off  to  his  young  ones  in  his  prodigious  talons.  It  is  curious  to  trace  the 
threads  of  truth  even  in  the  wildest  popular  fiction :  the  manner  of  fight- 
ing here  imputed  to  the  rhinoceros  is  according  to  nature,  and  as  to  the 
roc — a  bird  as  big  as  a  village  windmill — late  discoveries  have  shown 
the  bones  of  extinct  species  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  high,  the  tradi- 
tions of  which  may  well  have  been  wrought  into  this  gigantic  feathered 
monster,  which,  the  story  says,  flew  away  with  both  animals.  • 

Both  varieties  of  the  African  black  rhinoceros  are  extremely  fierce  and 
dangerous,  and  rush  headlong  and  unprovoked  at  any  object  which  at- 
tracts their  attention.  They  never  attain  much  fat,  and  their  flesh  is 
tough,  and  not  much  esteemed  by  the  Bechuanas.  Their  food  consists 
almost  entirely  of  the  thorny  branches  of  the  wait-a-bit  thorns.  Their 
horns  are  much  shorter  than  those  of  the  other  varieties,  seldom  exceed- 
ing eighteen  inches  in  length.  They  are  finely  polished  by  constant 
rubbing  against  the  trees.  The  skull  is  remarkably  formed,  its  most 
striking  feature  being  the  tremendous,  thick  ossification  in  which  it  ends 
above  the  nostrils.  It  is  on  this  mass  that  the  horn  is  supported.  The 
horns  are  not  connected  with  the  skull,  being  attached  merely  by  the 
skin,  and  they  may  thus  be  separated  from  the  head  by  means  of  a  sharp 
knife.  They  are  hard,  and  perfectly  solid  throughout,  and  are  a  fine 
material  for  various  articles,  such  as  drinking-cups,  mallets  for  rifles, 
and  handles  for  turners'  tools.  The  horn  is  capable  of  a  very  high 
polish. 

The  eyes  of  the  rhinoceros  are  small  and  sparkling,  but  do  not  readily 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS. 


281 


observe  the  hunter,  provided  he  keep  to  leeward  of  them.     The  skin  is 
extremely  thick,  and  only  to  be  penetrated  with  bullets  hardened  with 


solder.     During  the  day,  the  rhinoceros  will  be  found  lying  asleep,  or 
standing  indolently  in  some  retired  part  of  the  forest,  or  under  the  base 


282  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

of  the  mountains,  sheltered  from  the  power  of  the  sun  by  some  friendly 
grove  of  umbrella-topped  mimosas.  In  the  evening  they  commence  their 
nightly  ramble,  and  wander  over  a  great  extent  of  country.  They  usual- 
ly visit  the  fountains  between  the  hours  of  nine  and  twelve  o'clock  at 
night,  and  it  is  on  these  occasions  that  they  may  be  most  successfully 
hunted,  and  with  the  least  danger. 

Spasms  of  Uncontrollable  Fury. 

The  black  rhinoceros  is  subject  to  paroxysms  of  unprovoked  fury,  of- 
ten plowing  up  the  ground  for  several  yards  with  its  horn,  and  assaulting 
large  bushes  in  the  most  violent  manner.  On  these  bushes  they  work  for 
hours  with  their  horns,  at  the  same  time  snorting  and  blowing  loudly  ; 
nor  do  they  leave  them  in  general  until  they  have  broken  them  into 
pieces.  All  the  four  varieties  delight  to  roll  and  wallow  in  the  mud,  with 
which  their  rugged  hides  are  generally  encrusted.  Both  varieties  of  the 
black  rhinoceros  are  much  smaller  and  more  active  than  the  white,  and 
:are  so  swift  that  a  horse  with  a  rider  on  its  back  can  rarely  overtake 
them,  yet  they  are  often  hunted  with  horses.  Both  attain  an  enormous 
.size,  being  the  animals  next  in  magnitude  to  the  elephant.  They  feed 
solely  on  grass,  carry  much  fat,  and  their  flesh  is  excellent,  being  prefer- 
•  able  to  beef.  They  are  of  a  much  milder  and  more  inoffensive  disposi- 
tion than  the  black  rhinoceros,  rarely  charging  their  pursuer.  Their 
speed  is  very  inferior  to  that  of  the  other  varieties,  and  a  person  well 
mounted  can  overtake  and  shoot  them. 

The  description  of  the  famous  rhinoceros  birds  is  very  interesting.  Be- 
fore I  could  fire,  says  a  well-known  explorer,  several  "  rhinoceros  birds  " 
by  which  he  was  attended  warned  him  of  his  impending  danger  by  stick- 
ing their  bills  into  his  ear,  and  uttering  their  harsh,  grating  cry.  Thus 
aroused,  he  suddenly  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  crashed  away  through  the 
jungle  at  a  rapid  trot,  and  I  saw  no  more  of  him. 

These  rhinoceros  birds  are  constant  attendants  upon  the  hippopotamus 
•and  the  four  varieties  of  rhinoceros,  their  object  being  to  feed  upon  the 
ticks  and  other  parasitic  insects  that  swarm  upon  these  animals.  They 
are  of  a  grayish  color,  and  are  nearly  as  large  as  a  common  thrush ;  their 
voice  is  very  similar  to  that  of  a  mistletoe  thrush.  Many  a  time  have  these 
ever-watchful  birds  disappointed  me  in  my  stalk,  and  tempted  me  to  invoke 
an  anathema  upon  their  devoted  heads.  They  are  the  best  friends  the 
rhinoceros  has,  and  rarely  fail  to  awaken  him,  even  in  his  soundest  nap. 
"Chukuroo"  perfectly  understands  their  warning,  and,  springing  to  his 
feet,  he  generally  first  looks  about  him  in  every  direction,  after  which  he 
invariably  makes  off. 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  283 

If  we  examine  the  skull  of  a  rhinoceros,  we  shall  find  that  just  under  the 
place  where  the  root  of  the  horn  lies,  there  is*  a  peculiar  development  of 
the  bone  on  which  the  weight  of  the  horn  rests.  Now,  it  is  well  known 
that  of  all  forms  intended  to  support  great  weight,  the  arch  is  the  strong- 
est. Such,  then,  is  the  form  of  the  bone  which  supports  the  horn ;  and 
in  order  to  prevent  the  jar  on  the  brain  which  would  probably  injure  the 
animal  when  making  violent  strokes  with  the  horn,  one  side  of  the  arch  is 
left  unsupported  by  its  pillar;  so  that  the  whole  apparatus  presents  the 
appearance  of  a  strong  bony  spring,  which,  although  very  powerful,  would 
yield  sufficiently  on  receiving  a  blow  to  guard  the  animal  from  the  shock 
which  would  occur,  were  the  horn  to  be  placed  directly  on  the  skull. 
Such  a  structure  as  this  is  not  needed  in  the  case  of  the  elephant,  as  that 
animal  never  strikes  violently  with  its  tusks,  as  the  rhinoceros  does  with 
its  horn. 

That  such  is  the  intention  of  the  structure  is  well  shown  by  a  curious 
circumstance  that  took  place  during  a  rhinoceros-hunt,  and  which  shows 
that  the  animal  can  suffer  severely  from  a  blow  on  the  horn,  if  that  blow 
is  given  in  a  different  method  from  that  which  the  creature  is  in  the  habit 
of  enduring. 

Some  hunters  were  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  the  rhinoceros,  and 
had  roused  one  of  the  animals  from  the  thicket  in  which  it  was  en- 
gaged in  rubbing  itself  against  the  trees,  after  the  usual  fashion  of  the 

creature. 

Method  of  Attack. 

The  skin,  although  thick,  is  very  sensitive  between  the  folds,  and  suffers 
much  from  the  attacks  of  the  mosquitoes  and  flies.  The  rhinoceros,  to 
allay  the  irritation,  rubs  against  trees,  and  has  a  curious  custom  of  grunting 
loudly  while  performing  this  operation,  and  thus  guides  the  hunter  to  its 
place  of  refuge.  They  are  thus  enabled  to  steal  through  the  underwood 
unperceived,  as  the  animal  is  too  much  engaged  rubbing  his  sides  to  pay 
any  attention  to  sounds  which  would  at  any  other  time  send  him  off  in 
alarm.  By  crawling  along  the  ground,  after  the  manner  of  serpents,  they 
generally  contrive  to  inflict  a  mortal  wound  before  he  is  aware  of  their 
presence. 

In  the  present  case,  the  hunters  were  endeavoring  to  act  in  the  same 
manner,  but  the  intended  victim  became  alarmed,  broke  through  the  woodf 
and  made  the  best  of  his  way  towards  a  large  cane-brake  about  two  miles 
distant.  The  whole  party  pursued  him,  and  the  poor  animal  was  speedily 
converted  into  a  living  pincushion,  the  place  of  the  pins  being  supplied  by 
-spears. 


284 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


The  number  and  severity  of  the  wounds  appear  to  have  confused  his 
brain,  for  instead  of  keeping  his  straight  course  toward  the  canes,  he 


turned  off  short,  and  dashed  into  a  narrow  gully  without  any  exit.     The 
ravine  was  so  narrow  that  he  broke  to  pieces  many  of  the  protruding 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  285 

spears  as  he  rushed  in,  and  when  he  had  fairly  entered,  there  was  barely 
room  to  turn.  The  assailants  now  had  it  all  their  own  way,  and  one  of 
them  standing  on  the  brink  of  the  ravine  took  aim  at  his  head,  and  stretched 
him  on  the  ground  apparently  lifeless.  All  the  hunters  now  jumped  into 
the  ravine,  and  set  to  work  at  cutting  him  up.  But  scarcely  had  they  com- 
menced when  the  animal  recovered  from  his  wound,  and  struggled  upon 
his  knees.  Out  went  the  hunters  as  fast  as  they  could,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  the  presence  of  mind  of  one  of  them,  who  hamstrung  the  rhinoceros 
before  he  ran  away,  in  all  probability  several  of  the  men  would  have 
forfeited  their  lives. 

Curiosity  induced  the  hunters  to  search  for  the  wound  that  had  thus 
stunned  the  animal,  and  they  naturally  expected  to  find  the  track  of  a  ball 
through  the  brain,  or,  at  all  events,  a  wound  on  the  skull ;  but  after  some 
search  they  found  that  the  ball  had  only  struck  the  point  of  the  foremost 
horn,  and  had  carried  off  about  an  inch  of  it. 

This  is  a  very  curious  circumstance,  because  the  blow  was  a  compara- 
tively slight  one,  and  the  shocks  which  the  animal  inflicts  upon  itself  in 
the  daily  occurrences  of  life  must  be  very  severe  indeed.  But  the  whole 
structure  of  the  head  and  horn  is  intended  to  resist  heavy  blows,  while  it 
is  not  capable  of  sustaining  a  sharp,  smart  shock  without  conveying  the 

impression  to  the  brain. 

A  Costly  Boarder. 

About  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  one  of  these  big  beasts  was 
brought  to  London  from  Bengal.  He  was  a  very  costly  animal ;  though 
only  two  years  old  five  thousand  dollars  were  expended  in  providing  him 
with  food  and  drink.  Every  day  he  ate  seven  pounds  of  rice  mixed  with 
three  pounds  of  sugar,  divided  into  three  portions.  He  also  ate  plenti- 
fully of  hay,  but  he  much  preferred  fresh  vegetables,  grass,  and  herbs. 
He  drank  a  great  deal  of  water.  He  was  so  quiet  and  well-behaved,  that 
he  let  people  handle  him,  unless  he  was  annoyed,  or  wanted  his  break- 
fast. The  well-known  specimen  in  the  Zoological  Gardens  in  London 
couldn't  bear  the  noise  of  the  roller  used  in  keeping  the  gravel  pathway 
in  order  which  adjoined  his  den ;  his  hearing  was  very  quick,  so  that 
even  while  enjoying  his  dinner  he  stopped,  and  started  aside,  to  listen. 

Bingley  gives  the  following  account  of  a  rhinoceros  brought  to  Eng- 
land in  1 790.  It  was  then  about  five  years  old.  It  was  somewhat  tamed  ; 
it  would  walk  about  when  desired  to  do  so  by  its  keeper ;  it  would  let 
visitors  pat  its  back.  Its  daily  allowance  was  twenty-eight  pounds  of 
clover,  the  same  quantity  of  ship  biscuit,  and  an  enormous  amount  of 
greens.  It  was  fond  of  sweet  wines,  and  would  drink  four  or  five  bottles  in 


286  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

a  few  hours.  He  made  nothing  of  drinking  fifteen  pails  of  water  in  the 
course  of  a  day.  If  he  saw  a  person  with  fruit  or  any  food  that  he  was 
fond  of,  he  would  ask  for  a  share,  in  a  very  pretty  manner  for  so  huge  a 
beast,  making  a  noise  somewhat  like  the  bleating  of  a  calf.  He  died  of 
inflammation,  caused  by  slipping  the  joint  of  one  of  his  fore  legs.  Some 
doctors  made  openings  in  his  skin,  in  order  to  relieve  his  pain.  These 
were  always  found  quite  healed  up  in  the  course  of  twenty-four  hours. 


CAMP   ATTACKED    BY        FIRE-EATING    RHINOCEROS. 

His  death  happened  near  Portsmouth,  and  the  mayor  ordered  him  to  be 
buried  on  the  common  at  Southsea.  A  fortnight  afterwards  some  natur- 
alists dug  up  the  remains  to  preserve  the  skin  and  the  most  valuable  of 
the  bones,  but  the  diggers  were  nearly  overpowered  by  the  stench  of  the 
body. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  elephant  and  rhinoceros  sometimes  fight  to- 
gether madly,  when  they  are  in  a  wild  state.  Some  years  ago  there  was 
a  specimen  in  the  Regent's  Park  Gardens,  that  contrived  to  get  into  the 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  287 

den  of  an  old  elephant  there.  They  were  afterwards  the  best  friends  ir* 
the  world,  and  it  was  amusing  to  see  how  quiet  the  rhinoceros  would 
stand  whilst  his  great  friend  scrubbed  his  back  with  his  trunk,  and  occa- 
sionally gratified  himself  by  a  sly  pull  at  his  tail,  to  make  the  rhinoceros 
turn  his  head,  if  his  attention  was  taken  off  by  visitors. 

We  have  said  that  the  horn  is  not  fastened  to  the  skull,  but  simply 
connected  with  his  skin.  It  is  not  generally  known  that  it  can  be  removed 
by  passing  a  sharp  knife  round  its  base.  The  skin  is  so  strong  and 
thick,  that  it  can  only  be  pierced  by  bullets  of  a  peculiar  make.  The  ne- 
groes of  Africa  know  this  perfectly  well,  and  make  it  into  shields  and 
bucklers.  His  playful  antics  are  somewhat  useful ;  thus  he  will  poke  his 
horn  into  the  ground,  and  then  driving  it  along  at  a  great  rate,  pushing 
with  all  his  mighty  force  and  strength,  he  will  make  a  furrow  broader  and 
deeper  than  that  of  a  plough.  Those  who  have  watched  his  habits  tell  us 
that  he  does  this,  not  because  he  is  in  a  passion,  but  in  the  pure  enjoy- 
ment of  health  and  spirits  ;  just  as  when  a  little  boy  or  girl,  or  dog  or 
kitten,  scampers  about  a  lawn. 

Some  species  of  this  animal  are  wild,  and  can  be  easily  tamed ;  the 
powerful  Indian  rhinoceros  is  the  shyest,  and  the  double-horned  the 
wildest.  Mason,  in  his  work,  entitled  "  Burmah,"  remarked  that  the 
common  single-horned  rhinoceros  is  very  abundant.  The  double-horned 
is  not  uncommon  in  the  southern  provinces;  and  then  he  alludes  to  the 
fire-eater  of  the  Burmans,  as  distinguished  from  the  common  single- 
horned  kind.  The  fire-eating  rhinoceros,  he  tells  us,  is  so  called  from 
its  attacking  the  night  fires  of  travellers,  scattering  the  burning  embers, 
and  doing  other  mischief,  being  attracted  by  unusual  noises,  instead  of 
fleeing  from  them  as  most  wild  animals  do.  Professor  Oldham's  camp- 
fire  was  attacked  by  a  rhinoceros,  which  he  fired  at  with  a  two-ounce 
ball ;  and  three  days  afterwards  the  body  was  found,  and  proved  to  be 
of  the  two-horned  species.  The  skull  of  that  individual  is  now  in  the 
museum  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin.  The  commonest  of  the  African 
rhinoceroses  has  been  known  to  manifest  the  same  propensity,  and  so 
has  even  the  ordinary  American  tapir.  In  general,  however,  the  Asiatic 
two-horned  rhinoceros  is  an  exceedingly  shy  and  timid  animal,  and  one 
of  the  largest  size  has  been  seen  to  run  away  from  a  single  wild  dog. 
Shedding-  Horns  and  Getting-  New  Ones. 

The  horns  of  a  rhinoceros,  consisting  merely  of  agglutinated  hairs,  mayv 
under  rare  circumstances,  be  shed  in  a  mass,  and  subsequently  renewed. 
A  great  one-horned  rhinoceros  living  in  the  Zoological  Garden  at  Mos- 
cow, did  actually  shed  a  horn,  which  is  now  in  the  museum  of  that  city,. 


288  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

and  another  has  since  grown  in  its  place.  So  the  rudimentary  frontal 
horn  of  the  old  female  of  the  same  species  now  in  the  London  Zoo- 
logical Gardens  was  roughly  broken  off  on  one  occasion,  and  the  blood 
flowed  very  profusely ;  but  another  hornlet  has  since  been  developed  in 
its  place,  and  there  can  now  be  no  doubt  that  the  same  occasionally  hap- 
pens with  wild  animals. 

Beautiful  Appearance  under  the  Microscope. 

On  a  casual  glance  at  a  rhinoceros,  the  horn  is  the  first  object  which 
strikes  the  eye.  This  projection  is  not  a  horn,  but  only  a  growth  from 
the  skin,  and  looks,  when  cut  crossways,  like  a  congeries  of  hairs ;  and 
if  the  hair  be  chafed  towards  its  root,  it  will  split  up  into  innumerable 
filaments  much  resembling  coarse  horse-hair,  and  bearing  a  close  simi- 
larity to  the  whalebone  fringe  of  a  whale's  mouth. 

Under  the  microscope  a  section  of  rhinoceros-horn  presents  a  most 
beautiful  appearance,  and  even  this  can  be  closely  imitated  by  tying  a 
tuft  of  hairs  tightly  together,  soaking  them  in  fine  glue,  suffering  them 
to  cool  until  they  form  a  kind  of  rod,  and  then  cutting  a  section  like  that 
of  the  rhinoceros-horn.  If  either  of  these  preparations  be  examined  with 
polarized  light,  the  colors  are  gorgeous  in  the  extreme. 

Even  in  South  Africa  the  horn  of  the  rhinoceros  is  very  valuable,  as  it 
can  be  cut  into  knobbed  sticks  which  will  stand  almost  any  treatment  with- 
out breaking.  This  property  renders  it  especially  useful  for  ramrods,  as  it  is 
far  stronger  than  wood,  and  possesses  all  the  good  properties  of  iron  or  steel 
without  its  weight  or  propensity  to  bend  or  break. 
Savage  Attack  on  Horses. 

The  power  of  the  horn  is  terrific,  and  its  efficacy  has  been  found  in 
several  disastrous  incidents.  Both  the  African  and  Asiatic  species  are 
liable  to  sudden  and  unaccountable  fits  of  anger,  during  which  the  ani- 
mal will  rush  at  any  object  that  is  near  him,  whether  animate  or  inanimate, 
and  dash  it  to  pieces.  One  remarkable  instance  of  this  propensity  took 
place  at  Dinapore.  Some  officers  had  gone  down  to  the  river  for  shoot- 
ing, and  had  formed  a  small  encampment  by  the  river.  Reports  were 
rife  of  a  neighboring  rhinoceros ;  but  they  took  no  particular  heed,  for 
natives  are  seldom  very  truthful,  and  retired  to  rest  with  no  fear  of  dan- 
ger. One  morning,  just  as  they  were  about  to  rise,  a  great  commotion 
was  heard ;  and  on  running  out  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  they  found 
that  a  rhinoceros  was  attacking  their  horses,  and  goring  them  violently. 
The  poor  horses  being  fastened,  according  to  custom,  were  not  able  to 
resist  or  escape ;  while  the  natives,  according  to  their  custom,  had  all 
run  away,  and  hidden  themselves  in  a  neighboring  jungle. 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS. 


289 


There  was,  however,  little  blame  to  be  attached  to  them  ;  for  when  the 
rhinoceros,  after  venting  its  rage  on  the  animals,  turned  upon  their  mas- 


ters,  they,  too,  took  to  their  heels,  and  thought  themselves  fortunate  in 
finding  a  tree,  up  which  they  scrambled,  and  were  for  the  present  secure. 
19 


290  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  rhinoceros,  however,  watched  them  for  a  long  time,  in  hopes  that 
they  would  descend ;  but  on  the  rising  of  the  sun,  he  slowly  retreated 
into  his  haunts,  every  now  and  then  casting  an  angry  look  over  his  shoul- 
der. The  brute  was  afterwards  killed  by  a  native  hunter,  who  concealed 
himself  near  its  hiding-place,  and  shot  it  with  an  iron  ball  from  a  jingall 
or  matchlock,  which  carries  a  very  large  bullet,  and  is  generally  used  by 
the  natives  for  destroying  the  rhinoceros  and  other  wild  beasts.  The 
hunter  conceals  himself  near  some  place  where  he  knows  the  animal  will 
pass,  and,  resting  his  gun  on  the  fork  of  a  branch,  he  gets  a  steady  aim, 
and  is  very  seldom  required  to  fire  a  second  shot. 

When  the  terrified  gentlemen  came  down  from  their  tree,  they  went  to 
see  what  harm  the  rhinoceros  had  done,  and  found  several  of  their  horses 
fearfully  gored.  One  poor  animal  was  saddled  at  the  time ;  and  the  horn 
of  the  rhinoceros  had  penetrated  through  saddle-flap  and  padding,  frac- 
tured two  ribs,  and  made  an  aperture  through  which  a  small  hand  might 
be  passed  into  the  horse's  lungs. 

Sometimes  the  rhinoceros  attacks  inanimate  objects,  such  as  bushes  or 
trees,  and  assaults  them  in  the  most  violent  manner,  not  leaving  them 
until  he  has  broken  them  to  pieces.  Ploughing  up  the  ground  with  the 
horn  is  also  a  favorite  mode  of  expressing  rage. 

A  Horse  Saved  by  a  Deadly  Shot 

One  traveller  relates  that  on  one  occasion  he  tied  his  horse  to  the  limb 
of  a  tree,  and  in  company  with  his  native  attendants  went  a  short  distance 
away,  when  he  was  horrified  on  returning  to  discover  a  huge  rhinoceros 
in  the  very  act  of  making  a  deadly  charge  upon  the  animal,  and  so  near 
that  the  horse  had  already  reared  on  his  hind  legs  in  the  effort  to  escape. 
There  was  no  time  to  be  lost.  The  hunter  raised  his  gun,  took  sure  aim, 
and  in  an  instant  checked  the  onward  rush  of  the  enormous  brute. 

All  rhinoceroses  are  fond  of  wallowing  in  mud,  with  which  the  body  is 
not  unfrequently  encrusted,  and  their  senses  of  hearing  and  smell  are  most 
acute,  but  not  that  of  vision,  so  that  they  may  be  closely  approached  by 
keeping  to  leeward  of  them.  On  one  occasion  the  wagon  of  a  friend  of 
Andersson  was  attacked  by  one  of  these  animals :  We  heard  shouting  and 
firing,  and  on  looking  in  the  direction  whence  the  noise  proceeded,  discov- 
ered to  our  horror,  a  rhinoceros  rushing  furiously  at  us  at  the  top  of  his 
speed.  Our  only  chance  of  escape  was  the  wagon,  into  which  we  hurriedly 
flung  ourselves.  And  it  was  high  time  that  we  should  seek  refuge,  for  the 
next  instant  the  enraged  beast  struck  his  powerful  horn  into  the  bottom 
plank  of  the  wagon  with  such  force  as  to  push  the  wagon  several  paces 
forward,  although  it  was  standing  in  very  heavy  sand.  Most  fortunately  he 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  291 

attacked  the  vehicle  from  behind ;  for  if  he  had  struck  it  at  the  side  he  could 
hardly  have  failed  to  upset  it,  ponderous  as  it  was.  From  the  wagon  he 
made  a  rush  at  the  fire,  overturning  the  pot  we  had  placed  along  side  of  it, 
and  scattering  the  burning  brands  in  every  direction.  Then,  without  doing 
any  further  damage,  he  proceeded  on  his  wild  career. 

The  flat-lipped  or  white  rhinoceros  (so  called  from  its  general  pale 
color)  is  a  very  different  animal  from  those  of  which  we  have  been  treat- 
ing. It  grows  to  more  than  six  feet  and  a  half  high  at  the  withers,  where 
there  is  a  sort  of  square  hump,  and  its  head  has  an  exceedingly  long  ante- 
rior horn,  attaining  to  more  than  four  feet  in  length,  whilst  the  hind  horn 
is  very  short,  not  exceeding  seven  or  eight  inches.  Its  color  is  of  such  a 
light  neutral  gray,  as  to  look  nearly  as  white  as  the  canvas  covering  of  a 
wagon.  Baines,  describing  a  freshly-killed  one,  tells  us  that  the  skin  was 
of  a  light  pinky  gray,  deepening  into  a  bluish  neutral  tint  on  parts  of  the 
head,  neck,  and  legs.  The  limbs,  shoulders,  cheeks,  and  neck  were  marked 
with  deep  wrinkles.  The  mouth  was  very  small,  and  the  limbs  were 
dwarfish  compared  with  the  bulk  of  the  carcass.  The  eyes  were  small  and 
set  flat  on  the  side  of  the  head,  with  no  prominence  of  brow,  and  in  such 
a  position  as  to  discredit  the  assertion  that  the  rhinoceros  can  see  only 
what  is  straight  before  it.  Chapman  estimated  the  weight  of  one  of  these 
white  rhinoceroses  as  being  probably  not  less  than  5000  pounds. 
Timely  Help  for  the  Young-  Rhinoceros. 

The  male,  he  says,  measures  six  feet  eight  inches  at  the  withers,  carries 
his  head  so  low  that  his  chin  nearly  sweeps  the  ground,  is  constantly 
swaying  his  head  to  the  right  and  left  when  suspicious,  and  its  calf,  in- 
stead of  going  behind  or  at  the  side,  always  precedes  the  dam,  and 
when  fleeing  is  helped  on  by  her  horn  or  snout.  The  back  of  this 
animal  is  tolerably  straight,  the  croup  being  as  high,  or  even  higher, 
than  the  withers.  It  moves  each  ear  alternately  backwards  and  forwards 
when  excited,  and  the  ears,  when  thrown  forward,  turn  as  if  on  a  pivot 
so  as  to  bring  the  orifice  innermost.  In  the  other  African  rhinoceroses 
the  two  ears  are  moved  together,  and  -not  alternately.  The  ears  are 
pointed  or  tufted. 

This  animal  is  of  a  comparatively  mild  and  gentle  disposition;  and 
unless  in  defence  of  its  young,  or  when  hotly  pursued,  or  wounded  will 
very  rarely  attack  a  man.  It  is  gregarious  in  families,  the  individuals 
comprising  which  are  greatly  attached  to  each  other;  and  it  utters  a 
long  sound,  and  not  such  a  startling,  whistling  snort  as  do  other  species. 
It  is  an  indolent  creature,  and  becomes  exceedingly  fat  by  eating  grass 
only. 


292  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  hippopotamus  is  exclusively  an  inhabitant  of  Africa,  in  many  of 
the  rivers  of  which  it  is  tolerably  abundant.  It  is  a  large  animal,  the 
males,  according  to  some  travellers,  attaining  a  length  of  fourteen  or  fif- 
teen feet.  It  feeds  entirely  upon  vegetable  substances,  cropping  the  herb- 
age and  bushes  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  and  occasionally  visiting  the 
cultivated  grounds  during  the  night,  when  it  does  great  damage.  It 
passes  most  of  its  time  in  the  water,  where  it  swims  and  dives  with  great 
ease,  and  is  said  even  to  walk  at  the  bottom.  When  the  head  of  the  an- 
imal is  below  the  water  it  rises  frequently  to  blow  it  out  from  its  nostrils, 
making  it  ascend  in  two  jets. 

The  Ferocious  Hippopotamus. 

On  shore,  it  trots  heavily,  but  with  considerable  rapidity,  and  when  two 
of  them  meet  on  solid  ground  they  frequently  fight  ferociously,  rearing 
up  on  their  hind  feet,  and  biting  one  another  with  great  fury,  so  that,  ac- 
cording to  African  travellers,  it  is  rare  to  find  a  hippopotamus  which  has 
not  some  of  his  teeth  broken,  or  the  scars  of  wounds  upon  his  body. 
When  not  irritated  they  appear  to  be  quiet  and  inoffensive ;  but  a  very 
trifling  irritation  is  sufficient  to  rouse  their  anger,  when  they  attack  the 
offender  most  furiously  with  their  teeth ;  a  hippopotamus  which  had 
been  touched  accidentally  by  a  boat  has  turned  upon  it  and  torn 
out  several  of  the  planks,  so  that  it  was  with  difficulty  the  crew 
got  to  shore.  A  hippopotamus  has  also  been  known  to  kill  some  cattle 
which  were  tied  up  near  his  haunts,  without  the  slightest  provocation. 

In  Harris's  "  Sports  of  South  Africa"  we  have  the  following  accurate 
account  of  the  habits  of  the  hippopotamus :  This  animal  abounds  in  the 
Limpopo,  dividing  the  empire  with  its  amphibious  neighbor  the  crocodile. 
Throughout  the  night  the  unwieldy  monsters  might  be  heard  snorting 
and  blowing  during  their  aquatic  gambols,  and  we  not  unfrequently  de- 
tected them  in  the  act  of  sallying  from  their  reed-grown  coverts,  to  graze 
by  the  serene  light  of  the  moon ;  never,  however,  venturing  to  any  dis- 
tance from  the  river,  the  stronghold  to  which  they  betake  themselves  on 
the  smallest  alarm. 

Occasionally,  during  the  day,  they  were  to  be  seen  basking  on  the 
shore,  amid  ooze  and  mud ;  but  shots  were  most  constantly  to  be  had  at 
their  uncouth  heads,  when  protruded  from  the  water  to  draw  breath;  and, 
if  killed,  the  body  rose  to  the  surface.  Vulnerable  only  behind  the  ear, 
however,  or  the  eye,  which  is  placed  in  a  prominence,  so  as  to  resemble 
the  garret  window  of  a  Dutch  house,  they  require  the  perfection  of  rifle 
practice,  and  after  a  few  shots  become  exceedingly  shy,  exhibiting  the 
snout  only,  and  as  instantly  withdrawing  it.  The  flesh  is  delicious,  re- 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS. 


293 


sembling  pork  in  flavor,  and  abounding  in  fat,  which  in  the  colony  is  de- 
servedly esteemed  the  greatest  of  delicacies.     The  hide  is  upward  of  an 


inch  and  a  half  in  thickness,  and  being  scarcely  flexible,  may  be  dragged 
from  the  ribs  in  strips  like  the  planks  from  the  ship's  side. 


294  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Gumming  says  that  the  track  of  the  hippopotamus  may  be  distin- 
guished from  any  other  animal  by  a  line  of  unbroken  herbage  which  is 
left  between  the  marks  of  the  feet  of  each  side,  as  the  width  of  the  space 
between  the  right  and  left  legs  causes  the  animal  to  place  its  feet  so  con- 
siderably apart  as  to  make  a  distinct  double  track.  It  may  be  remarked 
that  the  hippopotamus,  as  well  indeed  as  the  elephant  and  rhinoceros,  is 
fast  disappearing  in  all  the  countries  where  it  exists,  before  the  incessant 
and  destructive  war  made  upon  it  by  fire-arms.  It  could  resist,  and  for 
ages  did  resist,  the  rude  and  ineffective  weapons  of  savages  and  barbar- 
ians, living  and  multiplying  in  spite  of  them ;  but  the  species  must  soon 
yield  to  the  destructive  propensity  and  power  of  civilized  men. 
At  Close  Quarters  with  a  Hippopotamus. 

After  seeing  the  animal  plunging  about  in  his  bath,  diving  with  ease, 
and  traversing  the  bottom  of  the  tank  as  if  it  were  dry  land,  one  can  the 
better  appreciate  the  difficulties  attending  a  struggle  such  as  is  related  by 
Gumming  in  the  following  lines : 

There  were  four  of  them,  three  cows  and  an  old  bull.  They  stood  in 
the  middle  of  the  river,  and,  although  alarmed,  did  not  appear  aware  of 
the  extent  of  the  impending  danger. 

I  took  the  sea-cow  next  me,  and  with  my  first  ball  I  gave  her  a  mortal 
wound,  knocking  loose  a  great  plate  on  the  top  of  her  skull.  She  at  once 
commenced  plunging  round  and  round,  and  occasionally  remained  still, 
sitting  for  a  few  moments  on  the  same  spot.  On  hearing  the  report  of 
my  rifle,  two  of  the  others  took  up  stream,  and  the  fourth  dashed  down 
the  river.  They  rolled  along  like  oxen,  at  a  smart  pace,  as  long  as  the 
water  was  shallow.  I  was  now  in  a  state  of  very  great  anxiety  about  my 
wounded  sea-cow,  for  I  feared  she  would  get  down  into  deep  water,  and 
be  lost,  like  the  last  one.  Her  struggles  were  still  bearing  her  down 
stream,  and  the  water  was  becoming  deeper.  To  settle  the  matter,  I 
accordingly  fired  another  shot  from  the  bank,  which,  entering  the  roof  of 
her  skull,  passed  out  through  her  eye.  She  then  kept  continually  splash- 
ing round  and  round  in  a  circle  in  the  middle  of  the  river.  I  had  great 
f -*ars  of  the  crocodiles,  and  I  did  not  know  that  the  sea-cow  might  not 
attack  me ;  my  anxiety  to  secure  her,  however,  overcame  all  hesitation. 
So  divesting  myself  of  my  leathers,  and  armed  with  a  sharp  knife,  I  dashed 
into  the  river,  which  at  first  took  me  up  to  my  arm-pits,  but  in  the  middle 
was  shallower. 

A  Struggle  to  Get  Ashore. 

As  I  approached  Behemoth,  her  eye  looked  very  wicked  at  me,  but 
she  was  stunned,  and  did  not  know  what  she  was  doing ;  so,  running  in 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  295 

upon  her,  and  seizing  her  short  tail,  I  attempted  to  incline  her  course  to 
land.  It  was  extraordinary  what  enormous  strength  she  still  had  in  the 
water ;  I  could  not  guide  her  in  the  least,  and  she  continued  to  splash, 
and  plunge,  and  blow,  and  make  her  circular  course,  carrying  me  along 
with  her  as  if  I  was  a  fly  on  her  tail. 

Finding  her  tail  gave  me  but  a  poor  hold,  as  the  only  means  of  secu- 
ring my  prey,  I  took  out  my  knife,  and  cutting  two  deep  parallel  incisions 
through  the  skin  on  her  rump,  and  lifting  this  skin  from  the  flesh,  so  that 
I  could  get  in  my  two  hands,  I  made  use  of  this  as  a  handle,  and  after 
some  desperate  hard  work,  sometimes  pushing,  sometimes  pulling,  the 
sea-cow  continuing  her  circular  course  all  the  time,  and  I  holding  on  her 
rump  like  grim  death,  eventually  I  succeeded  in  bringing  this  gigantic 
and  most  powerful  animal  to  the  bank.  Here  the  Bushman  quickly 
brought  me  a  stout  buffalo-rheim  from  my  horse's  neck,  which  I  passed 
through  the  opening  in  the  thick  skin,  and  moored  Behemoth  to  a  tree. 
I  then  took  my  rifle,  and  sent  a  shot  through  her  head,  and  she  was 
numbered  with  the  dead. 

Slippery  Caudal  Appendage. 

In  explanation  of  one  part  of  this  description,  the  difficulty  experienced 
by  Mr.  Gumming  in  holding  by  her  tail  will  be  easily  understood  by  those 
who  have  examined  the  member  in  question.  The  tail  of  the  hippopot- 
amus is  a  flattened,  naked  affair,  about  two  feet  long,  as  thick  as  a  man's 
wrist,  and  slightly  fringed  at  the  extremity  with  a  few  long  bristles.  If 
we  imagine  this  tail  flung  about  in  the  death-agony  of  a  full-grown  hip- 
popotamus, it  will  not  be  difficult  to  conceive  the  almost  impossibility  of 
holding  on  by  the  hands,  especially  in  the  water,  which  is  the  natural 
element  of  the  brute. 

Lander  relates  a  thrilling  experience  that  befell  some  of  his  companions 
on  one  of  their  explorations.  A  hippopotamus  happened  to  rise  under 
their  boat,  and  struck  her  back  against  its  keel.  Irritated  by  the  unex- 
pected resistance,  she  dashed  at  the  boat  with  open  jaws,  seized  the  side 
between  her  teeth,  and  tore  out  seven  planks.  She  then  sank  for  a  few 
seconds,  but  immediately  resumed  the  attack,  and  if  one  of  the  crew  had 
not  fired  a  musket  in  her  face,  would  probably  have  worked  still  more 
harm.  As  it  was,  too  much  mischief  had  ueen  already  done,  for  the  loss 
of  so  much  planking  had  caused  the  boat  to  fill  rapidly,  and  it  was  only 
by  severe  exertion  that  the  crew  succeeded  in  getting  the  boat  to  shore 
before  it  sank.  The  boat  was  providentially  not  more  than  an  oar's  length 
from  the  bank  when  the  attack  took  place ;  but  had  it  been  in  the  centre 
of  the  river,  few,  if  any  of  the  crew,  would  have  escaped  to  tell  the  tale. 


296  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  shock  from  beneath  was  so  violent,  that  the  steersman  was  thrown 
completely  out  of  the  boat  into  the  water,  but  was  seized  and  drawn  in 
again  before  the  hippopotamus  could  get  at  him. 

Taylor,  the  author  of  "A  Journey  to  Central  Africa,"  gives  the  follow- 
ing interesting  narrative : 

On  the  same  day  I  saw  the  first  hippopotamus.  The  men  discerned  him 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  off,  as  he  came  up  to  breathe,  and  called  my 
attention  to  him.  Our  vessel  was  run  towards  him,  and  the  sailors  shouted, 
to  draw  his  attention :  "  How  is  your  wife,  old  boy  ?  Is  your  son  married 
yet?"  and  other  like  exclamations.  They  insisted  upon  it,  that  his 
curiosity  would  be  excited  by  this  means,  and  he  would  allow  us  to 
approach.  I  saw  him  at  last  within  a  hundred  yards,  but  only  the  enor- 
mous head,  which  was  more  than  three  feet  in  breadth  across  the  ears. 
He  raised  it  with  a  tremendous  snort,  opening  his  huge  mouth  at  the 
same  time,  and -I  thought  I  had  never  seen  a  more  frightful-looking  mon- 
ster. He  came  up  in  our  wake,  after  we  had  passed,  and  followed  us  for 
some  time. 

Directly  afterwards  we  spied  five  crocodiles  on  a  sand-bank ;  one  of 
them  was  of  a  grayish-yellow  color,  and  upwards  of  twenty  feet  in  length. 
We  approached  quietly  to  within  a  few  yards  of  them,  when  my  men 
raised  their  poles  and  shouted.  The  beasts  started  from  their  sleep,  and 
dashed  quickly  into  the  water,  the  big  yellow  one  striking  so  violently 
against  our  hull,  that  I  am  sure  he  went  off  with  a  headache. 
Adventure  with  a  Gorilla. 

Sports  in  the  tropics  are  not  confined  exclusively  to  four-footed  beasts. 
There  are  creatures  strongly  resembling  man  which  are  sought  by  the  na- 
tives, and  sometimes  are  systematically  hunted,  as  would  be  a  tiger  or 
an  elephant.  The  equatorial  coast  of  Africa  has  furnished  a  gigantic 
kind  of  man-like  ape,  which  affords  a  curious  confirmation  of  an  old 
classic  story. 

Somewhere  about  the  sixth  century  before  the  Christian  era,  one 
Hanno  is  reported  to  have  sailed  from  Carthage,  through  the  Pillars  of 
Hercules,  on  a  voyage  of  exploration  along  the  coast  of  Africa.  In  the 
record  of  this  voyage  there  occurs  the  following  passage  : — "  Passing  the 
Streams  of  Fire,  we  came  to  a  bay  called  the  Horn  of  the  South.  In  the 
recess  there  was  an  island  like  the  first,  having  a  lake,  and  in  this  there 
was  another  island  full  of  wild  men.  But  much  the  greater  part  of  them 
were  women,  with  hairy  bodies,  whom  the  interpreters  called  '  Gorillas.' 
But  pursuing  them,  we  were  not  able  to  take  the  men  ;  they  all  escaped, 
being  able  to  climb  the  precipices ;  and  defended  themselves  with  pieces 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  297 

of  rock.  But  three  women,  who  bit  and  scratched  those  who  led  them, 
were  not  willing  to  follow.  However,  having  killed  them,  we  flayed 
them,  and  conveyed  the  skins  to  Carthage  ;  for  we  did  not  sail  any  fur- 
ther, as  provisions  began  to  fail." 

The  "  wild  men "  of  the  ancient  navigator  were  doubtless  identical 
with  the  great  anthropoid  ape  lately  re-discovered,  to  which,  in  allusion 
to  the  old  story,  the  name  of  gorilla  has  been  given.  The  region  in 
question  is  a  richly  wooded  country,  extending  about  a  thousand 
miles  along  the  coast  from  the  Gulf  of  Guinea  southward  ;  and  as  the 
gorilla  is  not  found  beyond  these  limits,  so  we  may  conclusively  infer 
that  the  extreme  point  of  Hanno  was  somewhere  in  this  region. 

Savage  Kival  of  Man. 

This  great  ape  makes  the  nearest  approach  of  any  brute-animal  to  the 
human  form ;  it  is  fully  equal  to  man  in  stature,  but  immensely  more 
bread  and  muscular ;  while  its  strength  is  colossal.  Though  exclusively 
a  fruit  eater,  it  is  described  as  always  manifesting  an  enraged  enmity 
towards  man ;  and  no  negro,  even  if  furnished  with  fire  arms,  will  enter 
alone  into  conflict  with  an  adult  male  gorilla.  He  is  said  to  be  more 
than  a  match  for  the  lion. 

The  rivalry  between  the  mighty  ape  and  the  elephant  is  curious,  and 
leads  to  somewhat  comic  results.  The  old  male  is  always  armed  with  a 
stout  stick  when  on  the  scout,  and  knows  how  to  use  it.  The  elephant 
has  no  intentional  evil  thoughts  toward  the  gorilla,  but  unfortunately  they 
love  the  same  sorts  of  fruit.  When  the  ape  sees  the  elephant  busy  with 
his  trunk  among  the  twigs,  he  instantly  regards  it  as  an  infraction  of  the 
laws  of  property ;  and,  dropping  quietly  down  to  the  bough,  he  suddenly 
brings  his  club  smartly  down  on  the  sensitive  finger  of  the  elephant's 
proboscis,  and  drives  off  the  alarmed  animal  trumpeting  shrilly  with  rage 
and  pain. 

The  young  athletic  negroes,  in  their  ivory  hunts,  well  know  the  prow- 
ess of  the  gorilla.  He  does  not,  like  the  lion,  sullenly  retreat  on  seeing 
them,  but  swings  himself  rapidly  down  to  the  lower  branches,  courting 
the  conflict,  and  clutches  at  the  foremost  of  his  enemies.  The  hideous 
aspect  of  his  visage,  his  green  eyes  with  their  glaring  fire,  his  open, 
mouth  and  fierce-looking  teeth,  the  savage  hand-like  claws  which  form 
the  end  of  his  lower  extremities,  all  render  him  an  object  of  terror. 
When  he  is  pursued,  as  he  is  sometimes  by  daring  natives  who  are  his 
natural  enemies,  he  will  defend  himself  with  the  utmost  courage,  and  has 
been  known  to  attack  his  foes  with  indescribable  fury.  Our  engraving 
represents  a  combat  between  a  gorilla  and  his  pursuers.  The  description. 


298  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

is  given  by  a  traveller  who  heard  the  story  of  the  adventure  from  the  lips 
of  the  natives,  after  they  had  barely  escaped  with  their  lives.  Gorilla  hunt- 


GORILLA   TURNING   UPON    HIS    PURSUERS. 

Ing  is  dangerous  business,  yet  there  are  those  who,  for  the   sake  of  the 
•excitement,  engage  in  it,  taking  at  times  fearful  risks. 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  299 

In  the  barren  wastes  of  Africa,  and  also  of  Asia,  the  traveller,  as  he 
journeys  wearily  onward,  meeting  with  but  stunted  herbage  and  no  water, 
sees  from  afar  something  that  alarms  him.  It  looks  like  a  body  of  horse- 
men scouring  the  desert,  and,  as  he  fears,  bent  on  plunder.  There  is  no 
way  of  escape,  and  as  he  looks  hither  and  thither  the  dreaded  object  ap- 
proaches. Then  his  heart  beats  more  freely,  and  his  spirits  revive.  The 
band  of  horsemen,  as  he  supposed  it  to  be,  turns  out  to  be  birds.  And 
he  is  not  the  first  traveller  by  any  means  who  has  made  the  mistake,  and 
imagined  the  ostrich  to  be  a  man  on  horsback. 

In  the  first  place,  the  ostrich  is  quite  as  tall,  and  as  he  runs  swiftly 
along  there  is  nothing  at  a  distance  that  he  more  resembles.  He  always 
feeds  in  a  flock,  and  the  barren  wastes  have  been  his  home  from  time  im- 
memorial. He  eats  grass,  and  grain  when  he  can  get  it,  and  does  not 
seem  to  care  for  water.  There  are  people  who  have  said  that  the  os- 
trich never  drinks. 

Breakfast  of  Stones  and  Leather. 

However  that  may  be,  his  appetite  is  the  most  curious  part  of  him.  He 
will  swallow  almost  anything  he  can  pick  up,  and  you  might  wonder 
where  he  did  pick  up  the  things  that  have  been  found  in  his  stomach, 
were  it  not  for  the  caravans  that  now  and  then  come  across  the  desert. 
Pieces  of  leather,  nails,  lumps  of  brass  or  iron,  to  say  nothing  of  stones, 
.all  go  down  his  throat  with  ease. 

He  has  a  huge  crop,  and  then  a  great  strong  gizzard.  And  besides 
these,  he  has  a  cavity  that  might  be  called  a  third  stomach.  So  he  is 
well  provided.  Of  course,  strong  as  his  digestion  may  be,  he  cannot  di- 
gest either  nails  or  stones ;  and  some  people  explain  this  by  saying  that 
his  great  crop  wants  so  much  to  fill  it,  that  he  is  obliged  to  put  in  all  he 
can  get.  And  others  say  that  the  stones  and  brass  and  leather  help  him 
to  digest  his  other  food,  in  the  same  way  that  grit  or  gravel  helps  our 
poultry  at  home. 

The  next  curious  thing  about  the  ostrich  is  the  pair  of  wings  that  na- 
ture has  given  him.  The  wing  is  nature's  machine  by  which  the  bird 
can  support  itself  in  the  air,  and  dart  or  sail  through  it  as  we  may  see 
every  day.  But  in  some  birds  the  wing  fails  of  this  purpose,  and  is  of  no 
use  at  all  to  fly  with.  There  are  two  reasons  why  the  wings  of  the  os- 
trich cannot  bear  him  into  the  air.  They  are  very  small  to  begin  with, 
and  his  great  body  is  too  heavy  to  be  raised  by  any  such  means.  And  be- 
sides, the  feathers  of  the  wings  are  different  from  those  of  other  birds. 

Look  how  firm  and  compact  is  the  wing  of  the  swallow  or  the  rook. 
The  feathers  fit  close  together,  and  the  little  plumes  on  each  feather  hook 


300  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

into  each  other  by  those  exquisite  little  catches  that  are  among  the  mar- 
vels of  nature.  If  you  pass  your  ringer  over  the  wing  it  feels  like  one 
smooth  surface.  But  in  the  wing  of  the  ostrich  the  little  plumes  are 
loose,  and  float  lightly  about.  The  ostrich  does  not  use  his  wings  to  fly 
with,  though  he  spreads  them  out  as  he  runs. 

The  Flying  Camel. 

He  is  in  many  respects  so  like  an  animal,  that  he  forms  almost  a  link- 
between  the  animals  and  the  birds.  Indeed  he  is  so  like  the  camel  that 
he  is  called  the  camel-bird.  His  foot  resembles  the  hoof  of  the  camel. 
It  has  only  two  toes,  and  both  point  forward ;  and  the  first  is  longer  than 
the  second,  and  ends  in  a  thick  hoof-like  claw.  And  the  habits  of  the 
ostrich  resemble  those  of  the  camel ;  they  both  live  in  the  sandy  desert, 
and  are  able  to  go  a  very  long  time  without  drinking.  The  ostrich  does 
not  make  any  nest,  but  merely  scoops  out  a  hole  in  the  sand.  When  the 
proper  season  comes,  the  mother  ostrich  begins  to  lay  her  eggs ;  she  lays 
about  a  dozen,  and  they  are  very  large,  and  of  a  dirty  white  color.  In  the 
day-time  she  leaves  them  under  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun  ;  but  when 
night  comes,  and  the  air  is  cooler,  she  broods  over  them. 

The  natives  of  the  country  go  out  looking  for  the  eggs  of  the  ostrich. 
One  monster  egg  has  in  it  as  much  as  thirty  of  our  hen's  eggs,  and  is 
considered  a  great  dainty.  But  they  are  very  careful  how  they  set  about 
the  task  of  robbing  the  nest.  They  choose  the  time  when  the  mother 
ostrich  is  away,  and  then  they  take  a  long  stick  and  push  the  eggs  out  of 
the  hole.  If  they  touched  any  of  them  with  their  fingers,  the  ostrich 
would  find  it  out  in  a  minute,  and  go  into  a  great  rage.  She  would  break 
all  the  eggs  that  were  left  with  her  hoof-like  feet,  and  never  lay  in  that 
place  again.  Sometimes  a  number  of  mother  ostriches  will  lay  their  eggs 
in  the  same  nest. 

In  some  parts  of  Africa  there  are  tribes  of  men  who  eat  ostriches,  not 
from  gluttony,  but  because  they  can  get  very  little  else.  They  keep  them 
as  we  do  cattle,  and  make  them  quite  tame.  The  ostrich  is  by  nature 
gentle,  though  it  is  so  large,  and  soon  makes  himself  contented  near  the 
dwelling  of  his  master.  Sometimes  his  master  rides  upon  him,  and  takes 
a  journey. 

The  beautiful  feathers  of  the*  ostrich  are  so  admired,  that  great  pains 
and  trouble  are  taken  to  procure  them.  The  Arab  comes  with  his  swift 
horse  in  search  of  the  ostriches.  A  flock  of  them  are  quietly  feeding 
together  on  the  plain.  If  it  is  mid-day,  they  strut  about,  flapping  their 
wings  as  if  for  coolness.  When  they  perceive  the  enemy  they  begin  to 
run,  at  first  gently,  for  he  keeps  at  a  distance,  and  does  not  wish  to  alarm 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS. 


301 


them  more  than  he  can  help.  The  wings  of  the  bird  keep  working  like 
two  sails,  and  he  gets  over  the  ground  so  fast  that  he  would  soon  be  out 
of  sight  if  he  ran  in  a  straight  line.  But  he  is  so  foolish  as  to  keep  run- 
ning from  one  side  to  the  other.  The  hunter,  meanwhile,  rides  straight 
on,  and  when  his  horse  is  exhausted,  another  hunter  takes  up  the  game, 


HUNTING   THE   OSTRICH. 

and  so  on,  allowing  the  poor  bird  no  rest.     Sometimes,  in  a  fit  of  despair, 
he  hides  his  head  in  the  sand. 

Another  method  adopted  by  the  ostrich  hunter  is  to  disguise  himself 
in  the  skin  of  one  of  these  birds,  and,  armed  with  his  bow  and  poisoned 
arrows,  stalk  about  the  plain  imitating  the  gait  and  motions  of  the  ostrich. 
Moffat  thus  describes  a  hunt  of  this  kind : 


302 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


A  kind  of  flat  double  cushion  is  stuffed  with  straw  and  formed  some- 
thing like  a  saddle.     All  except  the  under  part  of  this  is  covered  over 


with  feathers,  attached  to  small  pegs,  and  made  so  as  to  resemble  the 
bird.  The  head  and  neck  of  an  ostrich  are  stuffed  and  a  rod  introduced, 
and  the  Bushman  intending  to  attack  game  whitens  his  legs  with  any  sub- 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  303 

stance  he  can  get.  He  places  the  feathered  saddle  on  his  shoulders,  takes 
the  bottom  part  of  the  neck  in  his  right  hand,  and  his  bow  and  poisoned 
arrows  in  his  left  Such  as  the  writer  has  seen  were  most  perfect  mimics 
of  the  ostrich,  and  at  a  few  hundred  yards'  distance  it  is  not  possible  for 
the  eye  to  detect  the  fraud.  This  human  bird  appears  to  be  picking  away 
at  the  verdure,  turning  the  head  as  if  keeping  a  sharp  lookout;  shakes 
his  feathers,  now  walks  and  then  trots,  till  he  gets  within  bow-shot,  and 
when  the  flock  runs  from  one  receiving  an  arrow  he  runs  too.  The  male 
ostriches  will,  on  some  occasions,  give  chase  to  the  strange  bird,  when  he 
tries  to  elude  them  in  a  way  to  prevent  them  catching  his  scent ;  for  when 
once  they  do  the  spell  is  broken.  Should  one  happen  to  get  too  near  in 
pursuit,  he  has  only  to  run  to  windward,  or  throw  off  his  saddle,  to  avoid 
a  stroke  from  a  wing  that  would  lay  him  prostrate.  * 

The  Arabs  of  North  Africa  pursue  the  ostrich  on  horseback ;  not  at  a 
dash,  however — one  exciting  run  and  victory  decided — but  in  a  deliberate 
and  business-like  way.  A  flock  having  been  sighted,  the  Arabs  put  their 
steeds  in  motion,  and  hold  them  at  sufficient  speed  to  keep  in  sight  the 
fluttering  army  in  advance.  When  the  evening  comes,  the  Arab  pickets- 
his  horse  and  rests  for  the  night,  and  his  tired  game,  finding  it  is  no  longer 
pursued,  sinks  to  the  earth  and  rests  too.  Next  morning  the  chase  is 
commenced,  the  clicking  of  hoofs  rouses  the  still  weary  bird,  and  once 
more  he  braces  his  limbs  and  pursues  his  hopeless  flight.  So  the  game 
continues,  till,  tired  to  death,  and  with  drooping  and  bedraggled  wings, 
the  poor  ostrich  comes  to  a  dead  halt,  and  the  gallant  Arab  hunter  safely 
approaches  and  cuts  its  throat. 

The  Blow  that  Ends  the  Chase. 

Toward  the  approach*  of  the  rainy  season,  when  the  days  are  intolerably 
hot  and  sultry,  the  ostrich  may  easily  be  ridden  down  by  a  single  horse- 
man. At  the  above-mentioned  period  the  protracted  drought  tells  even 
on  this  invulnerable  bird,  and  he  may  be  seen  standing  in  a  stupefied 
manner  with  his  wings  outspread  and  his  beak  wide  open.  Under  such 
circumstances  he  offers  but  little  resistance,  and  though  for  a  few  moments 
he  may  make  hard  running,  his  speed  is  not  enduring ;  and  presently  he 
is  again  stock-still  and  stupidly  agape,  waiting  for  the  hunter  to  knock 
him  on  the  head  with  his  "  shambok,"  or  knobby  stick. 

Our  illustration  depicts  a  chase  of  an  ostrich  described  by  Baldwin. 
Andersson  relates  that  in  certain  parts  of  Southern  Africa  the  ostrich  is 
run  down  on  foot.  "  I  have  myself  seen  the  Bushmen  accomplish  this 
exploit  on  the  Chores  of  Lake  Ngami.  They  usually  surround  a  whole 
troop,  and  with  shouts  and  yells  chase  the  terrified  birds  into  the  water. 


304  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

where  they  are,  of  course,  speedily  killed."  Harris,  on  one  occasion,  fell 
in  with  a  party  of  caravans  chasing  an  ostrich  on  foot,  and,  when  they  got 
close  enough,  "  shying  "  after  the  fleeing  bird,  their  clubs  striking  the 
bird's  legs  and  eventually  laming  him.  "When  the  ostrich  is  slain,"  says 
the  last-mentioned  authority,  "  the  throat  is  opened  and  a  ligature  passed 
below  the  incision.  Several  hunters  then  raise  the  bird  by  the  head  and 
feet,  and  shake  and  drag  him  about  until  they  obtain  from  the  aperture 
nearly  twenty  pounds  of  a  substance  of  mingled  blood  and  fat,  of  th^  con- 
sistence of  coagulated  oil,  which  under  the  name  of  '  manteque '  is 
employed  in  the  preparation  of  dishes  and  the  cure  of  various  maladies." 

Some  African  tribes  take  the  ostrich  in  snares,  similar  to  those  used  in 
the  capture  of  the  smaller  species  of  antelope.  A  long  cord  having  at 
the  end  a  noose  is  tied  to  a  sapling,  which  is  bent  down,  and  the  noose 
pinned  to  the  ground  in  such  a  manner  that  when  a  bird  t  cads  within  it 
the  sapling  springs  back  by  its  own  natural  elasticity,  suspending  the  bird 
in  the  air,  only  to  be  released  from  its  sufferings  by  death.  Others  again 
are  said  to  employ  ostrich  feather  parasols,  or  rather  massy  plumes — such 
as  adorn  our  hearses — while  hunting  wild  animals  of  every  description. 
Thus  in  case  of  a  wounded  beast  charging  a  man,  the  latter,  just  at  the 
moment  he  is  about  to  be  seized,  whips  the  big  plume  off  his  head,  and 
thrusting  the  spike  to  which  the  feathers  are  bound  into  the  ground,  slips 
off.  While  the  furious  animal  vents  his  rage  on  the  nodding  feathers,  the 
wild  hunter  steals  to  its  rear  and  transfixes  it  with  his  weapon. 
Fair  Play  and  no  Favor. 

In  hunting  the  ostrich  the  mode  most  favored  by  sportsmen  is  to  lie  in 
wait  at  the  margins  of  pools  and  springs  where  the  birds  come  to 
drink.  They  swallow  the  water  deliberately,  and  by  a  succession  of 
gulps.  While  staying  at  Elephant  Fountain,  Andersson  shot  eight  with- 
in a  very  short  period.  "  Lying  in  wait,"  however,  and  taking  advantage 
of  your  game  from  behind  a  wall  or  hedge,  is  by  no  means  as  a  rule  a 
favorite  system  with  the  hunter.  If  an  animal  has  "  fight"  in  it,  nothing 
gives  the  true  sportsman  greater  pleasure  than  for  it  to  demonstrate  the 
same  to  the  fullest  extent — sharp  steel  against  talons  just  as  sharp  an-,1 
terrible,  swift  bullets  against  swift  and  sudden  springs  and  bounds  and 
death-dealing  fangs.  Should  the  animal  chased  be  dependent  on  it 
fleetness  for  safety,  again  the  true  sportsman  would  meet  it  with  its  own 
weapons,  and  stake  bit  and  spur  on  the  issue  of  the  chase. 

Andersson  relates  the  particulars  of  a  chase  after  young  ostriches  by 
himself  and  a  friend,  and  which  is  none  the  less  interesting  that  it  bears 
witness  to  the  tender  solicitude  of  the  ostrich  for  its  progeny.  "  While  on 


WILD  SPORTS  OF  THE  TROPICS.  305 

the  road  between  the  Bay  and  Scheppmansdorf  we  discovered  a  male  and 
female  ostrich,  with  a  brood  of  young  ones  about  the  size  of  ordinary 
barn-door  fowls.  This  was  a  sight  we  had  long  been  looking  for,  as 
Galton  had  been  requested  by  Professor  Owen  to  procure  a  few  craniums 
of  the  young  of  this  bird.  Accordingly  we  dismounted  from  our  oxen 
and  gave  chase,  which  proved  of  no  ordinary  interest. 

Cunning  Dodge  to  Save  the  Little  Ones. 

The  moment  the  parent-birds  became  aware  of  our  intention  they  set 
off  at  full  speed,  the  female  leading  the  way,  the  young  following  in  her 
wake,  and  the  male,  though  at  some  little  distance,  bringing  up  the  rear 
of  the  family  party.  It  was  very  touching  to  observe  the  anxiety  the  old 
birds  evinced  for  the  safety  of  their  young.  Finding  that  we  were 
quickly  gaining  upon  them,  the  male  at  once  slackened  his  pace  and  di- 
verged somewhat  from  his  course ;  but  seeing  that  we  were  not  to  be  di- 
verted from  our  purpose,  he  again  increased  his  speed,  and  with  wings 
drooping  so  as  almost  to  touch  the  ground  he  hovered  round  us,  now  in 
wide  circles  and  then  decreasing  the  circumference  till  he  came  almost 
within  pistol  shot,  when  he  threw  himself  abruptly  on  the  ground  and 
struggled  desperately  to  regain  his  legs,  as  it  appeared,  like  a  bird  that 
is  badly  wounded. 

Having  previously  fired  at  him  several  times,  I  really  thought  he 
was  disabled,  and  made  quickly  toward  him ;  but  this  was  only  a  dodge  on 
his  part ;  for  on  my  nearer  approach  he  slowly  arose,  and  began  to  run  in 
an  opposite  direction  to  that  of  the  female,  which  by  this  time  was  consid- 
erably ahead  with  her  charge.  After  about  an  hour's  severe  chase,  how- 
ever, we  secured  nine  of  the  brood,  and  though  it  consisted  of  about 
double  that  number,  we  found  it  necessary  to  be  contented  with  what  we 
had  bagged. 


20 


CHAPTER  XL 
SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE. 

Man  in  the  Jaws  of  the  Lion — Meeting  the  Great  Beast— Death  from  the  Stroke  of 
a  Paw — Jacob  Bok's  Adventure — Lion's  Gratitude — Magnanimity  of  the  King 
of  Beasts— Shaking  Mane  and  Lashing  Tail— Tremendous  Strength— Narrative 
of  Brehm — Spectral  Lemur — A  Creature  with  Singular  Eyes  and  Claws — Fine 
Tree-Climbers — The  Babiroussa — Quadruple  Tusks — A  Restless  and  Ferocious 
Beast— White-Lipped  Peccary— Plucky  Fighters— Wart-Hog— A  Dangerous 
Brute — Invader  of  Cultivated  Fields— Expert  Swimmer — Adventure  of  Captain 
Harris — The  Lithe  Panther — Supple  Muscles  of  Great  Strength — Sudden  Spring — 
Thirst  for  Blood— Doctor  Brehm's  Remarkable  Experience— An  Old  Dog-faced 
Baboon— Dreadful  Encounter — Courage  of  a  Malay  Captain — The  Tapir — An 
Omniverous  Quadruped— Cousin  of  the  Hippopotamus— A  Fortunate  Nose — 
Whistling  Tapirs— Tapir  Domesticated— The  Wallachian  Sheep — Extraordinary 
Horns — Splendid  Growth  of  Wool  —  Mountain  Sheep  of  Bokhara — Horns 
of  Surprising  Size — A  Dwelling  on  High  Rocks— Flying  Fox — Marvelous 
Membrane — Unique  Product  of  the  Animal  Kingdom — Hanging  from  Forest 
Branches— Arctic  Seals— Elegant  Fur— Hunting  the  Seal— Sea-Elephant— The 
Walrus— Use  of  Tusks— Perils  of  Walrus  Hunting. 

T  the  present  day  lions  are  only  found  in  Africa  and  Asia.  Nor 
are  they  any  longer  to  be  seen  in  the  Holy  Land,  though  they 
are  often  alluded  to  in  the  Bible.  It  is  a  tawny  animal,  and  is 
very  strong.  The  African  lion  is  different  from  the  Asiatic, 
and  the  African  lions  themselves  seem  to  consist  of  four  or  five  kinds. 
It  was  formerly  believed  that  they  had  prickles  in  their  tails,  which  ren- 
dered them  wilder  and  more  furious  when  they  lashed  their  sides.  They 
are  not  often  found  in  forests ;  they  seem  to  like  best  the  shelter  of  the 
low  common  that  creeps  along  the  sides  of  streams.  The  powerful  brute 
sometimes  carries  off  men. 

A  Cape  lion  has  been  known  to  seize  a  heifer  in  his  mouth,  and  though 
the  legs  dragged  upon  the  ground,  he  carried  her  off  easily.  Another 
conveyed  a  horse  about  a  mile  from  the  spot  where  he  had  killed  it.  An- 
other, that  had  carried  off  a  two-year  old  heifer,  was  followed  on  the 
spoor,  or  track,  for  five  hours  by  horsemen,  when  it  was  found  that 
throughout  the  long  distance  the  heifer  had  touched  the  ground  only 
once  or  twice.  To  avoid  these  blood-thirsty  beasts,  whole  villages  are 
sometimes  built  in  the  upper  branches  of  trees.  The  African  lion  gener- 
ally lives  upon  cows,  calves,  antelopes,  and  animals  of  this  description. 
(306) 


SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE.  307 

Burchell,  the  traveller,  gives  an  interesting  account  of  his  meeting  one 
of  these  great  beasts :  The  day  was  exceedingly  pleasant,  and  there  was 
not  a  cloud  to  be  seen.  For  a  mile  or  two  we  travelled  along  by  the 
banks  of  the  river,  which  in  this  part  abounded  in  tall  matrushes.  The 
dogs  seemed  much  to  enjoy  prowling  about,  and  examining  every  bushy 
place,  and  at  last  met  with  some  object  among  the  bushes  which  caused 
them  to  set  up  a  most  vehement  and  determined  barking.  We  explored 
the  spot  with  caution,  as  we  well  knew,  from  the  peculiar  tone  of  their 
bark,  that  it  was  what  we  expected  it  to  be — lions. 

Having  desired  the  dogs  to  drive  them  out,  a  task  which  they  per- 
formed with  great  willingness,  we  had  a  full  view  of  an  enormous  black- 
maned  lion  and  lioness.  The  latter  was  seen  only  for  a  minute,  as  she 
made  her  escape  up  the  river  under  the  concealment  of  the  rushes  ;  but 
the  lion  came  steadily  forward,  and  stood  still  to  look  at  us.  At  this 
minute  we  felt  our  situation  not  free  from  danger,  as  the  animal  seemed 
preparing  to  spring  upon  us,  and  we  were  standing  on  the  bank,  at  the 
distance  of  only  a  few  yards,  most  of  us  being  on  foot  and  unarmed,  with- 
out any  visible  opportunity  of  escaping.  I  had  given  up  my  horse  to  the 
hunters,  and  was  on  foot  myself;  but  there  was  no  time  for  fear,  and  it 
was  useless  to  attempt  avoiding  him.  I  stood  well  upon  my  guard,  hold- 
ing my  pistols  in  my  hands  with  my  finger  upon  the  trigger ;  and  those 
who  had  muskets  kept  themselves  prepared  in  the  same  manner.  But  at 
this  instant  the  dogs  flew  boldly  in  between  us  and  the  lion,  and  sur- 
rounding him,  kept  him  at  bay  by  their  violent  and  resolute  barking. 
Facing  the  Monarch  of  the  Forest. 

The  courage  of  those  faithful  dogs  was  most  admirable ;  they  ad- 
vanced up  to  the  side  of  the  huge  beast,  and  stood  making  the  greatest 
clamor  in  his  face,  without  the  least  appearance  of  fear.  The  lion,  con- 
scious of  his  strength,  remained  unmoved  at  their  noisy  attempts,  and  kept 
his  head  turned  towards  us.  At  one  moment  the  dogs,  perceiving  his 
eye  thus  engaged,  had  advanced  close  to  his  feet,  and  seemed  as  if  they 
would  actually  seize  hold  of  him;  but  they  paid  dearly  for  their  impru- 
dence, for,  without  discomposing  the  majestic  and  steady  attitude  in 
which  he  stood  fixed,  he  merely  moved  his  paw,  and  at  the  next  instant 
I  beheld  two  lying  dead.  In  doing  this,  he  made  so  little  exertion,  that 
it  was  scarcely  perceptible  by  what  means  they  had  been  killed.  Of  the 
time  which  we  gained  by  the  interference  of  the  dogs  not  a  minute  was 
lost.  We  fired  upon  him  ;  one  of  the  balls  went  through  his  side,  just 
between  the  short  ribs,  and  the  blood  began  to  flow,  but  the  animal  still 
remained  standing  in  the  same  position.  We  had  now  no  doubt  that  he 


SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE.  309 

would  spring  upon  us  ;  every  gun  was  instantly  re-loaded ;  but,  happily, 
we  were  mistaken,  and  were  not  sorry  to  see  him  move  quietly  away, 
though  I  had  hoped  in  a  few  minutes  to  have  been  enabled  to  take  hold 
of  his  paw  without  danger. 

Even  where  the  hunter  has  been  seized  with  a  panic  and  pursued,  a 
timely  recovery  of  self-possession  has  saved  him.  Sparrman  relates  that 
Jacob  Bok,  of  Yee-koe-river,  one  day  walking  over  his  land  with  his 
loaded  gun,  unexpectedly  met  a  lion.  Being  an  excellent  shot,  he  thought 
himself  pretty  certain,  from,  the  position  he  was  in,  of  killing  it,  and  there- 
fore fired  his  piece.  Unfortunately  he  did  not  recollect  that  the  charge 
had  been  in  it  for  some  time,  and  therefore  was  damp,  so  that  his  piece 
hung  fire,  and  the  ball  falling  short,  entered  the  ground  close  to  the  lion. 

In  consequence  of  this  he  was  seized  with  a  panic,  and  took  directly  to 
his  heels;  but  being  soon  out  of  breath,  and  closely  pursued  by  the  lion, 
he  jumped  up  on  a  little  heap  of  stones  and  there  made  a  stand,  present- 
ing the  butt-end  of  his  gun  to  his  adversary,  fully  resolved  to  defend  his 
life  as  well  as  he  could  to  the  utmost.  This  deportment  had  such  an 
effect  upon  his  pursuer,  that  he  also  made  a  stand,  and  lay  down  at  the 
distance  of  a  few  paces  from  the  heap  of  stones,  seemingly  quite  uncon- 
cerned. Jacob,  in  the  meantime,  did  not  stir  from  the  spot;  besides,  he 
had  in  his  flight  unfortunately  dropped  his  powder-horn.  At  length,  after 
waiting  a  good  half-hour,  the  lion  rose  up,  and  at  first  went  very  slowly, 
and  step  by  step  only,  as  if  he  had  a  mind  to  steal  off;  but  as  soon  as  he 
got  to  a  greater  distance,  he  began  to  bound  away  at  a  rapid  rate. 
Story  of  a  Rescued  Slave. 

In  old  books  of  Natural  History,  there  is  a  story  about  a  slave,  called 
by  some  Androcles,  and  others,  as  for  instance  Gellius,  Androdus,  who 
cured  the  foot  of  a  lion,  which  had  been  dangerously  wounded  by  a 
splinter.  Some  years  afterwards,  the  lion  was  caught,  and  taken  to  the 
great  circus  at  Rome,  to  form  part  of  a  show  of  wild  beasts.  One  day 
the  slave,  perhaps  for  some  great  crime,  was  driven  into  the  circus,  to  be 
devoured  by  the  lions.  His  old  friend  immediately  recognised  him,  and 
defended  him  with  rare  zeal  and  tenderness.  The  slave  was  liberated, 
and  owed  his  life  to  the  good  memory  of  the  wild  beast. 

Unless  provoked,  or  very  hungry,  the  lion  does  not  attack  any  animal 
openly ;  but  when  roused  by  famine,  he  is  said  to  fear  no  danger,  and  to 
be  repelled  by  no  resistance.  Generally  the  lion  takes  his  prey  by 
springing  or  throwing  himself  upon  it  with  one  vast  bound  from  the  place 
of  his  concealment.  Should  he  miss  his  leap,  he  will  not  follow  his  prey; 
but  as  though  he  were  ashamed,  turning  around  towards  the  place  where 


310 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


he  lay  in  ambush,  he  slowly,  and  step  by  step,  measures  the  exact  length 
Ijetween  the  two  points,  as  if  to  find  how  much  too  short  he  had  taken 
his  leap. 

The  lion  is  said  to  be  a  great  coward  or  at  least  deficient  in  courage 
proportionate  to  his  great  strength. 

There  have  been  instances  where  the  lion  deviated  from  his  mode  of 
attack  of  springing  upon  his  prey.  He  has  often  been  seen  to  despise 
-contemptible  enemies  and  pardon  their  insults,  when  it  was  in  his  power 


AN    ODDITY    OF   THE    ANIMAL    KINGDOM SPECTRAL    LEMUR. 

to  have  punished  them.  He  has  been  known  to  spare  the  lives  of  such 
creatures  as  were  thrown  into  his  cage  to  be  devoured  by  him,  to  live 
peaceably  with  him,  to  afford  them  part  of  his  sustenance,  and  sometimes 
even  to  want  food  himself  rather  than  deprive  them  of  the  life  which  his 
generosity  had  spared. 

The  lion  is  commonly  said  to  devour  as  much  at  once  as  will  serve  him 
for  two  or  three  days,  and  in  captivity  he  is  usually  allowed  four  pounds 
of  raw  flesh  for  his  daily  subsistence.  His  jaws  are  so  powerful  that  he 


SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE.  311 

can  break  the  bones  of  animals  with  ease,  and  he  often  swallows  them 
along  with  the  flesh.  His  tongue  is  furnished  with  reversed  prickles  so 
large  and  strong  as  to  be  capable  of  lacerating  the  skin. 

When  he  is  enraged  or  in  want  of  food,  he  erects  and  shakes  his  mane, 
and  beats  his  tail  against  his  back  and  sides.  While  he  is  in  this  state,  it 
is  certain  death  to  any  person  who  happens  to  approach  him.  The 
lioness  is  smaller  than  her  mate  and  destitute  of  a  mane.  The  lion  is  a 
nocturnal  animal ;  only  when  forced  he  leaves  his  lair  during  the  day. 
Only  after  midnight  he  approaches  the  habitations  of  man.  Espying  a 
herd  of  cattle  he  will  commence  roaring  for  the  purpose  of  putting  the 
cattle  to  flight  and  then  to  capture  a  victim.  Dr.  Brehm  asserts  that  once 
he  was  present  when  a  lion,  having  killed  a  heifer  two  years  old,  jumped 
with  the  victim  in  his  mouth  over  a  thorn  hedge  nearly  nine  feet  high 
and  then  dragged  it  to  his  lair. 

The  roaring  of  the  lion  in  quest  of  prey  resembles  the  sound  of  distant 
thunder,  and  being  re-echoed  by  the  rocks  and  mountains  appals  the 
whole  race  of  animals,  and  puts  them  to  a  sudden  flight. 

The  Asiatic  variety  of  the  lion  is  inferior  to  the  African  in  size,  strength 
and  fierceness,  with  less  ample  mane,  and  with  less  width  of  head  and 

nobleness  of  bearing. 

The  Spectral  Lemur. 

Lemur  is  the  name  applied  to  about  thirty  species  of  monkeys. 
They  are  divided  into  five  principal  genera,  inhabiting  chiefly  Mada- 
gascar, a  few  living  in  Africa  and  the  warm  regions  of  Asia  and  its  archi- 
pelago. 

The  animals  have  two  sharp  claws  on  each  hind  foot,  all  their  other 
nails  are  flat.  In  their  habits  and  economy,  as  well  as  in  their  hand-like 
paws,  the  lemurs  are  like  the  other  monkeys.  They  principally  differ 
from  those  animals  in  the  shape  of  the  head,  which  is  somewhat  like  that 
of  a  dog,  and  in  the  great  length  of  their  hind  legs.  The  latter  are  so 
long,  that  when  the  lemurs  walk  on  all-fours,  their  haunches  are  consider- 
ably more  elevated  than  the  shoulders. 

But  this  structure  is  of  great  advantage  to  them  in  climbing  trees. 
Many  of  the  species  are  so  active  that  they  leap  from  branch  to  branch 
with  a  rapidity  which  the  eye  is  scarcely  able  to  follow.  The  lemurs 
derive  their  name  from  their  nocturnal  habits  and  their  noiseless  move- 
ments. They  live  in  the  depths  of  the  forests,  and  only  move  by  night, 
the  entire  day  being  spent  in  sleep.  Their  food  consists  of  fruits  and  in- 
sects which  latter  they  take  while  they  are  sleeping. 

The  spectral  lemur  is  of  a  grayish-brown  color,  and  lives  in  the  forests 


312 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


of  the  Indian  archipelago,  its  long  tarsi,  or  hind-legs,  enabling  it  to  leap 
like  a  frog,  and  its 'curious  eyes  giving  it  a  singular  appearance. 

The  Dutch  name  of  babiroussa  means  stag-hog.  There  is  reason  to 
think  that  the  ancients  were  not  altogether  unacquainted  with  this  animal. 
Pliny  notices  a  wild  boar  with  horns  on  the  forehead,  found  in  India ; 
and  Cosmos,  a  writer  in  the  sixth  century,  uses  the  term  hog-deer,  as  the 
designation  of  an  Indian  animal.  However  this  may  be,  it  is  only  re- 
cently that  naturalists  have  become  well  acquainted  with  it  and  its  habits, 
though  skulls  of  these  animals  have  been  brought  in  abundance  by  ves- 
sels trading  among  the  Moluccas. 


PECCARY    OR    STAG-HOG. 

The  babiroussa  differs  somewhat  in  dentition  from  the  hog,  the  incisors 
being  four  above  instead  of  six,  and  the  molars  five  on  each  side,  in  either 
jaw.  The  upper  canines,  or  tusks,  of  the  male  emerge  directly  upwards 
from  their  apparently  distorted  sockets,  and  sweep  with  a  bold  arch  back- 
wards, attaining  to  a  very  great  length.  The  skin  is  thick,  coarse,  of  a 
blackish  tint,  and  sparingly  beset  with  very  short,  bristly  hairs.  The 
tusks  of  the  lower  jaw  are  long,  strong,  and  sharp,  emerging  like  those  of 
the  boar.  The  tusks  of  the  upper  jaw  do  not  pass  out  between  the  lips, 
but  cut  their  way  through  the  skin,  nearly  half  way  between  the  end  of 
the  snout  and  the  eyes.  The  tusks  of  the  lower  jaws  are  formidable 


SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE.  313 

weapons.  The  male,  when  adult,  equals  the  largest  hog ;  the  female  is  of 
much  inferior  size,  and  destitute  of  the  curled  upper  tusks,  or  has  them 
only  rudimentary. 

This  animal  is  found  in  the  marshy  forests  in  the  interior  of  Bourou,  and 
other  of  the  Molucca  islands,  as  Amboyna,  and  also  Java,  where  it  associ- 
ates in  troops.  Its  habits  resemble  those  of  the  wild  hog,  and  it  is  restless 
and  ferocious.  According  to  Lesson,  it  feeds  chiefly  on  maize,  preferring 
that  grain  to  other  articles  of  diet.  *  It  is  partial  to  the  water,  and  swims 
with  the  greatest  ease,  often  crossing  the  straits  between  adjacent  islands 
without  any  difficulty.  In  a  state  of  captivity,  as  in  the  London  Zoological 
Gardens,  and  the  Paris  Menagerie,  this  animal  seems  to  be  contented. 
The  White-Lipped  Peccary. 

The  animals  of  this  species  congregate  in  numerous  bands,  sometimes, 
it  is  said,  to  more  than  a  thousand  individuals  of  all  ages.  Thus  united, 
they  frequently  traverse  extensive  districts,  the  whole  troop  occupying  an 
extent  of  a  league  in  length,  and  directed  in  their  march,  if  the  accounts 
of  the  natives  are  to  be  credited,  by  a  leader,  who  takes  his  station  at  the 
head  of  the  foremost  rank.  Should  they  be  impeded  in  their  progress 
by  a  river,  the  chief  stops  for  a  moment,  and  then  boldly  plunges  into  the 
stream,  and  is  followed  by  all  the  rest  of  the  troop.  The  breadth  of  the 
river  and  the  rapidity  of  the  current  appear  to  be  but  trifling  obstacles  in 
their  way,  and  to  be  overcome  with  the  greatest  facility.  On  reaching 
the  opposite  bank,  they  proceed  directly  on  their  course,  and  continue 
their  march  through  the  plantations  which,  unfortunately  for  the  owners, 
may  happen  to  lie  in  their  way,  and  which  they  sometimes  completely 
devastate  by  rooting  in  the  ground  for  maize,  or  potatoes,  or  devouring 
such  fruit  as  they  find  there.  If  they  meet  with  anything  unusual  in 
their  way,  they  make  a  terrific  clattering  with  their  teeth,  and  stop  and 
examine  the  object  of  their  alarm.  When  they  have  ascertained  that 
there  is  no  danger,  they  continue  their  route  without  further  delay ;  but 
if  a  huntsman  should  venture  to  attack  them  when  they  are  thus  assem- 
bled in  large  numbers,  he  is  sure  to  be  surrounded  by  multitudes  and  torn 
to  pieces  by  their  tusks,  if  he  is  so  unwise  as  to  neglect  his  only  chance 
of  escape,  which  consists  in  climbing  a  tree,  and  thus  getting  fairly  out 
of  their  reach.  The  smaller  bands  are  by  no  means  equally  courageous, 
and  always  take  to  flight  at  the  first  attack. 

An  Animal  Hard  to  Conquer. 

In  Guiana,  Sonnini  was  surrounded  by  a  herd  of  peccaries,  exasperated 
at  the  havoc  made  among  them  by  the  fusils  of  himself  and  his  compan- 
ions. Betaking  himself  to  a  tree,  he  heheld  at  his  ease  how  theyencour- 


314 


EARTH.  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


aged,  by  their  grunts  and  by  rubbing  their  snouts  together,  those  that 
were  wounded  from  the  shots  above,  still  maintaining  their  ground  with 
bristles  erect  and  eyes  fiery  with  rage.  They  sometimes  stood  an  inces- 
sant fusilade  of  two  or  three  hours  before  they  quitted  the  battle-field  and 
left  their  dead  to  the  conquerors.  After  such  encounters  comes  the  festival 
of  the  travellers.  A  great  gridiron — so  to  speak — of  sticks,  fastened  in  the 
ground,  and  some  three  feet  in  height,  with  numerous  small  branches  laid 
on  it  in  a  tranverse  direction,  is  got  ready.  On  this  sylvan  cooking-appa- 


.ELIAN'S    WART-HOG. 

ratus  the  pieces  of  peccary  pork  are  broiled  over  a  slow  fire  kept  up  during 
the  night.     Sonnini  dwells  enthusiastically  on  these  forest  feasts. 

The  wart-hog  is  found  in  Africa  from  Abyssinia  to  the  Guinea  and 
Mozambique  coasts.  It  is  remarkable  for  possessing  four  tusks,  two  of 
which  proceed  from  the  upper  jaw  and  do  not  pass  out  between  the  lips, 
but  through  an  aperture  in  the  skin,  half  way  between  the  end  of  the 
snout  and  eyes.  The  sockets  of  the  two  upper  tusks  are  curved  upwards 
and  give  a  singular  appearance  to  the  skull  of  the  animal.  It  is  very 
ferocious  and  cannot  be  hunted  without  danger. 


SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE.  31& 

When  taken  young  it  can  be  tamed  without  much  difficulty,  and  con- 
ducts itself  much  after  the  manner  of  the  pig.  Only  the  male  has  the  dou- 
ble pair  of  tusks,  the  female  only  possessing  those  belonging  to  the  under 
jaw  in  a  rudimentary  degree.  It  lives  in  troops  and  thus  does  much  dam- 
age to  the  cultivated  grounds,  especially  of  maize,  of  which  it  is  very 
fond.  It  is  a  good  swimmer  and  often  takes  to  the  water  in  order  to 
cross  a  stream.  It  feeds  on  roots  and  bulbs,  which  it  digs  out  of  the 
ground,  but  also  on  worms,  larvae,  and  even  carrion. 

Leader  of  the  Herd  Finally  Brought  Down. 

This  species,  sometimes  called  ^Elian's  wart-hog,  was  found  first  in 
Kordofan,  but  afterwards,  in  greater  abundance,  on  the  eastern  slope  of 
Abyssinia.  It  haunts  low  bushes  and  forests,  and  has  a  habit  of  creep- 
ing on  its  bent  fore  limbs  in  quest  of  food.  In  this  attitude  it  uses  its 
tusks  in  digging  up  or  tearing  out  of  the  ground  the  roots  or  plants, 
which  constitute  part  of  its  diet.  When  thus  engaged,  it  pushes  its  body 
forward  by  means  of  its  hind  legs,  in  order  to  move  along. 

The  capture  of  another  species  is  thus  described  by  Captain  Harris  : 
Returning  one  drizzly  morning  from  the  banks  of  the  Limpopo,  with  the 
spoils  of  three  noble  water-bucks  packed  upon  my  horse,  I  chanced  upon 
a  very  large  drove  of  the  unclean  beasts,  feeding  unconcernedly  on  the 
slope  of  a  hill ;  and  the  sleet  obscuring  my  rifle  sights,  I  shot  no  fewer 
than  three  bullets  at  the  diabolical -looking  boar  without  touching  a  bris- 
tle ;  the  whole  party,  with  a  general  grunt,  scampering  off  after  each  dis- 
charge to  a  little  distance,  then  wheeling  abouc  to  show  a  menacing 
front,  lifting  their  whip-lash  tails  at  the  same  time,  and  screwing  horrible 
faces  at  me.  But  the  fourth  missive  tripped  up  the  hoary  general ;  andt 
although  shooting  a  pig  may  sound  somewhat  oddly  in  the  sporting  ears 
of  my  brother  Nimrods,  I  can  assure  them  that  whilst  we  had  no  horses 
to  spare,  "the  head  of  that  ilk  swine  "  proved  a  prize  well  worth  the  lead 
and  gunpowder  that  had  been  expended  on  it.  Gigantic,  and  protruding 
like  those  of  an  elephant,  the  upper  tusks  were  sufficiently  hooked  to  ad- 
mit of  the  wearer  hanging  himself  up  by  them  to  roost,  as  did  his  ances- 
tors of  yore,  if  the  ancients  are  to  be  believed.  By  all  who  saw  these 
trophies  in  the  colony,  they  were  invariably  taken  for  the  ivories  of  a  hip- 
popotamus, the  best  that  I  afterwards  saw  measuring  less  than  one-half 
their  length. 

The  Muscular  Panther 

Is  a  large  African  spotted  cat,  considered  by  some  naturalists  as  a  variety 
of  the  leopard.  If  not  distinct  species  the  panther  and  leopard  are  very 
marked  varieties.  The  former  is  more  powerful,  darker  colored,  with  the 


(316) 


SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE.  317 

markings  arranged  with  considerable  regularity  and  the  tail  longer  in 
proportion.  This  is  probably  the  animal  so  abundantly  supplied  to  the 
public  spectacles  of  ancient  Rome,  hundreds  having  been  exhibited  to- 
gether. 

It  is  an  expert  climber,  very  active  and  readily  trained.  The  panther 
of  South  America  is  the  jaguar.  The  length  of  the  panther  is  usually 
more  than  six  feet,  exclusive  of  the  tail,  which  is  about  three  feet  long. 
The  color  of  the  upper  parts  of  the  body  is  bright  yellow  with  numerous 
black,  roundish,  or  somewhat  annular  marks,  several  of  which  have  in  the 
centre  of  each  a  black  spot.  The  under  parts  of  the  body  are  white. 

The  panther  lurks  in  ambush  amongst  the  bushes  and  springs  with  a 
sudden  leap  on  passing  animals.  So  prompt  and  rapid  are  its  movements, 
that  few  escape.  In  vain  may  the  victim  seek  for  refuge  even  in  the 
trees  ;  the  panther  notwithstanding  the  size  and  weight  of  its  body  still 
pursues  with  almost  incredible  agility  its  victim  and  dispatches  the  same. 
It  has  none  of  the  noble  qualities  of  the  lion. 

A  Bloodthirsty  Creature. 

The  thirst  for  blood  is  insatiable,  and  its  ferocity  is  such,  that  even  when 
subjugated  and  in  the  power  of  man,  it  seems  rather  to  be  subdued  than 
tamed.  In  the  panther  all  the  peculiarities  of  the  cat  family  are  combined ; 
it  is  a  beautiful  animal,  nimble,  powerful,  active,  cunning,  courageous,  but 
also  deceitful,  shrewd,  insidious,  wild,  revengeful  and  bloodthirsty. 

Dr.  Brehm  relates  a  remarkable  experience  with  a  panther.  He  and 
his  followers  travelled  one  day  through  the  Bogos  mountains  in  Africa, 
when  suddenly  they  heard  the  challenging  barking  of  the  dog-faced 
baboons;  they  resolved  to  try  their  rifles  on  them.  Some  of  the  shots, 
missed,  others  hit  their  marks,  and  the  victims  either  were  killed  outright 
or  tried  to  escape.  One  old  dog-faced  baboon  which  had  received  a  wound 
in  the  neck,  came  tottering  down  the  rocks  and  turned  towards  the  val- 
ley. They  did  not  pay  any  further  attention  to  this  animal,  expecting  to 
find  it  dead  in  a  short  time,  and  fired  several  more  shots  at  some  of  the 
other  baboons. 

Suddenly  they  noticed  great  excitement  among  the  monkeys,  and  at 
the  same  time  they  heard  a  wild  noise  in  the  valley,  while  all  the  old  male/ 
baboons  came  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  and  looking  down  showed 
great  anger  and  excitement.  All  at  once  a  loud  and  furious  barking  of 
the  dogs,  which  had  remained  in  the  valley  with  the  pack  mules  was 
heard,  and  some  of  the  men  cried  for  help.  Looking  down,  Dr.  Brehm  saw 
a  panther  running  towards  his  men,  but  apparently  employed  with  some- 
thing else,  which  he  could  not  discern  on  account  of  the  body  of  the 


318  EARTH,  SEA    AND  SKY 

animal   hiding   it.     Then  two   shots  were   heard,  and   the   panther  dis- 
appeared. 

Brehm  hurried  to  the  spot,  and  soon  found  in  a  dense  bush  the  panther 
dead,  and  about  ten  feet  from  it  the  body  of  the  old  dog-faced  baboon.  It 
was  apparent  that  the  wounded  baboon  was,  in  spite  of  the  shooting,  while 
passing  the  place  of  concealment  of  the  panther,  attacked  by  this  animal. 
It  had  jumped  on  the  back  of  the  baboon,  and  had  been  carried  by  it 
down  to  the  spot  where  their  lifeless  bodies  were  found. 

Remarkable  Encounter  with  a  Panther. 

The  following  interesting  particulars  of  an  encounter  with  one  of  these 
animals  are  from  the  pen  of  a  gentleman  who  witnessed  it : 

I  was  at  Jaffna,  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  Island  of  Ceylon,  when, 
one  morning,  my  servant  called  me  an  hour  or.two  before  my  usual  time, 
with  "  Master,  master !  people  sent  for  master's  dogs — tiger  in  the  town!" 
Now,  my  dogs  chanced  to  be  some  very  degenerate  specimens  of  a  fine 
species,  called  the  Poligardog,  which  I  should  designate  as  a  sort  of  wiry- 
haired  greyhound,  without  scent  I  kept  them  to  hunt  jackals ;  but  tigers 
are  very  different  things.  By  the  way,  there  are  no  real  tigers  in  Ceylon ; 
but  leopards  and  panthers  are  always  called  so,  by  ourselves  as  well  as  by 
the  natives.  This  turned  out  to  be  a  panther.  My  gun  chanced  not  to  be 
put  together ;  and,  while  my  servant  was  doing  it,  the  collector  and  two 
medical  men,  who  had  recently  arrived,  in  consequence  of  the  cholera- 
morbus  having  just  then  reached  Ceylon  from  the  Continent,  came  to  my 
door,  the  former  armed  with  a  fowling-piece,  and  the  two  latter  with 
remarkably  blunt  hog-spears.  They  insisted  upon  setting  off,  without 
waiting  for  my  gun — a  proceeding  not  much  to  my  taste. 

The  tiger  (I  must  continue  to  call  him  so)  had  taken  refuge  in  a  hut, 
the  roof  of  which,  like  those  of  Ceylon  huts  in  general,  spread  to  the 
ground  like  an  umbrella  ;  the  only  aperture  into  it  was  a  small  door,  about 
four  feet  high.  The  collector  wanted  to  get  the  tiger  out  at  once.  I 
begged  to  wait  for  my  gun ;  but  no — the  fowling-piece  (loaded  with  ball, 
of  course,)  and  the  two  hog-spears  were  quite  enough.  I  got  a  hedge- 
stake,  and  awaited  my  fate,  from  very  shame.  At  this  moment,  to  my 
great  delight,  there  arrived  from  the  fort  an  English  officer,  two  artillery- 
men, and  a  Malay  captain ;  and  a  pretty  figure  we  should  have  cut 
without  them,  as  the  event  will  show.  I  was  now  quite  ready  to  attack, 
and  my  gun  came  a  few  minutes  afterwards.  The  whole  scene  which 
follows  took  place  within  an  enclosure,  about  twenty  feet  square,  formed, 
on  three  sides,  by  a  strong  fence  of  palmyra  leaves,  and  on  the  fourth  by 
the  hut. 


SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE.  319 

At  the  door  of  this  the  two  artillerymen  planted  themselves,  and  the 
Malay  captain  got  at  the  top,  to  frighten  the  tiger  out,  by  worrying  it — 
an  easy  operation,  as  the  huts  there  are  covered  with  cocoa-nut  leaves. 
One  of  the  artillerymen  wanted  to  go  in  to  the  tiger,  but  we  would  not 
suffer  it.  At  last,  the  beast  sprang.  This  man  received  him  on  his 
bayonet,  which  he  thrust  apparently  down  his  throat,  firing  his  piece  at 
the  same  moment.  The  bayonet  broke  off  short,  leaving  less  than  three 
inches  on  the  musket ;  the  rest  remained  in  the  animal,  but  was  invisible 
to  us.  The  shot  went,  probably,  through  his  cheek,  for  it  certainly  did 
not  seriously  injure  him,  as  he  instantly  rose  upon  his  legs,  with  a  loud 
roar,  and  placed  his  paws  upon  the  soldier's  breast.  At  this  moment  the 
animal  appeared  to  me  about  to  reach  the  centre  of  the  man's  face. 
Thrown  over  the  Wild  Beast's  Head. 

I  had  just  time  to  observe  this  when  the  tiger,  stooping  his  head, 
seized  the  soldier's  arm  in  his  mouth,  turned  him  half  round,  staggering, 
threw  him  over  on  his  back,  and  fell  upon  him.  Our  dread  now  was  that, 
if  we  fired  upon  the  tiger,  we  might  kill  the  man.  For  a  moment  there 
was  a  pause,  when  his  comrade  attacked  the  beast  exactly  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  gallant  fellow  himself  had  done.  He  struck  his  bayonet 
into  his  head;  the  tiger  rose  at  him — he  fired;  at  this  time  the  ball 
took  effect,  and  in  the  head.  The  animal  staggered  backwards,  and  we 
all  poured  in  our  fire.  He  still  kicked  and  writhed,  when  the  gentleman 
with  the  hog-spears  advanced,  and  fixed  him,  while  he  was  finished  by 
some  natives  beating  him  on  the  head  with  hedge-stakes. 

The  brave  artilleryman  was,  after  all,  but  slightly  hurt.  He  claimed 
the  skin  which  was  very  cheerfully  given  to  him.  There  was,  however, 
a  cry  among  the  natives,  that  the  head  should  be  cut  off.  It  was ;  and  in 
so  doing  the  knife  came  directly  across  the  bayonet.  The  animal  meas- 
ured little  less  than  four  feet,  from  the  root  of  the  tail  to  the  muzzle. 
There  was  no  tradition  of  a  tiger  having  been  in  Jaffna  before.  In- 
deed this  one  must  have  either  come  a  distance  of  almost  twenty  miles, 
or  have  swum  across  an  arm  of  the  sea  nearly  two  in  breadth;  for 
Jaffna  stands  on  a  peninsula,  with  no  jungle  of  any  magnitude. 

The  Malay  Tapir. 

The  tapir  belongs  to  the  genus  of  ungulate  mammals  having  the  nose 
prolonged  into  a  short,  movable  proboscis.  The  tapirs  look  like  hogs 
but  the  legs  are  longer.  They  inhabit  the  moist  tropical  forests  of 
South  America  and  of  the  Malayan  peninsula  and  archipelago,  usually 
sleeping  by  day  in  retired  places  and  .feeding  at  night  on  fruits,  grapes 
and  other  vegetable  substances,  though  they  are  as  omniverous  as  the 


320 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


hog.     They  are  fond  of  rolling  in  the  mud  and  water  and  are  excellent 
swimmers. 

In  its  habits  the  tapir  has  a  considerable  resemblance  to  the  hippopota- 
mus ;  yet  in  many  particulars  it  reminds  us  also  of  the  elephant  and  of 
the  rhinoceros.  Its  skin  is  so  thick  and  hard  as  to  be  almost  impenetra- 
ble by  a  bullet.  Although  its  natural  disposition  is  indicative  of  mildness 
and  timidity,  yet  if  its  retreat  is  cut  off  it  has  courage  and  strength  to 
make  a  most  powerful  resistance,  both  against  man  and  dog.  In  feeding 


OMNIVEROUS    MALAY   TAPIR. 

it  uses  its  long  projecting  nose  in  the  same  manner  as  the  rhinoceros 
applies  its  upper  lip  to  grasp  the  food  and  convey  it  to  the  mouth. 

This  proboscis  is  an  instrument  of  great  flexibility  and  strength  and  in 
it,  as  in  the  trunk  of  the  elephant,  are  situated  the  organs  of  smell. 
Notwithstanding  its  clumsy  appearance  the  tapir  is  an  exceedingly  active 
animal  in  the  water,  where  it  swims  and  dives  with  great  facility.  Like  the 
hippopotamus  it  is  able  to  continue  immersed  for  a  considerable  while,  but 
it  is  forced  to  occasionally  rise  to  the  surface  in  order  to  breathe. 


SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE.  321 

Its  voice  is  a  kind  of  a  whistle,  which  the  hunters  easily  imitate  and 
by  this  means  lure  it  to  its  destruction.  When  at  rest  the  tapir  usually 
sits  on  its  haunches  like  a  dog.  Only  during  the  pairing  season  the  male 
lives  in  company  of  the  female.  To  the  latter  belongs  the  whole  duty  of 
rearing  their  offspring.  This  she  leads  to  the  water  and  she  seems  to 
delight  in  teaching  it  to  swim.  If  they  are  caught  young  the  tapirs  may 
without  difficulty  be  tamed  and  rendered  even  in  some  degree  domestic. 
The  Malay  tapir  is  somewhat  larger  and  is  known  by  the  grayish-white 
color  of  the  loins  and  hind  quarters,  which  gives  the  animal  an  appear- 
ance as  if  covered  with  a  white  cloth  ;  the  other  parts  are  deep  black. 
Enormous  Strength  and  Fierce  Disposition. 

Few  animals  of  equal  size  have  so  extensive  a  range  as  the  American 
tapir.  It  is  found  in  every  part  of  South  America  to  the  east  of  the  An- 
des, from  the  Straits  of  Magellan  to  the  Isthmus  of  Darien ;  but  it  appears 
to  be  most  common  within  the  tropics.  The  inmost  recesses  of  deep  for- 
ests are  the  chosen  haunts  of  this  species,  which  is  not  gregarious,  and 
flies  from  the  proximity  of  man.  Inoffensive  and  gentle,  the  tapir,  from 
his  prodigious  strength  and  the  toughness  of  his  hide,  is  no  easy  prey  to 
the  native  hunter,  notwithstanding  his  poisoned  arrows,  nor  even  to  the 
better  armed  sportsman  of  Europe.  When  attacked,  the  first  thing  it 
does  is  to  rush  to  the  river,  clearing  a  path  through  the  intertwined  un- 
derwood by  dint  of  muscular  exertion.  Here  it  often  happens  that 
neither  men  nor  dogs  can  follow.  If  tracked  to  the  water,  it  plunges  in, 
and  defends  itself  against  its  assailants,  seizing  the  dogs  with  its  teeth  as 
they  swim  towards  it,  and  inflicting  on  them  the  most  desperate  wounds. 

The  tapir  is  a  most  indiscriminate  swallower  of  everything,  filthy  or 
clean,  nutritious  or  otherwise,  as  the  accumulation  found  in  a  stomach 
dissected  by  Yarrell  showed.  Pieces  of  wood,  clay,  pebbles,  and  bones, 
are  not  unfrequently  taken  out  of  the  stomachs  of  those  which"  are  killed 
in  the  woods ;  and  one  kept  by  D'Azara  not  only  gnawed  a  silver  snuff- 
box to  pieces,  but  swallowed  its  contents.  The  short  proboscis  of  this 
creature,  though  incapable  of  being  employed  like  the  more  complicated 
organ  of  the  elephant,  is  yet  manifestly  of  great  use  in  enabling  it,  by 
serving  as  a  hook,  to  pull  down  boughs  or  fruits,  and  to  collect  together 
and  guide  to  its  mouth  roots,  succulent  plants,  or  other  substances  on 
which  it  feeds. 

In  some  parts  of  South   America  the  tapir  is  domesticated.     Sonnini 
saw  numerous  individuals  walking  at  liberty  about  the  streets  of  Cayenne, 
whence  they  were  accustomed  to  stroll   into  the  neighboring  woods,  re- 
turning at  night  to  their  home ;  nor  were  they  by  any  means  destitute  of 
21 


(322) 


SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE.  323 

Intelligence,  but  seemed  fond  of  their  masters,  whom  they  acknowledged 
by  various  tokens  of  attachment. 

The  Wallacliian  Sheep. 

Few  animals  render  greater  and  more  essential  services  to  mankind 
than  the  sheep.  They  supply  us  both  with  food  and  clothing,  and  the 
wool  alone  of  the  common  sheep  affords  in  some  countrfes  an  astonishing 
source  of  industry  and  wealth.  They  came  into  northern  and  western 
Europe  long  after  the  goat.  The  domestic  sheep  presents  a  great  variety 
of  breeds ;  several  of  them  have  received  distinct  specific  names.  The 
most  important  breed  of  sheep  as  regards  the  texture  of  the  wool  is  the 
merino,  in  modern  times  brought  to  the  greatest  perfection  in  Spain. 

The  wool  ascending  over  the  forehead  and  cheeks  is  fine,  long,  soft, 
twisted  in  silky  spiral  ringlets,  and  naturally  so  oily  that  the  fleece  looks 
dingy  and  unclean  from  the  dust  and  dirt  adhering  to  the  outside,  but  is 
perfectly  white  underneath.  Another  species  is  the  black-headed  sheep  with 
straight  twisted  horns,  called  the  Wallachian  sheep,  It  is  very  stupid, 
like  its  relatives  in  different  parts  of  Europe,  but  at  the  same  time  vicious 
and  unruly  and  of  amazing  strength. 

Picturesque  Head  Ornaments. 

Its  horns  are  very  large,  spirally  contorted,  adding  greatly  to  its 
striking  and  picturesque  appearance.  Its  wool,  if  wool  it  can  be  called, 
differs  materially  in  texture  and  quality  from  that  of  the  common  or  the 
merino  sheep.  Instead  of  being  curly  and  in  silky  ringlets,  it  is  of  great 
length,  perfectly  straight,  and  beautifully  fine,  falling  from  the  middle  of 
the  back  on  either  side  of  the  animal  almost  to  the  ground.  On  the  face 
the  hair  is  short  and  rusty  black,  on  the  body  it  is  white.  The  horns  of 
the  male  mostly  rise  almost  perpendicularly  from  the  skull,  making  a 
series  of  spiral  turns  in  their  ascent,  the  first  turn  being  the  largest,  while 
in  the  female  they  diverge,  taking  a  lateral  direction. 

The  Katshkar  or  Mountain  Sheep  of  Bokhara. 

Lieutenant  Wood,  in  his  work,  "  Travels  to  the  Source  of  the  Oxus," 
says :  After  reaching  an  elevation  of  thirteen  thousand  five  hundred  feet, 
and  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  source  of  the  Oxus,  we  saw  many  horns 
of  sheep  carelessly  thrown  about,  apparently  the  result  of  the  chase  of  the 
kirghiz.  Some  of  these  horns  were  surprisingly  large,  and  belonged  to  an 
animal  which  seems  to  stand  between  the  goat  and  the  sheep,  and  which 
inhabits  the  steppes  of  Parnis  in  herds  of  many  hundreds.  The  ends  of 
these  large  horns  stood  out  above  the  snow,  and  showed  to  us  which  road 
to  follow.  Wherever  we  found  a  greater  number  of  them  piled  up  we 
were  sure  to  stand  upon  an  old  kirghiz  summer-camping-ground. 


324 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


In  describing  one  of  these  animals,  Lieutenant  Wood  says :  It  was  a 
proud  animal,  as  high  as  a  two-years  filly,  with  a  venerable  beard  and  two 
splendid  horns,  which,  together  with  the  head,  were  of  such  a  great  weight 
that  it  was  difficult  to  lift  it  from  the  ground.  The  eviscerated  bod£  was 
a  full  load  for  a  pony.  The  flesh  was  tough  and  bad,  but  is  said  to 
become  more  tender  and  better  tasting  in  the  fall.  The  full-grown  katsh- 


BOKHARA   MOUNTAIN    SHEEP. 

kar  is  about  six  feet  long,  three  to  four  feet  high,  and  weighs  about  four 
hundred  and  sixty,  pounds. 

In  all  probability  this  animal  is  not  only  found  in  Northern  Thibet,  but 
also  on  the  table  lands  of  Central  Asia,  always  in  rocky  districts,  where 
it  seeks  shelter  from  its  pursuers,  and  never  descends  beyond  the  snow- 
line.  Zewolski  found  during  the  winter  herds  of  five  to  fifteen,  even 
twenty-five  to  thirty.  Each  herd  had  two  or  three  bucks,  one  of  whom 


SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE.  325 

liad  the  lead  and  general  direction.  They  place  an  unconditional 
confidence  in  the  leader,  and  as  soon  as  he  starts  to  run  the  others 
follow  him  without  hesitation.  It  is  difficult  to  tell  which  is  the  more 
beautiful  animal  of  the  great  plains  of  Thibet,  the  wild  yak  or  the 

katshkar. 

The  Flying  Fox. 

This  animal  belongs  to  the  family  of  bats,  and  is  a  mammiferous  quad- 
ruped. The  skeleton  of  the  bats  combines  a  great  degree  of  lightness 
with  peculiarities  in  the  anterior  extremities  suitable  for  purposes  of  flight. 
The  faculty  of  flight  depends  on  an  entirely  different  organization  in  the 
bird  and  in  the  bat.  The  principal  part  of  the  bat's  flying  membrane  is 
stretched  between  the  enormously  elongated  ringers,  and  from  them 
reflected  to  the  posterior  extremities ;  while  in  the  birds  the  parts  which 
correspond  with  fingers  are  so  rudimentary,  that  the  hand  can  hardly  be 
said  to  exist. 

Bats  have  a  very  exalted  sense  of  touch,  which,  as  Cuvier  discovered, 
resides  in  the  flying  membrane.  This  membrane  arises  from  the  skin  of 
the  flanks  and  consists  of  an  abdominal  and  a  dorsal  leaflet  twisted  into  an 
exceedingly  thin  and  delicate  network.  It  includes  not  only  the  arms  and 
hands,  but  the  hinder  extremities,  being  prolonged  between  the  legs  and 
spread  the  length  of  the  tail,  forming  a  sensitive  surface,  entirely  dispro- 
portionate to  the  size  of  the  body. 

Great  Delicacy  of  Organization. 

To  increase  its  sensitiveness  it  is  nearly,  or  wholly,  destitute  of  hair. 
The  bat  is  made  acquainted  with  the  distance  of  bodies  by  the  different 
modifications  impressed  upon  its  membrane  by  the  impulse  of  the  air. 
The  fur  of  bats  is  exceedingly  fine  and  soft.  They  fly  to  a  considerable 
height  and  with  great  rapidity.  They  are  nocturnal;  in  the  warm  summer 
evenings  they  sally  forth  in  search  of  prey ;  they  pass  the  winter  and 
indeed  the  most  of  the  year  in  torpidity,  without  either  food  or  motion, 
suspended  in  some  dark  place.  During  the  time  they  remain  in  this  state, 
most  of  the  animal  functions  are  suspended  and  scarcely  perceptible. 
The  action  of  the  heart  and  arteries  becomes  so  exceedingly  languid,  that 
the  pulse  can  hardly  be  felt,  and  if  respiration  be  at  all  carried  on,  it  is  also 
so  very  slow,  as  scarcely  to  be  discernible.  The  animal  heat  sinks  greatly 
below  the  usual  standard  and  digestion  becomes  altogether  suspended. 
None  of  the  functions  seem  to  go  on,  excepting  a  very  slow  degree  of 
nutrition  and  an  interchange  of  old  for  new  matter  in  the  depository  cells 
of  the  body. 

The  female  makes  no  nest  for  her  offspring ;  she  is  content  with  the 


(326) 


WONDERFUL  FLYING  FOXES. 


SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE.  327 

first  hole  she  finds,  where  sticking  herself  by  her  hooks  against  the  sides 
of  her  apartment  she  permits  her  young  ones  to  cling  to  her.  When  she 
begins  to  grow  hungry  and  finds  it  necessary  to  go  abroad  in  search  of 
food,  she  takes  her  little  ones  off  and  sticks  them  to  the  wall  in  the  same 
manner  that  she  had  hung  before.  There  they  immovably  cling,  and  pa- 
tiently await  her  return. 

Marvelous  Membrane. 

The  flying  fox  is  found  from  East  India  to  Madagascar  and  inhabits 
forests  and  gardens  in  great  numbers.  It  is  gregarious  and  if  possible 
rests  during  the  day  suspended  heads-downward  on  the  branches  of 
shady  trees.  It  is  said  that  sometimes  they  attach  themselves  to  the 
branches  of  trees  in  such  a  profuse  number,  that  these  branches  are  broken 
off  by  their  weight. 

The  flying  membrane,  which  they  wrap  around  themselves,  protects 
their  eyes  from  the  rays  of  the  sun,  but  leaves  space  enough  for  breathing 
and  hearing.  Their  sleep  is  continued  as  long  as  the  sun  shines,  but  is 
now  and  then  temporarily  interrupted  by  the  animal,  to  clean  and  oil  the 
membrane,  which  is  done  by  touching  and  stretching  every  part  of  it  by 
aid  of  the  snout  and  tongue.  This  being  done,  the  fox  wraps  itself  up 
again  in  the  membrane.  They  cannot  be  kept  in  captivity  for  a  long 
period,  because  the  flying  exercise  is  essential  to  them.  Boils  break  out 
on  their  flying  membranes  and  death  soon  follows. 

Remarkable  Characteristics  of  Polar  Seals. 

The  seal  is  an  aquatic  carnivorous  mammal.  Seals  live  chiefly  in  the 
Arctic  and  Antarctic  Seas  near  the  coast  and  often  at  the  mouths  of 
rivers,  preying  on  fish,  crustaceans  and  cephalopod  mollusks.  They  are 
gregarious  and  migratory,  fond  of  particular  spots,  leaving  the  colder 
arctic  regions  in  winter  for  milder  seas.  The  herds  are  usually  of  the 
same  species  and  when  different,  each  species  keeps  by  itself,  rarely  fight- 
ing with  the  others.  They  are  fond  of  crawling  out  of  the  water  upon 
rocks,  beaches  and  ice  floes,  always  keeping  a  good  lookout  and  plunging 
into  the  water  at  the  approach  of  an  enemy.  In  the  breeding  season  they 
fight  fiercely.  Their  bite  is  severe  and  the  wounds  made  by  their  teeth 
will  not  heal  readily  either  on  their  own,  or  the  human  body ;  some  of 
the  larger  species  are  very  powerful. 

Their  voice  is  a  kind  of  a  bark,  not  unlike  that  of  a  dog.  They 
can  remain  under  water  twenty  minutes  and  even  longer  and  their 
animal  heat  is  among  the  highest  found  in  mammals.  Their  senses  of 
smell  and  sight  are  very  acute.  They  are  easily  tamed,  affectionate  and 
docile. 


(328) 


SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE.  329 

Few  animals  are  more  tenacious  of  life  than  seals ;  the  larger  species 
are  killed  with  a  lance  thrust  into  the  heart,  and  the  smaller  ones  are 
stunned  by  a  blow  on  the  nose  from  a  long-handled  hammer  or  bludgeon. 
The  Esquimaux  hunt  them  in  light  boats  with  lances,  or  spear  them  at 
holes  in  the  ice  where  they  come  up  to  breathe ;  to  them  the  seal  supplies 
food,  oil  for  light  and  warmth,  skins  for  clothes,  boots,  utensils,  tents  and 
boats,  sinews  for  thread,  and  lines  and  membranes  for  undergarments  and 
window  coverings.  The  oil  is  of  superior  quality,  and  if  prepared  from 
the  fresh  animals  is  transparent,  free  from  odor,  and  not  unpleasant  of 
taste ;  the  skin  by  a  peculiar  process  of  Esquimaux  tanning  makes  a  water- 
proof leather. 

As  articles  of  commerce  seal  skins  are  of  two  kinds,  hair  skins  and  fur 
skins ;  the  former  are  used  for  making  garments  ;  the  latter,  now  chiefly 
from  Alaska,  for  finer  purposes ;  all  seal  skins,  however,  have  a  mixture 
of  coarse  hairs  and  finer  fur.  The  females  produce  two  or  more  young 
ones  at  a  birth.  These,  in  northern  climates,  they  deposit  in  cavities  of 
the  ice,  and  the  male  makes  a  hole  through  the  ice  near  them  for  a  speedy 
communication  with  the  water.  The  manner  in  which  the  male  seal  make 
their  holes  is  astonishing ;  neither  their  teeth  nor  their  paws  have  any 
share  in  the  operation ;  it  is  performed  solely  by  their  breath.  When  the 
females  come  out  of  the  sea  they  bleat  like  sheep  for  their  young,  and 
though  they  often  pass  among  hundreds  of  other  young  ones  before  they 
come  to  their  own  they  will  never  make  a  mistake. 
Unique  Swimming  School. 

About  a  fortnight  after  their  birth  the  young  ones  are  taken  out  to  sea 
and  instructed  in  swimming  and  seeking  their  food,  and  when  they  are 
fatigued  the  parent  is  said  to  carry  them  on  her  back.     It  is  said  that 
their  growth  is  so  rapid  that  in  fifty-four  hours  after  their  birth  they  * 
become  as  active  as  their  parents. 

The  common  seal  attains  a  length  of  four  to  six  feet;  the  color  varies 
much,  but  is  generally  brownish  above  and  yellowish  white  below, 
variously  mottled,  and  sometimes  pied  and  marbled.  The  Greenland  or 
harp  seal  is  about  six  feet  long ;  the  males  are  grayish  white,  the  females 
are  brownish  with  blackish  spots,  and  the  young  snow-white.  They  are 
found  in  herds  on  the  coast  of  Greenland  on  floating  ice,  rarely  venturing 
on  shore  or  shore-ice.  These  are  the  most  important  of  all  to  the  Esqui- 
maux, who  harpoon  them  from  their  kaiaks.  The  oil  is  the  best  and  most 
abundant  in  this  species,  and  the  skins  form  an  important  article  in  the 
fur  trade. 

The  bottle-nosed  seal  or  sea-elephant  is  the  largest  of  the  seal  family, 


330 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


attaining  a  length  of  twenty-five  feet  and  more,  with  a  circumference  of 
sixteen  feet,  the  size  as  well  as  the  proboscis  justifying  this  name.  The 
males  are  generally  dark  grayish  blue  or  brown,  and  can  elongate  the 
proboscis  to  a  foot  in  length ;  the  females  are  dark  olive  brown  above  and 
yellowish  below,  and  do  no  not  have  the  nasal  appendage.  The  hair  is 
coarse,  but  the  thick  skin  is  in  much  request  for  harness  leather.  A 
single  animal  will  yield  fourteen  to  fifteen  barrels  of  blubber  from  which 
the  oil  is  obtained,  as  in  the  whale.  They  are  found  in  large  herds  on 


WALRUS    OR    SEA-HORSE. 

the  shores  of  the  islands  of  the  Antarctic  Sea,  going  north  in  winter  to 
the  coast  of  Patagonia.  This  species  is  half  as  large  as  the  Greenland 
whale,  and  very  much  larger  than  the  largest  elephant. 

The  walrus  moose  or  sea-horse,  is  a  marine  arctic  mammal,  resembling 
the  large  seals.  It  attains  a  length  of  twelve  to  fifteen,  sometimes  twenty 
feet,  a  circumference  of  ten  feet,  and  a  weight  of  nearly  a  ton.  The 
color  is  blackish  in  the  young,  brownish  in  the  adult,  and  more  and 
more  white  with  age.  The  food  consists  almost  entirely  of  the  bivalve 
shells  attached  to  the  sea  weeds,  which  it  tears  from  the  rocks,  and 


SIGHTS  IN  THE  WORLD'S  MENAGERIE.  331 

occasionally  of  fish.     It  is  distributed  in  the  arctic  regions  of  both  hemi- 
pheres,  often  confined  to  limited  districts  far  removed  from  each  other. 

The  capture  of  the  walrus  is  more  dangerous  and  less  remunerative  than 
that  of  the  seal  and  is  pursued  both  by  land  and  sea.  The  tusks,  which 
protrude  downward  from  the  upper  jaw,  afford  a  very  white  and  hard 
ivory.  The  skin  makes  a  porous  leather  more  than  an  inch  thick ;  the 
flesh  is  eaten  by  the  Esquimaux  and  by  arctic  voyagers. 

The  uses  to  which  the  tusks  are  applied  by  the  walrus  are  the  scraping 
of  prey  out  of  the  sand  and  to  aid  them  in  their  ascent  upon  islands  of 
ice,  and  as  weapons  of  defence  against  the  attacks  of  their  enemies. 
When  irritated  these  animals  are  sometimes  very  furious  and  vindictive. 
When  surprised  on  the  ice,  the  females  first  provide  for  the  safety  of 
their  young  ones  by  flinging  them  into  the  sea  and  conveying  them  to  a 
secure  place ;  they  then  return  to  the  place  where  they  were  attacked  to 
revenge  any  injury  they  may  have  received.  They  are  strongly  attached 
to  each  other  and  will  make  every  effort  in  their  power  to  liberate  a  har- 
pooned companion. 

Swift  Revenge  upon  the  Attacking1  Boat. 

A  wounded  walrus  has  been  known  to  sink  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
ocean,  rise  suddenly  again,  and  bring  with  it  multitudes  of  others,  which 
have  united  in  an  attack  on  the  boat,  from  which  the  harpoon  was 
thrown.  Great  numbers  of  walrus  regularly  visit  the  Magdalene  Islands 
in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  every  spring.  They  crawl  up  the  sloping 
rocks  of  the  coast  in  multitudes  and  when  the  weather  is  fair,  they 
remain  for  many  days ;  but  on  the  first  appearance  of  rain,  they  retreat 
to  the  water.  Formerly  their  herds  have  been  known  to  amount  to  seven 
or  eight  thousand. 

In  the  night  the  hunters  endeavor,  taking  advantage  of  a  sea  wind,  to 
prevent  the  animals  from  smelling  them,  to  separate  those  which  are  farth- 
est advanced  from  those  nearest  to  the  sea,  driving  them  in  different  di- 
rections. When  separated  they  are  killed  with  leisure,  those  nearest  to 
the  shore  becoming  the  first  victims.  It  is  said  that  as  many  as  fifteen 
hundred  walruses  have  been  killed  at  one  time.  They  are  then  skinned 
and  the  fat,  that  surrounded  them,  is  taken  off  and  rendered  into  oil. 
The  skin  is  cut  into  slices  two  or  three  inches  wide  and  exported  for 
traces  and  glue.  The  animals  frequently  weigh  from  1500  to  3000 
pounds  and  yield  from  one  to  two  barrels  of  oil  each.  The  whale-tailed 
moose  or  manati,  and  the  round-tailed  manati,  belong  to  the  family  of 
walrus.  The  avarice  of  man  has  greatly  reduced  the  number  of  walruses 
and  to-day  a  herd  of  several  hundred  is  rarely  seen. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
FOUR-HANDED  ANIMALS. 

The  Gorilla — Giant  of  the  Forest — A  Missionary's  Explorations  and  Discoveries — 
Curiosity  of  Civilized  Nations  Awakened — Gorilla  Huts — Low  Order  of  Intelli- 
gence—Enormous Jaws  and  Physical  Strength — The  First  White  Man  Who  Killed 
a  Gorilla — How  Gorillas  Bury  their  Dead — Thrilling  Adventures  ofDu  Chaillu — 
A  Savage  Combat — The  Orang-Outang — Man-like  Ape — Awkward  Motions — 
Great  Power  of  Mimicry — Dreaded  Adversary— Laughable  Tricks — Orang  of  the 
Prince  of  Orange — Escape  from  the  Cage — Brute  Gentleness  and  Affection — An 
Orang  on  Shipboard — Inveterate  Tippler — Ravenous  Thieves — Orang' s  Death — 
Guereza  Monkey — Elegant  Decoration — Beauty  of  Color — Monkey  Grimaces — 
Droll  Antics — Proboscis  Monkey — Ample  Dimensions  of  Nose — Dog-Faced 
Baboon— Immense  Troops — Prowlers  and  Plunderers — A  Chaplain's  Story — 
Chased  by  Baboons — Lion  Monkey — Irritable  Creatures — Hairy  Appendages. 


F  the  size  and  form  of  the  gorilla,  Professor  Owen  remarks,  "  no 
other  idea  of  its  nature  than  that  of  a  kind  of  human  being 
would  be  suggested ;  but  the  climbing  faculty,  the  hairy  body, 
and  the  skinning  of  the  dead  specimens,  strongly  suggest  that 
they  were  great  apes.  The  fact  that  apes,  the  closest  observed  resem- 
blance to  the  negro,  with  human  stature,  and  with  hairy  bodies,  still  exist 
on  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  renders  it  highly  probable  that  such  were  the 
creatures  which  Hanno,  the  explorer,  saw  captured,  and  called  '  gorillas/  " 
Battell,  an  English  sailor,  while  a  prisoner  of  the  Portuguese,  in  Angola, 
speaks,  it  is  believed,  of  the  same  creature,  which,  he  says,  is  called 
"  pongo,"  and  of  which  he  seems  to  have  entertained  precisely  similar 
notions : — "  He  is  in  all  proportions  like  a  man,  but  that  he  is  more  like  a 
giant  in  stature  than  a  man ;  for  he  is  very  tall,  and  hath  a  man's  face, 
hollow-eyed,  with  long  hair  upon  his  brows ;  his  body  is  full  of  hair,  but 
not  very  thick,  and  is  of  a  dunnish  color.  He  difTereth  not  from  man  but 
in  his  legs,  for  he  hath  no  calf.  He  goeth  always  upon  his  legs,  and 
carrieth  his  hands  clasped  on  the  nape  of  his  neck  when  he  goeth  upon 
the  ground.  They  sleep  on  the  trees,  and  build  shelter  from  the  rain. 
They  feed  on  the  fruit  that  they  find  in  the  woods,  and  upon  nuts,  for 
they  eat  no  kind  of  flesh.  They  cannot  speak,  and  have  no  more  under- 
standing than  a  beast.  The  people  of  the  country,  when  they  travel  in 
the  woods,  make  fires  where  they  sleep  at  night,  and  in  the  morning, 
when  they  are  gone,  the  pongoes  will  come  and  sit  about  the  fire  till  it 
(332) 


FOUR-HANDED  ANIMALS,  333 

goes  out;  for  they  have  no  understanding  to  lay  the  wood  together. 
They  go  many  together,  and  kill  many  negroes  that  travel  in  the  woods. 
Many  times  they  fall  upon  elephants,  which  come  to  feed  where  they  are, 
and  so  beat  them  away  with  their  clubbed  fists  and  pieces  of  wood  that 
they  will  run  roaring  away  from  them.  These  pongoes  are  never  taken 
alive,  because  they  are  so  strong  that  ten  men  cannot  hold  one  of  them  ; 
but  they  take  many  of  their  young  ones  with  poisoned  arrows.  The 
young  pongo  hangs  on  its  mother's  body,  with  its  hands  fast  clasped 
about  her,  so  that,  when  any  of  the  country  people  kill  any  of  the  females, 
they  take  the  young,  which  hangs  fast  on  its  mother.  When  they  die 
among  themselves,  they  cover  the  dead  with  great  heaps  of  boughs  and 
wood,  which  is  commonly  found  in  the  forests." 

Interesting  Discoveries  by  a  Missionary. 

Of  these  creatures  no  further  account  was  given,  until  attention  was 
devoted  to  them  by  Dr.  Thomas  Savage,  a  member  of  the  Boston  Society 
of  Natural  History,  and  at  the  time  a  medical  missionary.  On  his  voyage 
to  America  from  Cape  Palmas,  he  was  unexpectedly  detained  on  the% 
Gaboon  river,  and  the  month  of  April,  1847,  was  spent  at  the  house  of 
the  Rev.  J.  L.  Wilson,  senior  missionary  of  the  American  Board  of  For- 
eign Missions  to  West  Africa.  Soon  after  his  arrival,  Mr.  Wilson  showed 
him  a  skull,  represented  by  the  natives  to  be  that  of  a  monkey-like  animal, 
remarkable  for  its  size,  ferocity,  and  habits ;  and  the  doctor  was  led  to 
believe  that  it  had  belonged  to  a  new  species  of  orang.  Intent  on  further 
investigation,  and,  if  possible,  on  deciding  the  point  by  the  inspection  of  a 
specimen  alive  or  dead,  Mr.  Wilson  entered  cordially  into  the  matter,  and 
promised  his  full  co-operation ;  and  having  been  a  resident  in  the  country 
for  several  years,  well  acquainted  with  the  chiefs  and  people,  highly 
regarded  by  them,  and  speaking  freely  their  language,  he  was  able  to 
render  the  doctor  advantages  of  signal  importance.  He  did  not  succeed, 
however,  in  obtaining  either  a  living  or  a  dead  specimen,  but  only  several 
skulls  of  the  two  sexes,  and  of  different  ages,  with  other  important  parts 
of  the  skeleton  of  the  gorilla.  These  portions  were  afterwards  ably 
described,  with  several  engravings,  in  a  quarto  pamphlet,  on  the  return  of 
Dr.  Savage  to  America,  by  Dr.  Wyman,  professor  of  anatomy  in  Harvard 
University. 

Professor  Owen  has  recently  given  a  full  and  most  elaborate  descrip- 
tion of  this  creature,  from  which  only  a  few  particulars  can  now  be  taken. 
The  lofty  ridges  of  the  skull,  he  affirms,  give  to  the  face  of  the  gorilla  a 
most  forbidding  appearance  ;  the  thick  covering  forming  a  scowling  pent- 
house over  the  eyes.  The  nose  is  more  prominent  than  in  the  chimpan- 


334  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

zee  or  orang-outang.  The  mouth  is  very  wide,  the  lips  large,  and  the  chin 
very  short  and  receding.  The  huge  canine  teeth  in  the  male  are  very 
frightful.  The  eyelids  have  eyelashes,  but  there  are  no  eyebrows ;  the 
ears  are  smaller  in  -proportion  than  in  man,  and  much  smaller  than  in  the 
chimpanzee.  The  length  of  the  upper  limbs  is  not  greater  than  in  man 
when  compared  with  the  trunk  ;  they  seem  longer  through  the  dispropor- 
tionate shortness  of  the  lower  limbs. 

The  arm  is  longer  than  the  forearm,  which  is  remarkable,  and  the 
thumb  reaches  to  beyond  the  first  joint  of  the  fore-finger,  while  it  does 
not  extend  to  that  joint  in  the  chimpanzee  or  other  ape.  The  hand  ex- 
cites attention  from  the  breadth,  thickness,  and  great  length  of  the  palm  ; 
the  fingers  appear  short,  taper  quickly  at  the  ends  to  the  nails,  which  are 
not  larger  or  longer  than  in  man.  The  back  of  the  hand  is  hairy  as  far 
.as  the  divisions  of  the  fingers ;  the  palm  naked  and  callous,  and  the  thumb 
scarcely  half  as  thick  as  the  fore-finger.  The  leg  has  no  "  calf,"  and 
grows  thicker  from  the  knee  to  the  ankle.  The  sole  of  the  foot  is  more 
walked  upon  than  by  the  chimpanzee,  or  any  other  ape.  The  hind  thumb 
or  great  toe  is  stronger  than  in  those  creatures ;  it  stands  out  like  a  large 
thumb  from  the  rest  of  the  foot ;  its  base  swells  below  into  a  kind  of  ball ; 
the  nail  is  small  and  short.  The  sole  is  wider  than  in  man,  the  foot  more 
like  a  hand,  but  one  of  huge  dimensions  and  immense  power  of  grasp. 
And  yet,  the  gorilla,  judging  from  the  structure  of  his  grinding  teeth, 

lives  on  fruits. 

A  Creature  with  Awkward  Movements. 

The  gait  of  the  Gorilla  is  shuffling ;  the  motion  of  the  body,  which  is 
never  upright  as  in  man,  but  bent  forward,  is  somewhat  rolling,  or  from 
side  to  side.  The  arms  being  longer  than  those  of  the  chimpanzee,  it  does 
not  stoop  as  much  in  walking ;  like  that  animal,  it  advances  by  thrusting 
its  arms  forward,  resting  the  hands-on  the  ground,  and  then  giving  the 
body  a  half-jumping,  half-swinging  motion  between  them.  In  this  act  it  is 
said  not  to  bend  its  fingers,  but  to  make  a  fulcrum  of  its  hand.  When  it 
assumes  the  walking  position,  it  balances  its  huge  body  by  bending  the 
arms  upwards. 

The  gorillas  live  in  bands,  which  are  not  so  numerous  as  those  of  the 
chimpanzee.  Only  one  adult  male  is  said  to  be  seen  in  a  band  ;  and  when 
the  young  males  grow  up,  a  contest  takes  place  for  mastery,  and  the 
strongest,  by  killing  and  driving  out  the  others,  establishes  himself  as  head 
of  the  band.  Dr.  Savage  says,  "  the  silly  stories  about  their  carrying  off 
women  from  the  native  towns,  and  vanquishing  elephants,  are  unhesi- 
tatingly denied."  Their  dwellings,  if  they  may  be  so  called,  consist  simply 


THE    WORLD-RENOWNED    GORILLA. 


(335) 


336  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

of  a  few  sticks  and  leafy  branches,  supported  by  the  limbs  of  trees.  The 
natives  call  the  gorilla  a  fool,  to  make  a  house  without  a  roof,  in  a  country 
where  they  have  so  much  rain.  They  say  he  has  not  so  much  sense  as  a 
certain  bird,  which  Mr.  Wilson  pointed  out  to  Dr.  Savage,  which  makes 
a  large  nest  with  a  tight  .roof,  then  daubs  it  with  mud  in -the  inside,  and, 
unfolding  its  wings,  whirls  round  and  round  till  the  crevices  are  all  filled, 
and  the  inside  is  smoothly  plastered  like  a  house.  The  huts  of  the  gorilla 
are  only  occupied  at  night.  These  animals  are  exceedingly  ferocious. 
The-  few  that  have  been  captured  were  killed  by  elephant  hunters  and 
native  traders,  as  they  came  suddenly  upon  them  while  passing  through 

the  forests. 

Frightful  Screams  and  Terrible  Ferocity. 

When  the  male  is  first  seen  he  gives  a  terrific  yell  that  resounds  far 
and  •  wide  through  the  forest.  His  enormous  jaws  are  widely  opened 
at  each  expiration,  his  under  lip  hangs  over  the  chin,  and  the  hairy 
ridge  and  scalp  is  contracted  on  the  brow.  The  females  and  young 
disappear  at  the  first  cry.  He  then  approaches  the  foe,  pouring  out 
in  quick  succession  his  horrid  yells.  The  hunter  waits  his  advance 
with  his  gun  extended ;  if  his  aim  is  not  sure  he  permits  the  animal  to 
grasp  the  barrel,  and  as  he  carries  it  to  his  mouth,  according  to  his 
habit,  the  hunter  fires  ;  should  the  gun  fail  to  go  off,  the  hunter  is  at 
the  mercy  of  the  huge  beast,  and  in  such  an  unequal  combat  he  is  speedily 
dispatched  by  his  furious  foe. 

The  killing  of  a  gorilla  is  considered  an  act  of  great  skill  and  courage, 
and  brings  to  the  victor  signal  honor.  A  slave  to  a  native,  from  an 
interior  tribe,  killed  a  male  and  female,  and  from  these  specimens  we 
have  collected  the  materials  of  our  description  of  the  species  in  general. 
On  one  occasion  this  slave  had  killed  an  elephant,  and,  returning  home, 
met  a  male  gorilla,  and,  being  a  good  marksman,  brought  him  speedily  to 
the  ground.  He  had  not  proceeded  far  before  the  female  was  observed, 
which  he  also  killed.  Such  acts,  unheard  of  before,  were  deemed  almost 
superhuman;  his  freedom  was  immediately  granted,  and  his  name  made 
known  as  the  prince  of  hunters. 

The  gorilla  was  first  introduced  to  the  scientific  world  by  Andreas 
Batell,  who  gave  an  extensive  description  of  this  monster.  There  are 
specimens  of  the  animal,  more  or  less  complete,  in  the  collections  at 
Philadelphia,  Boston,  London  and  Paris.  When  Du  Chaillu  returned  to 
the  United  States  in  August,  1859,  fr°m  the  country  about  the  Gaboon 
River,  he  brought  with  him  complete  specimens,  male  and  female,  both 
skins  and  skeletons,  in  excellent  preservation.  Du  Chaillu  is  the  first 


FOUR-HANDED  ANIMALS.  337 

white   man  who   killed  a  gorilla  with   his  own   hand,  or  who  had  an 
opportunity  to  study  its  habits  in  its  native  forests. 

The  adult  male  is  from  five  to  six  feet  high,  though  after  death  it  may 
be  stretched  beyond  this.  It  far  surpasses  man  in  the  dimensions  of  the 
head,  neck,  body  and  arms  and  in  the  width  of  the  shoulders ;  some  are 
said  to  measure  from  seven  to  nine  feet  from  the  end  of  one  outstretched 
hand  to  that  of  the  other.  It  is  principally  an  inhabitant  of  the  woods. 
Its  favorite  mode  of  progression  is  on  all  fours.  When  it  assumes  the 
•erect  posture  it  flexes  the  arms  upward  or  crosses  them  on  the  nape  in 
order  to  counterbalance  the  tendency  of  the  trunk  to  fall  forward. 
Hands  That  Can  Bend  a  Gun  Barrel. 

Its  strength  is  enormous  not  only  in  the  jaws,  which  can  crush  the 
barrel  of  a  musket,  but  in  the  hands  and  feet,  which  it  uses  in  attack  and 
defence.  The  males  are  very  ferocious,  generally  attacking  man  and 
animal  intruding  upon  their  haunts.  If  wounded  the  gorilla  is  more 
terrible  than  the  lion.  They  advance  on  the  enemy  in  an  erect  position, 
a  few  steps  at  a  time,  beating  their  breasts  with  both  hands  and  roaring 
terribly.  When  near  enough  they  spring  upon  him  and  destroy  him  with 
their  powerful  hands.  It  has  never  been  possible  to  capture  the  gorilla 
alive,  because  not  even  ten  men  have  been  able  to  hold  4t  tight.  If  one 
of  these  monsters  dies,  the  others  cover  the  body  with  a  large  pile 
of  branches  and  wood.  Such  piles  are  frequently  found  in  the  forests. 
Du  Chaillu's  Graphic  Description. 

The  great  gorilla,  as  slain  by  Du  Chaillu — and  he  shot  several  large 
males — did  not,  in  any  case,  appear  to  die  hard ;  but  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  he  allowed  the  beast  to  get  close  upon  him  before  he  gave  him 
the  fatal  shot.  It  is,  he  says,  a  maxim  with  the  well-trained  gorilla-hun- 
ters to  reserve  their  fire  till  the  very  last  moment.  Experience  has  shown 
them  that — whether  the  enraged  beast  takes  the  report  of  the  gun  for  an 
answering  defiance,  or  for  what  other  reason  unknown — if  the  hunter  fires 
and  misses,  the  gorilla  at  once  rushes  upon  him ;  and  this  onset  no  man 
can  withstand.  One  blow  of  that  huge  paw  with  its  nails,  and  the  poor 
hunter's  entrails  are  torn  out,  his  breast-bone  broken,  or  his  skull  crushed. 
It  is  too  late  to  re-load,  and  flight  is  vain.  I  imagine  no  animal  is  so  fatal 
in  its  attack  on  man  as  this,  for  the  reason  that  it  meets  him  face  to  face, 
and  uses  its  arms  as  its  weapons  of  offence,  just  as  a  man  or  prize-fighter 
would — only  that  it  has  longer  arms,  and  vastly  greater  strength  than  the 
strongest  boxer  the  world  ever  saw.  In  all  my  hunts  and  encounters 
with  this  animal,  I  never  knew  a  grown  male  to  run  ofT. 

The  hunter,  looking  with  fearful  care  to  his  priming,  stands  still,  gun 
22 


338  -EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

in  hand,  often  for  five  weary  minutes,  waiting  with  growing  nervousness,, 
for  the  moment  when  he  may  relieve  his  suspense  by  firing.  I  have 
never  fired  at  a  male  at  greater  distance  than  eight  yards,  and  from  four- 
teen to  eighteen  feet  is  the  usual  shot.  At  last  the  opportunity 
comes ;  and  now  the  gun  is  quickly  raised,  a  moment's  anxious  aim  at  the 
vast  breadth  of  breast,  and  then  pull  trigger.  Fortunately,  the  gorilla 
dies  as  easily  as  man ;  a  shot  in  the  breast,  if  fairly  delivered,  is  sure  to 
bring  him  down.  He  falls  forward  on  his  face,  his  long,  muscular  arms 
outstretched,  and  uttering  with  his  last  breath  a  hideous  death-cry,  half 
roar,  half  shriek,  which,  while  it  announces  to  the  hunter  his  safety,  yet 
tingles  his  ears  with  a  dreadful  note  of  human  agony. 

In  his  attack,  at  least  upon  man  as  his  adversary,  the  male  gorilla  has 
a  mode  of  doing  it  that  is  very  peculiar ;  and  if  correct,  as  described  by 
Du  Chaillu,  it  has  the  stamp  of  being  remarkably  uniform  among  the  spe- 
cies. The  similarity  of  manner  taken  by  several  of  these  male  beasts,  in 
going  to  the  encounter,  is  quite  surprising,  since  it  looks  like  the  result  of 
some  drill,  which  these  animals  had  previously  put  into  practice  by  con- 
cert. But  the  gorilla's  brain  warrants  no  such  supposition ;  and  his  con- 
duct, general  and  particular,  gives  proof  of  the  presence  of  only  a  slender 
amount  of  intelligence.  "  The  corresponding  small  amount  of  brain," 
says  Du  Chaillu,  "  in  the  male  gorilla,  and  the  excessive  preponderance  of 
the  cerebellum  or  back  brain,  with  its  enormous  strength,  would  seem  to 
corroborate  our  opinion  of  the  excessive  brutality  of  this  beast."  How, 
then,  is  the  uniformity  of  the  operation  to  be  accounted  for  ?  Is  it  in  any 
way  instinctive  ?  Here,  however,  the  oddly  offensive  attitude  put  on  by 
the  gorilla  while  entering  the  scene  of  conflict  shall  speak  for  itself. 
Exciting  Combat  with  an  Immense  Gorilla. 

One  day,  after  travelling  some  hours  in  search  of  the  great  ape,  Du 
Chaillu  tells  us  he  found  his  first  gorilla  in  a  dense  and  impenetrable  part 
of  the  forest.  Suddenly  Miengai,  a  native,  uttered  a  little  cluck  with  his 
tongue.  Immediately  I  noticed  a  noise,  as  of  some  one  breaking  down 
branches  or  twigs  of  trees.  This  was  the  gorilla,  I  knew  at  once,  by  the 
eager  and  satisfied  looks  of  the  men.  We  walked  with  the  greatest  care, 
making  no  noise  at  all.  The  countenances  of  the  men  showed  that  they 
thought  themselves  engaged  in  a  very  serious  undertaking.  Suddenly, 
as  we  were  creeping  along,  in  a  silence  which  made  a  heavy  breath  seem 
loud  and  distinct,  the  woods  were  at  once  filled  with  the  tremendous 
barking  roar  of  the  gorilla. 

Then  the  underbrush  swaye  rapidly  just  ahead,  and  presently  before 
us  stood  an  immense  male  gorilla.  He  had  gone  through  the  jungle  on 


FOUR-HANDED  ANIMALS.  339 

his  all-fours  ;  but  when  he  saw  our  party  he  erected  himself,  and  looked 
us  boldly  in  the  face.  He  stood  about  a  dozen  yards  from  us,  and  was  a 
sight  I  think  I  shall  never  forget.  Nearly  six  feet  high,  with  immense 
body,  huge  chest,  and  great  muscular  arms,  with  fiercely  glaring  large 
deep  gray  eyes,  and  a  hellish  expression  of  face,  which  seemed  to  me  like 
some  nightmare  vision ;  thus  stood  before  us  the  king  of  the  African 
forest. 

He  was  not  afraid  of  us.  He  stood  there,  and  beat  his  breast  with  his 
huge  fists  till  it  resounded  like  an  immense  bass  drum,  which  is  their 
mode  of  offering  defiance ;  meantime  giving  vent  to  roar  after  roar.  The 
roar  of  the  gorilla  is  the  most  singular  and  awful  noise  heard  in  these  Af- 
rican woods,  and  closely  resembles  the  roll  of  distant  thunder  along  the 

sky. 

Demonish  Monster. 

His  eyes  began  to  flash  fiercer  fire  as  we  stood  motionless  on  the  de- 
fensive, and  the  crest  of  short  hair  which  stands  on  his  forehead  began  to 
twitch  rapidly  up  and  down,  while  his  powerful  fangs  were  shown  as  he 
again  sent  forth  a  thunderous  roar.  And  now,  truly,  he  reminded  me  of 
nothing  but  some  hellish  dream-creature — a  being  of  that  hideous  order, 
half  man,  half  beast,  which  we  find  pictured  by  old  artists  in  some  repre- 
sentations of  the  infernal  regions.  He  advanced  a  few  steps — then 
stopped  to  utter  that  hideous  roar  again — advanced  again,  and  finally 
stopped  when  at  a  distance  of  about  six  yards  from  us.  And  here,  just 
as  he  began  another  of  his  roars,  beating  his  breast  in  rage,  we  fired,  and 
killed  him. 

With  a  groan,  which  had  something  terribly  human  in  it,  and  yet  was 
full  of  bruitishness,  he  fell  forward  on  his  face.  The  body  shook  convul- 
sively for  a  few  minutes,  the  limbs  moved  about  in  a  struggling  way,  and 
then  all  was  quiet — death  had  done  its  work,  and  I  had  leisure  to  ex- 
amine the  huge  body. 

This  gorilla  onset,  then,  is  remarkable  as  being  attended  by  advances, 
halts,  roars,  and  beatings  of  the  breast,  and  it  is  all  the  more  striking 
since  it  is  not  the  conduct  of  an  individual  alone,  for  this  celebrated  trav- 
eller and  strongly  nerved  hunter  says,  that  the  others  of  this  species,  shot 
by  him,  behaved  in  the  very  same  way. 

The  Orang-Outang. 

This  is  the  common  name  of  the  large  tailless  anthropoid,  or  man-like 
apes,  of  Southeastern  Asia  and  the  islands  of  Borneo  and  Sumatra.  The 
adult  orang  or  pongo  is  more  powerful  and  less  anthropoid  than  the 
chimpanzee.  It  represents  in  Asia  the  gorilla  of  Africa  and  varies  in 


340  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

height  from  five  to  seven  feet.  The  Bornean  pongo  has  long  loose  hair 
of  a  deep  fuscous  color,  approaching  in  some  parts  to  black,  the  adult  male 
having  large  fatty  protuberances  over  the  cneek  bones,  not  found  in  the 
Sumatran  species.  They  are  fond  of  low,  marshy,  well-wooded  regions, 
their  whole  organization  being  fitted  for  progression  on  trees. 

They  seldom  move  far  on  the  ground  and  then  on  all-fours  or  by 
swinging  the  body  awkwardly  forward  between  the  arms  supported  by 
the  bent  knuckles.  They  build  a  kind  of  a  nest  or  lair  on  trees,  where 
they  spend  the  night,  leaving  it  late  in  the  morning,  when  the  sun  has 
dispersed  the  dew  and  thoroughly  warmed  the  air.  They  do  not  live  in 
society  except  when  a  pair  have  a  family  in  charge. 

The  food  consists  of  fruits,  nuts,  leaves,  tender  plants,  and  is  entirely 
vegetable.  In  captivity  the  disposition  of  the  orang-outang  is  gentle  and 
affectionate.  Their  intelligence  and  powers  of  imitation  are  remarkable 
and  they  get  to  be  fond  of  the  food  of  man,  especially  his  drinks,  such 
as  ardent  spirits  and  coffee.  They  are  perfectly  devoid  of  the  disgusting 
ferocity  so  conspicuous  in  some  larger  baboons  and  monkeys,  and  in  gen- 
eral are  so  docile  that  they  may  be  taught  to  perform  with  dexterity  a 
great  variety  of  tricks. 

An  Adversary  to  be  Shunned. 

This  monkey  never  walks  erect,  except,  when  it  assists  its  clumsy  mo- 
tions by  taking  hold  of  branches,  or,  when  threatened  by  an  enemy.  The 
pictures  that  represent  it  walking  erect  by  the  aid  of  a  huge  stick,  are 
entirely  imaginary.  In  a  wild  state,  the  orang-outangs  are  said  to  be  sav- 
age and  ferocious  and  if  a  negro  should  wander  in  the  woods  and  be  dis- 
covered by  them,  it  is  alleged  that  they  attack  and  kill  him.  With  a 
piece  of  wood  in  their  hands  or  with  their  fists  only,  they  are  able  to 
drive  off  even  the  elephants.  It  is  said,  that  during  the  breeding  season 
the  males  leave  their  habitations  or  lairs  to  the  females  and  their  young- 
sters and  that,  as  soon  as  the  young  ones  have  attained  a  sufficient  de- 
gree of  strength,  they  hang  on  the  breast  of  their  mother  with  their  arms 
clasped  fast  around  her. 

Many  interesting  stories  are  told  about  the  tricks  and  the  intelligence 
of  orang-outangs,  while  in  captivity.  A  female  orang-outang  from  Bor- 
neo was  brought  alive  to  Holland  and  lodged  in  the  menagerie  of  the 
Prince  of  Orange.  She  was  very  gentle  and  exhibited  no  symptoms  of 
fierceness  or  malignity.  She  had  a  melancholy  appearance,  yet  loved  to 
be  in  company.  Many  times  when  her  keeper  sat  near  her  on  the  ground 
she  would  take  the  hay  of  her  bed,  arrange  it  by  her  side,  and  with  the 
greatest  affection  invite  him  to  sit  down. 


ASIATIC    ORANG-OUTANG. 


(341) 


342  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

One  morning  she  contrived  to  escape  from  her  cage  and  soon  after- 
wards was  seen  to  ascend  the  beams  and  oblique  rafters  of  the  building. 
The  efforts  of  four  men  were  necessary  to  secure  her.  She  would  eat  of 
almost  every  kind  of  food  that  was  given  to  her,  but  she  lived  chiefly  on 
bread,  roots  and  fruit.  She  also  ate  meat  both  boiled  and  roasted,  as 
well  as  fish,  and  was  fond  of  eggs,  the  shells  of  which  she  broke  with 
her  teeth  and  then  sucked  out  the  contents.  This  animal  was  seen  and 
described  by  the  great  naturalist  Buffon. 

Of  an  orang-outang  which  Le  Compte  saw  in  the  Straits  of  Malacca, 
he  says  that  all  its  actions  were  so  imitative  of  those  of  mankind  and  its 
passions  were  so  expressive  and  lively,  that  a  dumb  person  could  scarcely 
have 'rendered  himself  better  understood.  This  animal  was  extremely 
gentle  and  showed  great  affection  towards  every  person  from  whom  it 
received  any  attentions.  Its  agility  was  almost  incredible. 

The  chimpanzee  is  a  much  livelier  and  more  light-hearted  animal  than 
the  orang-outang. 

An  under-aged  specimen  was  once  brought  to  England  from  Java,  and 
in  order  to  be  made  secure,  was  fastened  to  a  strong  staple;  but  his 
keeper  had  no  sooner  done  it,  than  he  had  unfastened  it,  and  run  away 
with  the  chain;  but  finding  its  drag  embarass  him,  he  formed  it  into  a 
coil,  and  threw  it  over  his  shoulder.  Other  attempts  to  secure  him  failed 
also,  and  he  clung  to  the  ropes  of  the  vessel  with  such  pertinacity  and 
power  of  muscle,  that  though  the  sailors  sometimes  shook  them  with  the 
utmost  violence,  he  still  retained  his  hold.  At  times  he  would  appear  to 
be  playing  the  pranks  of  a  child  in  anger. 

The  Orang'-Outang-  in  Hysterics. 

When  tantalized  with  an  orange,  he  would  give  utterance  to  the  most 
violent  shrieks,  swing  himself  furiously  about  the  ropes,  and  then  with 
piercing  screams  rush  at  the  side  of  the  vessel,  as  if  with  the  intention  to 
commit  suicide  by  throwing  himself  overboard.  When  off  the  Cape,  the 
temperature  became  low,  especially  in  the  morning;  and  the  tropical 
orang,  like  a  true  thermometer,  indicated  the  full  extent  of  the  change, 
by  descending  from  the  mast,  shuddering  with  cold,  and  endeavoring  to 
make  himself  snug  in  the  arms  of  any  one  of  his  friends  to  derive  heat, 
screaming  violently  if  any  attempt  was  made  to  remove  him.  He  died  in 
less  than  two  years  after  his  arrival. 

One  being  conveyed  to  Holland  was  observed,  when  about  to  lie  down 
on  shipboard  at  the  approach  of  night,  to  prepare  her  bed  by  shaking 
well  the  hay  on  which  she  slept,  and  after  putting  it  in  proper  order, 
would  wrap  herself  snugly  up  in  the  quilt.  In  addition  to  the  making  of 


FOUR-HANDED  ANIMALS. 


343 


lier  bed  very  neatly  every  day,  she  was  accustomed  to  bind  up  her  head 
with  a  handkerchief  before  she  retired  to  rest. 

The  former,  on  the  voyage  to  Holland,  noticed  that  the  padlock  of  her 
chain  was  opened  with  a  key.  The  ape  soon  began  to  practise  the 
manoeuvre,  by  taking  up  a  little  bit  of  stick,  and  after  putting  it  in  the 
key-hole  of  the  lock,  endeavored  to  open  it  by  turning  the  stick  in  all 
directions.  One  morning  when  on  shore  she  escaped  from  her  chain,  and 


PORTRAIT   OF   THE    ORANG-OUTANG. 

during  the  time  of  her  liberty,  she  took  the  cork  from  a  bottle  of  Malaga 
wine,  and  appeared  highly  gratified  with  the  contents,  which  she  drank  to 
the  very  last  drop,  and  then  put  the  bottle  in  its  place  again. 

It  is  said  of  Milo,  of  Crotona,  that  he  saved  the  life  of  Pythagoras,  his 
tutor,  by  his  amazing  strength,  but  lost  his  own  by  an  equal  amount  of 
folly.  He  was  so  strong  that  he  could  carry  a  bullock  four  years  old 
upon  his  back,  and  he  therefore  fancied  he  could  tear  up  a  tree  by  its  roots 
like  an  elephant,  and  then  break  it  to  pieces.  Having  accomplished  the 


344  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

former,  his  strength  became  exhausted  in  the  attempt  at  the  latter,  and 
when  the  tree  was  half  cleft,  Milo  allowed  his  fingers  to  become  pinched 
in  the  crevice  at  the  moment  when  the  reuniting  force  of  the  tree  was 
gaining  its  power  over  that  of  his  own  •  and  being  then  held  fast,  the 
wild  beasts  came  and  devoured  him. 

A  Cunning-  Device. 

Now  it  appears  that  the  instinct  of  the  orang,  in  a  similar  case,  imparts 
to  the  animal  a  wisdom  superior  to  that  of  Milo ;  for,  according  to 
Gemelli  Carreri,  these  creatures  sometimes  descend  from  the  mountains 
to  the  sea-coast,  where  they  find  some  food  in  a  species  of  shell-fish,  par- 
ticularly in  a  large  sort  of  oyster,  which  they  find  lying  open  on  the  shore. 
Before  putting  in  their  paws,  they  take  the  precaution  to  insert  a  stone 
between  the  shells,  to  prevent  their  closing  together,  and  thereby  crush- 
ing their  clutches.  They  then  drag  out  their  prey  in  safety,  and  devour 
it  at  their  leisure. 

A  naturalist  who  had  two  orangs,  male  and  female,  in  his  house  in. 
Batavia,  says  that  when  any  person  set  his  eye  intently  upon  the  female, 
she  would  throw  herself  into  the  arms  of  her  male,  and  there  conceal  her 
face  in  his  bosom.  Of  the  male  and  female  taken  on  board,  the  former 
fell  sick  during  the  voyage,  and  submitted  to  be  treated  in  the  manner  of 
a  human  patient.  His  disease  being  a  kind  of  inflammation,  led  the 
surgeon  to  bleed  him  twice  in  the  right  arm,  and  ever  afterwards  the  ape, 
when  discovering  any  return  of  his  indisposition,  did  not  fail  to  hold  out 
his  arm  for  the  purpose  of  again  letting  blood. 

Orangs  often  go  forth  hi  large  numbers  to  plunder  gardens  and  villages. 
If  there  is  no  appearance  of  any  person  near,  he  makes  signs  to  his  com- 
panions to  enter  the  vineyard  or  orchard,  and  begin  their  plunder;  but 
as  soon  as  the  sentinel  perceives  anybody  coming,  he  instantly  sets  up  a 
loud  cry,  and  the  whole  company  scamper  off  with  the  utmost  precipi- 
tation, and  jumping  from  tree  to  tree,  retreat  to  the  mountains.  It  is  a 
great  curiosity  to  see  these  animals  retreat,  for  the  females  carry  four  or 
five  young  ones  upon  their  backs,  and  with  this  heavy  load  leap  with  great 
agility  from  branch  to  branch,  though  great  numbers  of  them  are  taken, 
notwithstanding  their  cunning.  When  they  are  angry,  they  bite ;  but  while  ' 
they  are  coaxed  they  are  very  tame.  Those  that  are  tamed  perform  won- 
ders, and  imitate  mankind  in  almost  everything  they  see  them  do. 

Affecting  Death. 

As  we  have  the  means  of  knowing  how  the  orang-outang  dies,  it  will 
perhaps  not  be  considered  irrelevant  to  our  purpose  if  we  allow  its  de- 
scription a  place  here  by  way  of  concluding  our  references  to  the 


FOUR-HANDED  ANIMALS.  345 

habits  of  this  singular  animal.  The  manner  of  its  death  is  truly  affect- 
ing, and  probably  such  that  no  humane  person  would  wish  to  see  it  a, 
second  time.  A  male  orang  was  killed  at  Ramboom  by  the  crew  of  a 
ship.  From  an  article  in  the  Encyclopedia  Britannica,  we  quote  this 
description : 

He  was  upwards  of  seven  feet  in  height  when  placed  in  a  standing  pos- 
ture, and  measured  eight  feet  when  suspended  by  the  neck  for  the  pur- 
pose of  being  skinned.  On  the  spot  where  he  was  killed,  there  were 
several  tall  trees,  which  greatly  prolonged  the  attack ;  for  such  was  his 
strength  and  agility  that  his  pursuers  were  unable  to  take  a  determinate 
aim,  until  they  had  felled  all  the  trees  but  one.  He  received  numerous 
balls  before  he  was  brought  down,  and  then  he  lay  upon  the  ground  as 
dead,  exhausted  by  many  wounds,  with  his  head  resting  on  his  folded 
arm.  It  was  at  this  time  that  an  officer  attempted  to  give  him  the  finish- 
ing stroke,  by  thrusting  a  spear  through  his  body;  but  he  instantly 
sprung  upon  his  feet,  wrested  the  weapon  from  his  antagonist,  and  shivered 
it  in  pieces.  This  was  his  last  effort,  yet  he  lived  some  time  afterwards, 
and  drank,  it  is  said,  great  quantities  of  water.  He  appeared  to  have 
travelled  from  some  distance  to  the  place  of  the  "  untoward  event,"  for  his 
legs  were  caked  with  mud  up  to  the  knees.  On  the  reception  of  each 
deadly  wound  he  placed  his  hand  over  the  injured  portion,  and  distressed 
even  his  relentless  pursuers  by  the  human-like  agony  of  his  countenance. 
Indeed,  his  piteous  actions,  and  great  tenacity  of  life,  are  said  to  have 
rendered  the  scene  altogether  highly  affecting.  At  the  same  time,  it 
seemed  odd  that  so  much  sentimental  perception  should  have  been  vouch- 
safed to  those  who  committed  the  onslaught,  and  who  were  under  no 
absolute  necessity  of  bringing  the  business  to  so  tragical  a  close. 

The   Guereza. 

The  general  color  of  this  monkey  is  black.  The  sides  of  the  body  and 
top  of  the  loins  are  ornamented  with  long,  pendent,  white  hairs,  forming 
a  fringe-like  mantle.  The  face  is  encircled  by  white,  and  the  tail  ends  in 
a  white  tuft.  It  is  found  in  South  and  West  Abyssinia.  The  guereza, 
which  is  the  Abyssinian  name  of  this  species,  lives,  according  to  Riippell, 
in  small  families,  tenanting  the  lofty  trees  in  the  neighborhood  of  running 
waters.  It  is  active  and  lively,  and  at  the  same  time  gentle  and  inoffen- 
sive. It  is  the  prettiest  of  all  the  monkeys,  and  our  illustration  gives  an 
idea  of  its  striking  appearance.  It  is  an  excellent  climber.  Formerly 
the  skin  of  the  guereza  was  used  by  the  Abyssinians  for  decorating  their 
shields,  but  with  the  introduction  of  fire-arms  the  demand  for  shields  and 
for  this  coveted  decoration  ceased,  and  this  is  undoubtedly  a  fact  to  be 


346 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


glad  of,  because  there  exists  no  more  instigation  to  hunt  this  beautiful 
and  entirely  harmless  animal. 

It  has  the  head,  face  and  neck,  back,  limbs  and  part  of  tail  covered 
with  short  black  velvety  hair,  the  temples,  chin,  throat  and  a  band  over 
the  eyes  white,  and  the  sides,  flanks,  from  the  shoulders  downward,  and 
loins  clothed  with  white  hair. 

Like  all  the  others,  these  monkeys  are  pre-eminently  a  sylvan  race ; 
they  never  abandon  the  forests,  where  they  live  in  society  under  the 
guidance  of  the  old  males.  They  seem  to  be  much  attached  to  partic- 


GUEREZA  WITH  BEAyTIFUL  FLYING  MANTLE. 

ular  localities.  Each  tribe  or  family  has  its  own  particular  district,  into 
which  individuals  of  other  tribes  or  species  are  never  allowed  to  intrude, 
the  whole  community  uniting  promptly  to  repel  any  aggression,  either  on 
their  territory  or  their  individual  right.  So  strongly  is  this  propensity 
implanted  within  them  that  they  carry  it  into  our  menageries.  Noth- 
ing is  more  common  than  to  see  monkeys  of  the  same  species  unit- 
ing to  defend  one  of  their  kind  against  the  tyranny  of  a  powerful 
oppressor,  or  to  resent  any  insult  offered  to  a  member  of  their  little 
community. 

These  animals  generally  take  up  their  quarters  in  the  vicinity  of  a  run- 


FOUR-HANDED  ANIMALS.  347 

nmg  stream,  and  seldom  approach  the  habitations  of  men,  or  invade  the 
cultivated  grounds  of  the  gardener  and  husbandman.  No  doubt  it  is  their 
spirit  of  union  and  mutual  defence  which  prompts  them  to  collect  round 
travellers,  and,  by  their  chattering,  grimace,  and  other  means  in  their 
power,  endeavor  to  prevent  an  intrusion  into  the  spot  which  they  regard 

as  their  own. 

Grotesque  Antics  of  Monkey  Tribes. 

The  Italian  boy,  with  his  olive  complexion,  and  long,  dark  locks,  whom 
you  pass  in  the  street,  with  grinning  teeth  and  with  hand  to  his  hat,  is 
grinding  an  organ,  on  which  sits  a  monkey  fantastically  dressed,  whose 
duty  consists  in  performing  a  certain  number  of  gambols  on  the  pave- 
ment, and  carrying  to  his  master  the  pennies  they  earned  for  him.  The 
sight  recals  the  times  long  since  passed,  when  the  merry-making  couple, 
the  minstrel  and  the  monkey,  were  constantly  welcomed  by  barons  bold 
and  ladies  fair  in  hall  and  bower ;  nor  can  we  forget  that  when  a  great 
change  took  place  in  English  manners,  the  monkey  continued  a  favorite, 
though  admittance  was  refused  to  the  minstrel. 

The  extraordinary  proboscis  monkey  is  remarkable  for  a  peculiar  devel- 
opment of  the  nose,  rudimentary  at  an  early  age,  but  afterwards  forming  a 
proboscis  capable  of  being  dilated,  having  apertures  underneath  the  bent 
down  point,  and  divided  from  each  other  by  a  thin  cartilage.  The  ears 
are  small,  and  the  face,  together  with  the  palms,  are  of  a  leaden  color, 
with  a  slight  tinge  of  yellow.  On  the  sides  of  the  neck,  which  is  short, 
and  on  the  shoulders,  the  hair  is  long  compared  with  that  of  the  rest  of 
the  body.  The  top  of  the  head  and  the  upper  portion  of  the  back  are  of 
a  rich  chestnut  brown,  the  sides  of  the  face  and  a  stripe  over  the  shoul- 
ders are  yellow ;  the  general  color  of  the  body  is  of  a  sandy-red.  The 
tail,  like  some  other  parts,  is  dark  above  and  yellow  beneath,  and  is  some- 
what tufted  at  the  tip.  A  full  beard,  in  the  males,  curls  up  under  the 
chin,  and  reaches  almost  to  the  nose. 

The  male  is  remarkable  for  his  size  and  strength,  and  must  be  formid- 
able, from  the  largeness  of  his  canine  teeth.  The  female  is  considerably 
smaller.  According  to  Wurmb,  "  these  monkeys  associate  iu  large  troops  ; 
their  cry,  which  is  deep-toned,  resembles  the  word  kahau"  This  name 
has,  therefore,  been  given  to  the  long-nosed  monkey.  Wurmb  also  says, 
"  They  assemble  morning  and  evening,  at  the  rising  and  setting  of  the 
sun,  along  the  borders  of  rivers,  and  are  to  be  seen  on  the  borders  of  lofty 
trees,  where  they  offer  an  agreeable  spectacle,  darting  with  great  rapidity 
from  one  tree  to  another,  at  the  distance  of  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet,  I 
have  not  observed  that  they  hold  their  nose  while  leaping  as  the  natives 


348 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


say  they  do,  but  I  have  seen  that  they  then  stretch  out  their  paws  in  a  re- 
markable manner." 

The  baboons  belong  to  a  family  of  monkeys,  which  is  called  cyno- 
cephalus  by  Cuvier.  They  are  among  the  largest  of  the  four-handed 
animals.  Their  strength  is  enormous ;  they  are  fierce  and  malignant 
and  their  habits  are  disgusting.  In  a  wild  state  they  are  very  cunning, 


DOG-FACED   BABOONS. 

and  when  attacked  are  dangerous  enemies.  They  run  well  on  the 
ground  and  are  also  excellent  climbers.  They  feed  on  fruits,  roots,  the 
tender  twigs  of  plants,  and  occasionally  on  eggs  and  young  birds.  In 
captivity  they  will  eat  almost  anything.  When  confined  in  a  cage  they 
will  sometimes  shake  its  bars  so  powerfully  as  to  make  the  spectators 
tremble. 


FOUR-HANDED  ANIMALS. 


349 


In  Siam  they  are  said  to  frequently  sally  forth  in  great  numbers  and 
to  attack  the  villages,  while  the  inhabitants  are  occupied  in  the  rice  har- 
vest, and  to  plunder  the  habitations  of  whatever  provisions  they  can  lay 
their  hands  on.  In  captivity  they  are  always  savage  and  ill-natured ; 
they  frequently  grind  their  teeth  and  fret  with  great  fury.  The  dog- 
faced  baboon  is  from  four  to  five  feet  high.  The  head  and  face  greatly 
resemble  those  of  a  dog.  The  hair  is  peculiarly  long  and  shaggy  as 
far  as  the  waist,  but  short  on  the  hinder  parts.  The  face  is  naked  and  the 
ears  are  pointed  and  concealed  in  the  fur.  These  animals  usually  con- 
gregate in  vast  companies.  Among  the  mountains  near  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  there  are  immense  troops  of  these  baboons  or  of  a  kind 
called  ursine  baboons.  When  any  person  approaches  their  haunts,  they 
set  up  a  universal  and  horrible  cry  and  then  conceal  themselves  in  their 
fastnesses  and  keep  silence. 

A  Pack  of  Thieves. 

They  seldom  descend  to  the  plains,  except  for  the  purpose  of  plun- 
dering the  gardens,  that  lie  near  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  While 
plundering  they  place  sentinels,  to  prevent  a  surprise.  They  break  the 
fruit  in  pieces  and  cram  it  into  their  cheek  pouches,  in  order  afterwards 
to  eat  in  leisure.  The  sentinel,  if  it  sees  a  white  man,  gives  a  loud  yell 
and  the  whole  troop  retreats  with  the  utmost  expedition. 

This  baboon  is  also  found  in  Abyssinia  and  Nubia,  where  they  live  in 
caverns  and  fastnesses  which  are  protected  against  the  weather  by  over- 
hanging rocks.  When  attacked  they  defend  themselves  by  throwing- 
large  stones  at  their  enemies.  In  captivity  they  are  generally  kept 
chained  to  a  pole  and  their  agility  in  climbing,  leaping,  and  dodging  any 
one  that  offers  to  strike  them  is  almost  incredible.  It  is  impossible 
at  the  distance  of  a  few  yards  to  hit  them  with  a  stone.  They  will  either 
catch  it  like  a  ball,  or  will  avoid  its  blow  with  the  most  astonishing  agility. 

Awkward  Situation. 

A  strange  encounter  with  a  troop  of  baboons  in  KafTraria,  occurred  to 
the  Rev.  F.  Fleming,  Chaplain  to  her  Majesty's  forces,  who  relates  it  as 
follows  :  Whilst  on  an  excursion  to  Perrie  Bush,  the  author  started  from 
the  village  alone  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the  saw-pits,  which  were  about 
a  mile  or  more  towards  the  middle  of  the  forest.  Having  reached  these, 
and  transacted  the  business  in  hand,  he  was  informed  of  a  small  rivulet, 
at  a  little  distance  further  among  the  woods,  forming  some  very  pictur- 
esque cascades,  and  the  banks  of  which  were  covered  with  a  beautiful 
and  rare  kind  of  flower. 

Seduced  by  the  wild  loveliness  of  the  scene,  he  advanced  further  on,  at 


350  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  other  side  of  the  stream,  along  what  is  called  a  Kaffir  path;  but,  soon 
getting  off  this  he  became  entangled  in  the  bush  and  underwood.  The 
foliage  overhead  being  so  thick  as  to  exclude  the  sun,  a  small  pocket- 
compass  was  the  only  safe  guide;  and,  whilst  trying  to  adjust  and  steady 
this,  he  was  saluted  by  a  volley  of  broken  sticks  and  berries  from  over- 
head. Never  dreaming  of  such  an  attack,  and  not  being  able  to  see 
the  slighest  vestige  of  animals  near,  he  still  continued  his  occupation, 
when  a  second  similar  salute  made  him  gladly  pocket  the  compass,  and 
make  towards  the  low  ground  in  hopes  of  finding  the  stream.  This  he 
soon  reached,  and,  when  on  its  bank,  more  easily  recovered  the  lost  path. 
During  his  perplexity,  however,  the  chattering  overhead  soon  betrayed 
the  assailants  to  be  a  large  herd  of  baboons,  whom  he  now  thought,  when 
clear  of  the  thicket,  he  might  tease  in  his  turn.  Accordingly  he  com- 
menced throwing  stones  at  such  as  were  within  reach  ;  when,  instead  of 
taking  to  flight,  as  he  expected  they  would,  to  his  great  consternation  he 
beheld,  from  every  tree  near  him,  five  or  six  of  these  great  creatures, 
swinging  from  branch  to  branch,  and  making  towards  himself  and  the 

ground. 

A  Race  Fo*  Life. 

Having  no  gun  and  no  whip  with  him,  he  now  thought  it  full  time  to 
decamp,  which  he  immediately  did,  running  faster,  probably,  than  ever  he 
did  before  or  has  done  since,  and  pursued  at  full  cry — if  cry  the  dreadful 
noise  could  be  termed — by  fifty  or  sixty  ugly,  awkward  wretches,  that 
seemed  to  mock  at  the  courage  of  their  adversary,  and  certainly  despised 
his  ill-judged  plan  of  attack  and  defence.  At  the  saw-pits,  however,  they 
sounded  a  halt,  fearing  that  he  would  find  a  reinforcement  there  among 
the  sawyers.  But  this,  to  his  great  dismay,  was  not  forthcoming,  as  they 
had  gone  home  to  the  village  for  dinner.  He  therefore  tried  to  increase 
his  speed,  and  finally  succeeded  in  getting  away  from  them  and  back  to 
Perrie,  very  glad  indeed  to  escape  so  easily  ;  and  his  face  and  boots  telling 
rather  plainly  there  whether  he  had  been  following  after  the  beautiful,  or 
the  baboons  after  him. 

A  baboon  alone  would  doubtless  be  found  an  awkward  customer  ;  for 
his  great  strength  and  activity,  and  the  powerful  canine  teeth  with  which 
he  is  furnished,  would  render  him  a  formidable  enemy,  were  he,  from  des- 
peration, forced  to  stand  and  defend  his  life.  It  is  most  fortunate  that  the 
courage  of  these  animals  is  merely  sufficient  to  induce  them  to  act  on  the 
defensive.  This,  indeed,  they  only  do  against  a  man  when  driven  to  it  by 
fear;  otherwise  they  generally  prefer  prudence  to  valor.  Had  their 
combativeness  been  proportioned  to  their  physical  power,  coming,  as  they 


FOUR-HANDED  ANIMALS. 


351 


do  frequently,  in  bodies  of  two  or  three  hundred,  it  would  be  impossible 
for  natives  to  go  out  of  their  villages,  except  in  parties,  and  armed ;  and, 
instead  of  little  boys,  regiments  of  armed  men  would  be  required  to  guard 
the  corn-fields. 

I  have  frequently  seen  baboons,  says  a  traveller,  turn  on  dogs,  and  have 
heard  of  their  attacking  women,  whom  they  may  have  accidentally  met 


LION  MONKEYS  STEALING  COCOANUTS. 

alone  in  the  roads  or  woods.  On  one  occasion  I  was  told  of  a  woman 
who  was  so  grievously  maltreated  by  them,  that,  although  she  was  suc- 
coured by  the  opportune  help  of  some  passers-by,  she  died  a  few  days  after, 
from  the  fright  and  ill-treatment  she  had  endured. 

A  baboon  was  described  by  Buffbn  as  not  altogether  hideous,  and  yet 
as  exciting  horror.  It  appeared  to  be  continually  in  a  state  of  savage  fe- 
rocity, grinding  its  teeth,  perpetually  restless,  and  agitated  by  unprovoked 


352  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

fury.     It  was  obliged  to  be  shut  up  in  an  iron  cage,  the  bars  of  which  it 
struck  frequently  with  its  hand,  and  thus  excited  the  apprehensions  of  the 

spectators. 

The  Lion  Monkey  or  Marikina. 

Our  illustration  represents  this  pretty  little  reddish  monkey,  which  is 
found  in  the  forests  of  tropical  Brazil,  between  the  twenty-second  and 
twenty-third  degree  of  southern  latitude.  It  lives  on  high  trees,  and  feeds 
on  fruits  and  small  insects.  With  its  cousins,  this  pretty  little  animal 
.shares  the  propensities  and  bad  habits.  It  is  timid,  distrustful,  easily 
•excited  and  passionate,  and  never  shows  much  affection  for  its  master, 
like  other  higher  developed  monkeys. 

They  live  in  pairs,  and  seem  to  get  along  with  each  other  very  well. 
In  captivity  they  are  fed  with  boiled  rice,  fruit  and  wheat  bread,  but  now 
and  then  they  must  be  given  some  meat  or  insects,  because  animal  food 
is  essential  to  their  well-being. 

The  monkey  called  the  entellus  is  held  sacred  in  some  parts  of  India, 
particularly  in  Lower  Bengal.  The  origin  of  the  extreme  veneration 
which  multitudes  cherish  for  this  animal  is  involved  in  the  obscurity  of 
their  early  history,  and  may  be  traced  back  to  the  most  remote  periods. 
The  superstitions  and  traditions  of  the  Brahmins,  in  reference  to  monkeys, 
hold  a  prominent  place  in  the  "  Ramayan,"  which  has  been  styled  a 
""  great  epic  poem."  It  describes  a  struggle  between  the  Hindoo  gods,  on 
the  one  hand,  under  Rana,  and  a  nation  of  demons  on  the  other,  who  are 
called  Rackschasas,  and  who  under  their  King  Ravana,  are  supposed  to 
reside  in  the  Island  of  Ceylon.  The  former,  assisted  by  an  invulnerable 
tribe  of  monkeys,  under  their  chief,  Hoonuman,  at  length  triumphed  over 
the  latter. 

Some  years  ago,  a  rajah  spent  100,000  rupees  in  marrying  two 
monkeys,  with  all  the  parade  of  a  Hindoo  wedding.  The  festivities  on 
-such  an  occasion  always  take  place  at  night.  As  the  bride-groom  goes 
forth  to  the  house  of  the  bride,  or  as  he  returns  to  his  own  habitation, 
or  to  that  of  his  father,  he  is  accompanied  by  numerous  friends  and  de- 
pendents, bearing  lamps  and  torches.  When  he  approaches  either 
house  the  inmates  rush  out  to  meet  him,  and  greet  him  with  their  con- 
gratulations and  best  wishes.  The  path  is  covered  with  garments,  and 
lamps,  like  fire-flies,  sparkle  in  great  numbers,  all  around. 

On  the  so-called  marriage  of  the  monkeys,  there  were  seen  in  the  pro- 
cession, elephants,  camels,  horses  richly  comparisoned,  palanquins,  flam- 
beaux, and  lamps.  The  male  monkey  was  fastened  in  a  gaily-decked 
palanquin,  having  a  crown  on  his  head,  with  men  standing  by  his  side  *o 


FOUR  HANDED  ANIMALS.  353 

fan  him,  as  they  would  a  human  being.  Then  followed  singing  and 
dancing  girls  in  carriages,  and  for  twelve  days  the  festivities  were  car- 
ried on  at  the  monkey's  palace. 

A  very  different  feeling  to  that  manifested  at  the  monkey  wedding  is 
sometimes  displayed.  Mr.  Ward,  the  missionary,  states  that  he  heard  of 
a  quarrel  between  two  Brahmins,  one  of  whom  was  paid  by  a  rich  Hindoo 
to  repeat  daily  the  ceremonies  of  the  worship  of  Hoonuman  in  his  house ; 
the  other  said,  "Thou  refuse  of  Brahmins;  thougainest  a  subsistence  by 
worshipping  a  monkey!"  Such  cases,  however,  are  only  exceptional. 
In  Ahmenadab,  hospitals  were  built  for  the  benefit  of  monkeys,  where 
thousands  were  kept  in  fancied  ease  and  indulgence.  Gorgeous  temples 

were  erected, 

With  pious  care  a  monkey  to  enshrine  ! 

Mofleus,  in  his  "  History  of  India/'  describes  a  temple  of  great  magnifi- 
cence ;  it  was  supported  by  no  fewer  than  seven  hundred  columns,  and  in 
fiontof  it  was  a  splendid  portico  for  the  reception  of  the  victims  intended 
for  the  sacrifices.  Linschotten  relates,  that  when  the  Portuguese  plun- 
dered a  palace,  in  the  island  of  Ceylon,  they  found  in  a  little  gold  casket 
the  tooth  of  a  monkey — a  relic  held  by  the  natives  in  such  veneration, 
that  they  offered  seven  hundred  thousand  ducats  to  redeem  it ;  but  it 
was  burnt  by  the  Viceroy  to  stop  the  progress  of  such  idolatry. 

Among  the  superstitious  tales  told  by  the  Hindoos  in  reference  to  the 
monkey,  there  are  some  of  a  ludicrous  character.  Thus,  the  monkey  is 
said  to  have  carried  off  the  mango  from  the  garden  of  a  celebrated  giant 
whom  he  had  overcome ;  but  as  this  act  of  theft  was  committed  after  the 
surrender  of  the  giant,  it  drew  down  upon  the  monkey  the.  vengeance  of 
the  gods.  To  evince  their  displeasure,  therefore,  they  blackened  the  face 
and  hands  of  himself  and  his  race! 

In  the  war  already  described,  Hoonuman,  it  is  said  resolved  to  set  fire 
to  the  Island  of  Ceylon,  and  to  destroy  his  enemies  at  once,  by  means  of 
a  tar-barrel  tied  to  his  tail.  No  sooner  was  the  plan  devised  than  it  was 
executed ;  but  in  the  act  of  burning  out  his  foes,  a  mischance  on  which 
he  had  not  calculated  occurred — his  own  tail  caught  fire.  Stung  by  the 
pain,  and  fearful  of  losing  so  ornamental  and  valuable  an  appendage,  he 
was  about  to  extinguish  the  flame  by  plunging  into  the  sea,  but  the  tribes 
of  the  ocean  vehemently  remonstrated  against  such  a  course,  which 
threatened  them  with  being  broiled,  and  compelled  him  to  desist. 
23 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
PECULIAR  SPECIES  OF  BIRDS. 

The  World's  Favorites— Fairies  of  the  Air— Orchestras  on  the  Wing— Creatures 
whose  Clothing  Grows  on  Them— Specimens  of  Cockatoos — Noisy  Flights — 
Easily  Tamed  and  Affectionate— The  Night  Swallow — A  Fine  Streamer — Beauty 
of  Color — Graceful  Movements — Esculent  Swallow — The  Strangest  Food  in  the 
World— Remarkable  Nests — Sappho  Humming  Bird— Rainbow  Colors  Dart- 
ing Through  the  Air — Sword  Bill — Long  Beak — Peregrine  Falcon — Ancient 
"Hawking" — A  Bird  Trained  For  the  Chase — Combat  in  the  Air — Secretary 
Bird — A  Warrior  with  Wings— Death  to  Snakes — Power  of  Leg  and  Foot — Cour- 
age that  Never  Fails — Remarkable  Birds'  Nests — Titmouse — Closing  the  Door  of 
the  Nest — A  Watchful  Sentinel — Sociable  Grossbeaks — Wonderful  Nest — A  Bird 
that  Sews  with  Thread  and  Needle— Tailor  Bird's  Nest— Three-Toed  Wood- 
pecker— A  Creature  that  Leaves  its  Mark — Penguins — Wings  and  Fins  Com- 
bined— "  Sitting  up  Like  a  Major" — Description  by  Darwin — Training  up  Young 
Penguins — The  World-Renowned  Pelican— Marvelous  Sight— Great  Assembly  of 
Birds— Montgomery's  Poetical  Tribute  to  the  Pelican. 

IRDS,  says  Figuier,  are  the  spoilt  children  of  nature — the  favor- 
ites of  creation.  Their  plumage  often  assumes  the  most  resplen- 
dent colors.  They  have  the  happy  privilege  of  moving  in 
space — now  fluttering  through  the  air,  hunting  the  insect  which 
flits  from  flower  to  flower ;  or  soaring  high  aloft,  to  swoop  upon  the  vic- 
tim marked  for  their  prey ;  again  cleaving  the  atmosphere,  and  performing 
journeys  of  vast  extent  with  great  rapidity.  Mankind  cannot  fail  to  ad- 
mire these  winged  beings,  which  charm  at  once  by  the  elegance  of  their 
form,  the  melody  of  their  song,  and  the  graceful  impetuosity  of  their 
movements. 

Of  all  the  animals  by  which  we  are  surrounded  in  the  ample  field  of 
nature,  there  are  none  more  remarkable  in  their  appearance  and  habits 
than  the  feathered  inhabitants  of  the  air.  They  play  around  us  like  fairy 
spirits,  elude  approach  in  an  element  which  defies  pursuit,  soar  out  of  sight 
in  the  yielding  sky,  journey  over  our  heads  in  marshaled  ranks,  dart  like 
meteors  in  the  sunshine  of  summer,  or,  seeking  the  solitary  recesses  of  the 
forest  or  the  waters,  they  glide  before  us  like  beings  of  fancy.  They  diver- 
sify the  still  landscape  with  the  most  lovely  motion  and  beautiful  associa- 
tion ;  they  come  and  go  with  the  change  of  the  seasons,  and  as  their 
actions  are  directed  by  an  uncontrollable  instinct  of  provident  nature, 
(354) 


PECULIAR  SPECIES  OF  BIRDS.  355 

they  may  be  considered  as  concomitant  with  the  beauty  of  the  surround- 
ing scene. 

With  what  grateful  sensations  do  we  hail  these  faithful  messengers  of 
spring  and  summer  after  the  lapse  of  the  dreary  winter,  which  compelled 
them  to  forsake  us  for  more  favored  climes !  Their  songs,  now  heard 
from  the  leafy  groves  and  shadowy  forests,  inspire  delight  or  recollections 
of  the  pleasing  past  in  every  breast.  How  volitate,  how  playfully  capri- 
cious, how  musical  and  happy,  are  these  roving  sylphs  of  nature,  to  whom 
the  earth,  the  air,  and  the  waters,  are  almost  alike  habitable.  Their  lives 
are  spent  in  boundless  action,  and  nature,  with  an  omniscient  benevolence, 
has  assisted'  and  formed  them  for  this  wonderful  display  of  perpetual  life 
and  vigor  in  an  element  almost  their  own. 

Remarkable  Clothing-  of  Birds. 

The  clothing  of  the  skin  of  birds  consists  of  feathers,  which  in  their 
nature  and  development  resemble  hair,  but  are  of  a  far  more  complicated 
structure.  A  perfect  feather  consists  of  the  shaft  or  central  stem,  which  is 
tubular  at  the  base,  where  it  is  inserted  into  the  skin,  and  the  barbs  or 
fibres,  which  form  the  webs  on  each  side  of  the  shaft.  The  two  principal 
modifications  of  feathers  are  quills  and  plumes,  the  former  confined  to  the 
wings  and  tail,  the  latter  constituting  the  general  clothing  of  the  body. 
Besides  the  common  feathers,  the  skin  of  many  birds,  and  especially  of 
the  aquatic  species,  is  covered  with  a  thick  coating  of  down,  which  con- 
sists of  a  multitude  of  small  feathers  of  peculiar  construction;  each  of 
these -down  feathers  is  composed  of  a  very  small,  soft  tube  imbedded  in  the 
skin,  from  the  interior  of  which  there  rises  a  small  tuft  of  soft  filaments, 
without  any  central  shaft. 

This  downy  coat  fulfils  the  same  office  as  the  soft,  woolly  fur  of  many 
quadrupeds,  the  ordinary  feathers  being  analogous  to  the  long,  smooth 
hair  by  which  the  fur  of  those  animals  is  concealed.  The  skin  also  bears 
a  good  many  hair-like  appendages,  which  are  usually  scattered  sparingly 
over  its  surface;  they  rise  from  a  bulb  which  is  imbedded  in  the  skin,  and 
usually  indicate  their  relation  to  the  ordinary  feathers  by  the  presence  of  a 
few  minute  barbs  toward  the  apex. 

Once  or  twice  in  the  course  of  the  year  the  whole  plumage  of  the  bird 
is  renewed,  the  casting  of  the  old  feathers  being  called  moulting.  In  many 
cases  the  new  clothing  is  very  different  from  that  which  it  replaces,  and  in 
fairds  inhabiting  temperate  and  cold  climates  we  can  frequently  distinguish 
a  summer  and  winter  dress.  This  circumstance  has  given  rise  to  the  for- 
mation of  a  considerable  number  of  false  species,  as  the  appearance  of  the 
birds  in  these  different  states  is  often  very  dissimilar,  and  it  is  only  by  an 


WHITE    AND    RAVEN    COCKATOOS. 


PECULIAR  SPECIES  OF  BIRDS.  357 

accurate  study  of  the  living  animals,  which  is  of  course  almost  impossible 
with  many  exotic  birds,  that  such  mistakes  as  these  can  be  prevented  or 
rectified.  Another  fertile  source  of  similar  errors  is  to  be  found  in  the 
difference  which  very  commonly  exists  between  the  two  sexes,  a  difference 
which  is  often  so  great  that,  without  particular  information  derived  from 
the  observation  of  birds  in  their  native  haunts,  it  would  be  impossible  to 
refer  the  males  and  females  to  their  proper  partners ;  and  the  difficulty  is 
still  further  increased  by  the  fact  that  the  young  of  all  birds  in  their  first 
plumage  differ  more  or  less  from  their  parents,  and  frequently  only  acquire 
their  mature  dress  after  the  lapse  of  three  or  four  years,  the  plumage  un- 
dergoing a  certain  change  at  each  moult. 

The  Kose-Cockatoo  and  Raven- Cockatoo. 

Cockatoo  is  the  name  given  to  a  certain  family  of  parrots  from  their 
peculiar  call-note  or  cry.  About  a  dozen  species  are  found  in  the  forests 
of  the  Moluccas,  Brazil,  and  Australia,  some  preferring  high  trees  near 
rivers  and  swamps ;  others  the  open  plains.  They  are  shy  and  hard  to 
approach,  though  their  presence  is  easily  known  from  a  distance  by  the 
loud  screams  from  their  vast  flocks.  They  feed  on  vegetable  substances, 
seeds,  nuts  and  bulbous  roots,  which  they  dig  up  with  their  strong  claws. 

This  genus  embraces  some  of  the  most  beautiful  species.  They  are 
generally  of  large  size,  of  a  white  plumage,  tinged  with  rose  color  or 
sulphur  yellow,  and  with  large  crests.  Among  the  finest  is  the  tri-color 
crested  cockatoo  with  a  crest  of  scarlet,  yellow  and  white,  with  the  tips 
directed  forward,  which  the  bird  can  open  and  shut  like  a  fan.  The 
whole  of  the  body  is  white,  tinged  with  crimson  on  the  neck,  breast, 
sides  and  under  the  tail  and  wings,  which  are  remarkable  for  their 
powdery  surface. 

Another  species  peculiar  to  Australia  is  the  nosed  cockatoo,  character- 
ized by  a  very  large  and  strong  bill,  the  wings  moderate  and  the  tail 
rounded.  They  live  in  small  flocks  in  woods  near  rivers,  feeding  on  the 
bark  and  fruit  of  the  eucalyptus.  Their  flight  is  heavy  and  noisy.  They 
are  very  shy  and  more  fierce  and  wild  than  other  parrots.  The  eggs,  two 
or  three  in  number,  are  laid  in  the  hollows  of  decayed  trees.  One  of  the 
finest  species  is  the  raven-cockatoo  or  great  black-cockatoo.  It  is  a 
beautiful,  large  bird  living  in  the  forests  of  Australia  and  the  eastern 
islands  and  generally  feeding  on  the  fruits  of  the  eucalyptus,  but,  different 
from  other  parrots,  occasionally  eating  fat  worms.  They  generally  live 
in  flocks  of  four  to  eight  birds.  Their  flight  is  heavy;  it  seldom  ascends 
to  a  great  altitude  in  the  air. 

The  cockatoos  are  easily  tamed  and  are  of  a  very  affectionate  disposi- 


358 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


tion.  Travellers  in  New  South  Wales  are  unanimous  in  saying^ 
that  the  impression  made  by  the  profusion  of  these  magnificent 
birds  surpasses  description.  As  far  as  known,  the  black  or  raven- 
cockatoos,  lay  their  eggs  in  the  hollows  of  trees.  In  captivity  they  feed 
on  grains  of  hemp  or  oats,  boiled  corn,  and  are  very  fond  of  snails  and 
worms. 

The  typical  genus  called  swallows,  having  more  than  fifty  species,  em- 
braces several  well  known  swallows  both  in  America  and  in  the  Old  World. 


THE   FLAG    NIGHT-SWALLOW. 

Their  food  consists  of  insects,  which  they  take  on  the  wing,  usually  in 
the  neighborhood  of  water;  they  drink  on  the  wing  and  often  wash 
themselves  by  a  sudden  plunge. 

They  fly  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  a  minute  in  their  ordinary  evolutions,  but 
are  rather  awkward  on  the  ground  ;  their  sight  is  very  acute.  They  fly 
low  in  damp  weather,  where  the  insects  are  most  abundant  and  thence  are 
supposed  to  foretell  rain.  They  are  most  numerous  in  the  tropics,  mi- 
grating to  and  from  temperate  regions. 

Swallows  are  easily  distinguished  from  all  other  birds  not  only  by 


360  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

their  general  structure,  but  by  their  twittering  voice  and  their  manner  of 
life.  Several  species  of  night-swallows  are  found,  among  which  the  flag 
night-swallow,  as  shown  by  our  illustration,  is  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing and  beautiful.  This  bird  is  found  in  the  tropical  regions  of  Central 

Africa. 

Salang-aiie  or  Esculent  Swallow. 

The  salangane  is  somewhat  smaller  than  the  wren.  Its  bill  is  thick ; 
the  upper  parts  of  the  body  are  brown,  and  the  under  parts  whitish.  The 
tail  is  forked,  and  each  feather  is  tipped  with  white.  The  nest  of  this  bird 
is  exceedingly  curious,  and  is  composed  of  such  materials  that  it  is  not 
only  edible,  but  is  considered  a  delicacy  by  the  epicures  of  Asia.  It 
generally  weighs  about  half  an  ounce,  and  is  in  form  like  a  saucer, 
or  one-fourth  of  an  egg,  with  one  side  flattened,  which  adheres  to  the 
rock.  The  texture  resembles  isinglass  or  gum-dragon,  and  the  several 
layers  of  the  component  matter  are  apparent,  it  being  built  of  parcels 
or  soft  slimy  substance,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  martins  form  their 
nests  of  mud. 

There  is  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  materials  of  which  this  nest  is 
composed ;  some  suppose  it  to  consist  of  sea  worms  or  mollusks,  or  the 
spawn  of  fishes ;  others,  of  the  seaqualm,  a  kind  of  cuttle  fish,  or  a  gluti- 
nous sea-plant  called  agal-agal,  and  others  assert  that  the  swallows  rob 
other  birds  of  their  eggs,  and  after  breaking  their  shells  apply  the  white 
of  them  in  the  composition  of  their  nests. 

Eating  Birds'  Nests. 

The  best  kind  of  nests  which  are  free  from  dirt  are  dissolved  in  broth, 
and  are  said  to  give  it  an  excellent  flavor,  or  they  are  used  as  stuffing  of  a 
fowl.  They  are  found  in  vast  numbers  in  dark  caverns  of  islands  in  the 
Soolo  Archipelago,  and  are  sold  in  China  at  from  one  thousand  to  fifteen 
hundred  dollars  for  about  seventy-five  pounds. 

The  nests  adhere  to  each  other  and  to  the  sides  of  the  cavern,  mostly 
in  rows,  without  any  break  or  interruption.  They  are  a  considerable 
object  of  traffic  among  the  Javanese,  many  of  whom  are  employed  in  it 
from  their  infancy.  The  birds  after  having  spent  nearly  two  months  in 
preparing  their  nests  lay  two  eggs  which  are  hatched  in  about  fifteen 
days.  When  the  young  birds  become  fledged  it  is  the  proper  time  to 
take  the  nests,  and  this  is  regularly  done  three  times  a  year,  and  is  effected 
by  means  of  ladders,  by  which  the  people  descend  into  the  caverns.  This 
operation  is  attended  with  much  danger.  It  is  estimated  that  the  annual 
export  of  these  nests  from  Java  into  China  represents  a  value  of  one  mil- 
lion five  hundred  thousand  dollars. 


PECULIAR  SPECIES  OF  BIRDS. 


361 


The  humming-birds  are  the  most  diminutive  of  all  the  feathered  tribes. 
They  are  natives  of  the  warmer  parts  of  America  and  some  of  the  West 
India  Islands,  and  bear  a  great  resemblance  to  each  other  in  manners. 
Their  principal  food  is  the  nectar  at  the  bottom  of  tubular-shaped  flowers, 
which  they  extract  while  on  the  wing,  by  means  of  their  long  and  slen- 
der bills.  ' 


^-.SC^N 


THE   SAPPHO    HUMMING-BIRD. 

Their  name  is  derived  from  the  humming  noise  they  make  with  their 
wings.  In  whatever  latitude,  their  manners  are  the  same ;  very  quick 
and  active,  almost  constantly  on  the  wing,  as  they  dart  in  the  bright  sun 
they  display  their  bills  and  colors.  They  rarely  alight  on  the  ground, 
but  perch  readily  on  branches.  Their  nests  are  delicate,  but  compact  and 
lined  with  the  softest  vegetable  downs,  about  an  inch  in  diameter  and 


362 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


depth,  and  perched  on  trees,  shrubs  and  reeds.  These  little  birds  are 
very  pugnacious  and  will  attack  any  intruder  coming  near  their  nests. 
They  are  incidentally  honey-eaters,  but  essentially  insectivorous. 

The  sappho  humming-bird,  which  is  found  in  Bolivia,  is  of  scarlet-red 
color  on  the  upper  part ;  the  head  and  under  parts  being  of  a  green  hue, 
which  is  lighter  and  brighter  at  the  throat.  The  wings  are  of  a  purple- 


THE    SWORD    BILL. 


brownish  color  and  the  tail  feathers  of  garnet  color  tipped,  with  dark- 
brown.  The  color  of  the  female  on  the  upper  parts  is  green,  while  the 
under  parts  are  gray  and  the  tail  feathers  light-red. 

Of  all  the  humming-birds  the  sword  bill  has  the  longest  bill,  and  can 
therefore  easily  be  discerned  from  the  others.     The  bill  is  of  the  same 


PECULIAR  SPECIES  OF  BIRDS.  363 

length  as  the  body  of  the  bird,  slightly  bent  upwards,  a  little  flattened  at 
the  point.  The  male  is  of  green,  the  head  of  copper  color,  and  the  under 
parts  of  bronze  color,  the  wings  brown.  The  home  of  this  bird  is  Quito 

and  Venezuela. 

The  Peregrine  Falcon. 

The  falcons  are  found  throughout  the  world  regardless  of  climate ;  they 
are  powerful  and  rapid  flyers,  hovering  over  their  prey  and  dashing  per- 
pendicularly upon  it.  They  pursue  birds  chiefly,  but  attack  also  small 
quadrupeds.  The  common  or  peregrine  falcon,  also  called  the  duck- 
hawk,  is  solitary,  except  during  the  pairing  of  the  breeding  season,  which 
is  in  very  early  spring ;  it  is  found  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States  and  in 
Cuba,  coming  to  the  south  in  the  winter  months.  It  is  distributed  over 
temperate  Europe  where  the  country  is  mountainous  and  the  sea  coast 
precipitous. 

Before  the  invention  of  gunpowder,  falcons  were  very  frequently  trained 
to  pursue  herons  and  various  kind  of  game,  and  falconry  was  a  favorite 
sport  of  kings  and  nobles.  Even  now  falcons  are  used  for  this  purpose 
in  the  Orient,  especially  Persia.  Falconry  is  the  art  of  training  falcons  or 
other  birds  of  prey  for  the  chase,  the  "  hawking,"  as  it  is  called  in  Eng- 
land. 

A  Bird  used  in  the  Chase. 

The  practice  of  hunting  with  falcons  is  very  ancient  in  Europe  and  Asia,, 
and  was  in  existence  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  centuries,  and  was  common  in 
England  from  the  eighth  century  to  the  time  of  the  Stuarts.  The  Per- 
sians are  skillful  in  training  falcons  to  hunt  all  kinds  of  birds,  and  even 
gazelles.  The  peregrine  falcon  was  in  the  palmy  days  of  hawking  one  of 
the  favorite  falcons  chosen  for  that  sport.  Its  strength  and  swiftness 
are  very  great,  enabling  it  to  strike  down  its  prey  with  great  ease.  From 
its  successful  pursuit  of  ducks  the  Americans  call  it  duck-hawk. 

There  is  a  peculiarity  in  the  method  of  attack  which  this  bird  employs 
when  pursuing  small  game.  Instead  of  merely  dashing  at  its  prey  and 
grasping  it  with  its  claws,  the  peregrine  falcon  strikes  it  with  its  breast  and 
stuns  it  with  the  violence  of  the  blow  before  seizing  it  with  its  claws. 
The  courage  of  the  peregrine  falcon  is  so  great  that  it  was  generally  em- 
ployed to  take  the  heron. 

Battle  in  the  Air. 

After  this  bird  had  been  roused  the  falcon,  which  had  previously  been 
held  hooded  on  the  falconer's  hand,  was  loosed  from  its  bonds  and  cast  off. 
A  contest  then  generally  took  place  between  the  heron  and  falcon,  each 
striving  to  ascend  above  the  other.  In  this  contest  the  falcon  was  always 


FAMOUS    PEREGRINE    FALCON. 


(364) 


PECULIAR  SPECIES  OF  BIRDS. 


365- 


victorious,  and  after  it  had  attained  a  certain  altitude  it  swept  or  "stooped'* 
upon  the  heron.  When  the  falcon  was  closed  with  its  prey,  they  both 
came  down  together  and  the  sportsman's  business  was  to  reach  the  place 
of  conflict  as  soon  as  possible  and  assist  the  falcon  in  the  battle.  The 
peregrine  falcon  changes  the  color  of  its  plumage  several  times  before  it 
arrives  at  full  maturity.  It  builds  on  ledges  of  rocks,  laying  four  eggs, 
of  a  reddish-brown  color. 


SECRETARY    BIRD    KILLING   A   SNAKE. 

There  is  a  very  warlike-looking  bird  which  might,  at  first  sight,  be 
thought  to  belong  to  the  tribe  of  long-legged  storks  or  cranes.  But  if 
you  examine  his  curved  beak,  you  will  see  that  in  reality  he  is  a  bird  of 
prey.  Indeed,  some  people  call  him  the  "  secretary  eagle." 

The  reason  why  the  name  "secretary"  has  been  given  him  is  because 
of  the  crest  of  feathers  on  the  back  of  his  head,  that  have  a  fancied 
resemblance  to  a  pen  stuck  behind  the  ear  of  a  person  employed  in< 


"366  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

writing.  But  he  might  be  said  to  have  a  link  with  another  family  of 
birds,  namely,  the  running  birds.  He  cannot  grasp  like  the  eagle,  and 
he  does  not  live,  like  his  noble  relative,  on  high  mountains,  or  soar 
towards  the  clouds.  On  the  contrary,  he  keeps  on  the  ground,  and  runs 
here  and  there  on  his  long  legs.  So  that  it  is  rather  a  difficult  matter  to 
iind  out  where  to  place  him  among  our  feathered  friends. 

He  is  one  of  the  most  useful  birds,  and  in  certain  parts  of  the  world  is 
•cherished  with  the  utmost  care.  He  does  not  object  to  lizards,  and  even 
beetles,  by  way  of  variety ;  and  as  he  runs  about  on  the  hot,  dusty  plains 
of  Africa,  he  finds  plenty.  But  this  is  child's  play;  he  likes  best  of 
all  to  do  battle  with  a  serpent.  Many  venomous  snakes  are  found  in 
these  hot  countries,  and  the  natives  dread  them  beyond  measure.  It 
is  true  the  snake  will  rarely  attack  a  man,  and,  as  a  rule,  glides  away 
from  him;  but  sometimes  he  may  chance  to  come  too  near  it,  as  it 
lies  coiled  up,  and  if  its  terrible  fangs  do  but  touch  him,  he  is  sure  to  die. 
^To  Quarter  for  the  Enemy. 

The  secretary  bird  is  always  on  the  lookout  for  this  natural  enemy  of 
man.  In  the  picture  he  is  engaged  in  a  fierce  battle  with  a  serpent.  The 
serpent  is,  as  you  see,  in  a  rage.  At  first  all  its  attempts  were  directed  to 
getting  back  to  its  hole,  but  its  enemy  was  more  than  a  match  for  it. 
Whichever  way  it  turned  the  bird  hopped  in  its  path,  and  stood  with 
flashing  eyes  and  outspread  wings.  Then  the  serpent  was  fairly  roused. 
It  raised  itself  up,  swelled  out  its  dreadful  neck,  and  darted  out  its  fangs. 
For  a  moment  the  bird  gave  way  a  little,  and  seemed  as  if  considering 
what  to  do. 

But  his  courage  soon  revived.  He  was  resolved  not  to  be  cheated  of 
his  prey,  so  he  covered  himself  with  one  wing  as  with  a  shield,  and 
struck  violently  at  the  serpent  with  the  other.  The  serpent  was  knocked 
down  by  the  blow,  and  every  time  it  attempted  to  rise,  the  bird  struck  at 
it  again.  At  last  the  snake  could  rise  no  more,  and  the  bird  killed  it  by 
striking  its  head  with  his  beak. 

Such  battles  are  often  taking  place,  and  the  bird  is  much  admired  for 
his  courage.  He  is  considered  a  most  valuable  member  of  society,  and 
his  family  have  been  invited  over  to  the  plantations  in  the  West  Indies. 
Here  they  are  highly  esteemed,  and  no  one  ever  thinks  of  harming  them. 
The  plantations  abound  in  snakes,  and  their  number  is  thinned  by  the 
introduction  of  these  their  inveterate  enemies. 

When  the  snake  is  small  enough,  the  bird  snaps  it  up,  and  carries  it  off 
to  the  top  of  a  tree.  Then  he  lets  it  drop,  and  follows  it,  as  it  descends, 
with  much  adroitness,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  strike  it  when  it  lies  stunned 


PECULIAR  SPECIES  OF  BIRDS. 


367 


on  the  ground.     He  does  not  always  strike  with  his  wing,  but  with  the 
sole  of  his  foot.     He  always  kills  his  prey  before  he  devours  it. 

Serpents  are  not  his  only  food,  for  he  preys  upon  lizards  and  tortoises 
and  insects.  The  hot  unwholesome  marsh  is  full  of  insects,  and  the  sec- 
retary bird  thins  their  number ;  so  that  every  way  he  is  useful.  He  and 


NEST   OF   THE   WATER-HEN. 

liis  partner  make  a  large  nest,  in  which  two  eggs  are  laid.  He  does 
not  choose  his  partner  without  fighting  a  great  many  battles.  Yet  he  has 
not  at  all  a  fierce  temper,  but  rather  otherwise ;  and  after  the  choice  has 
been  made  there  are  no  more  quarrels. 

The  whole  tribe  of  wrens  and  titmice  make  us  forget  their  tiny  size  in 


368  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  skillful  finish  of  their  work,  and  the  delightful  love  which  reigns  in 
every  family ;  it  is  sometimes  a  perfect  marvel  to  witness. 

Among  these  charming  guests  of  our  thickets  can  be  distinguished  the 
common  wren,  which  builds  a  nest  similar  to  a  little  underground  house. 
Then  comes  the  long-tailed  titmouse,  the  globular  abode  of  which  does 
not  exceed  the  size  of  the  fist,  and  which  is  made  of  moss  and  lichen. 
The  mother  only  enters  by  an  excessively  narrow  opening,  and  often 
nourishes  ten  or  twelve  little  ones.  It  is  quite  inexplicable  how  so  numer- 
ous a  family  can  be  crowded  into  such  a  narrow  little  chamber.  One 
would  think  they  must  be  stifled ;  but  the  young  birds,  heaped  one  upon 
another,  are  only  so  much  more  thoroughly  warmed,  and  the  whole  brood 
live  happy  and  gay  in  their  tiny  little  bed. 

Titmouse  and  Nest. 

In  respect  to  the  elegance  of  its  construction  the  penduline  titmouse 
astonishes  the  observer  still  more.  Its  nest,  suspended  to  the  branch  of  a 
tree,  has  exactly  the  shape  of  a  chemist's  retort,  only  that  instead  of  being 
manufactured  of  such  hard  material,  nothing  enters  into  the  composition 
of  it  but  fine  moss  and  down.  The  opening  is  carefully  woven ;  not  one 
vegetable  fibre  protrudes  beyond  the  other !  Who  can  describe  in  what 
a  marvelous  manner  the  bird,  while  still  on  the  wing,  approaches  its  nest,, 
enters  and  issues  by  an  opening  which  seems  to  have  scarcely  the  diam-  • 
eter  of  its  body,  and  without  ever  deranging  a  fibre  ? 

The  huts  of  some  savages  remain  constantly  open ;  their  limited 
capacity  has  not  yet  taught  them  to  invent  the  protecting  door.  Spiders 
are  more  ingenious.  There  are  some  which  understand  how  to  secure 
themselves  in  their  subterranean  abodes  by  a  skillfully  constructed  door. 
Some  birds  take  analogous  precautions. 

Jerdon  details  the  curious  domestic  arrangements  of  some  species  the 
males  of  which,  at  the  time  of  laying,  imprison  the  female  in  her  nest. 
They  close  the  entrance  to  it  by  means  of  a  thick  wall  of  mud,  leaving 
only  a  small  hole  by  which  the  hen  breathes  and  protrudes  her  beak  to 
receive  her  food.  To  this,  indeed,  her  too  stern  spouse  brings  every  mo- 
ment some  morsel  for  her  to  peck  at,  for  to  his  praise  be  it  said,  that 
though  he  is  barbarous  enough  to  immure  her,  he  feeds  her  with  the 
most  tender  solicitude.  This  enforced  retirement  only  ceases  with  the  ter- 
mination of  the  hatching,  when  the  pair  break  the  prison-door. 

In  his  voyage  to  India  Sonnerat  speaks  of  a  Cape  titmouse,  the  nest  of 
which,  shaped  like  a  bottle  and  made  of  cotton,  merits  notice.  While 
the  female  is  hatching  inside,  the  male  a  most  watchful  sentinel,  remains 
outside,  resting  in  a  pouch  made  for  the  purpose,  fixed  to  one  side  of  the 


(369) 


370 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


neck  of  the  nest.  But  when  his  mate  moves  off  and  he  wishes  to  follow 
her,  he  beats  the  opening  of  the  nest  violently  with  his  wing,  and  suc- 
ceeds in  closing  it,  in  order  to  protect  his  young  from  enemies. 

In  respect  to  ingenuity  of  construction  developed  by  the  love  of  family 
and  work,  there  is  nothing  that  can  be  compared  to  the  doings  of  the  so- 
ciable grossbeak.  This  little  Cape  bird,  of  the  size  and  appearance  of 
our  sparrows,  lives  in  numerous  societies,  all  the  members  of  which  unite 
to  form  an  immense  city,  having  the  appearance  of  a  circular  timber- 
work,  embracing  the  trunk  of  some  great  tree.  There  are  sometimes 
more  than  three  hundred  little  cells,  which  means 
that  it  is  inhabited  by  more  than  six  hundred  birds. 
This  nest  is  so  heavy,  that  Levaillant,  who  brought 
one  away  during  his  travels  in  Africa,  was  obliged 
to  employ  a  wagon  and  several  men  to  remove  it. 
When  they  are  seen  at  a  distance  in  the  landscape, 
we  might  think  we  were  looking  at  huge  roofs 
suspended  to  the  trunks  or  branches  of  the  trees 
scattered  about,  and  round  which  a  multitude  of 
birds  are  playing. 

We  have  said  that  amongst  the  winged  tribe 
specimens  of  all  industrial  arts  are  found.  One 
would  scarcely  expect  to  find  regular  seamstresses 
among  them,  for  the  beak  of  the  bird  seems  ill 
adapted  enough  for  needle-work,  and  yet  some  of 
these  animals  produce  work  exactly  analogous. 

We  do  not  here  in  any  way  allude  to  the  weaver- 
birds,  the  nests  of  which,  made   of  fine  grass  and 
known  to  all  the  world,  represent  an  inextricable 
NEST  OF  THE  TAILOR  net-work ;  but  to  the  tailor-bird,  a  charming  exotic 
BIRD.  species,  which  takes  two  very  long  lanceolated  leaves 

and  sews  the  edges  of  them,  neatly  whipped  by  means  of  flexible  grass 
in  the  form  of  thread.  After  this  the  female  fills  the  little  sack  which 
they  form  with  cotton,  and  deposits  her  pretty  young  ones  upon  this 
downy  bed,  which  is  gently  rocked  by  the  least  breath  of  wind.  This 
nest,  which  is  extremely  rare,  is  a  real  masterpiece  of  ingenuity. 

Woodpecker  is  the  common  name  of  the  numerous  climbing  birds. 
They  are  very  active,  living  in  woods  and  forests,  continually  tapping 
with  the  bill  the  surface  of  trees  to  discover  soft  places,  in  which  are  lurk- 
ing the  insects  and  larvae,  on  which  they  principally  feed.  They  are  gen- 
erally solitary  and  usually  silent ;  the  principal  noise  they  make  being 


PECULIAR  SPECIES  OF  BIRDS. 


371 


produced  by  striking  the  bill  against  the  trees.  The  three-toed  wood- 
pecker is  the  German  representative  of  this  family.  It  has  a  dull  green- 
ish black  color  with  scarlet  patches  on  crown,  crest  and  cheek,  under 
wings  and  chin  white  lined  with  sulphur  yellow. 

In  the  penguins  the  feathers  of  the  wings  are  rudimentary,  and  covered 
with  skin,  so  that  they  are  like  fins.  These  are  very  useful  in  swimming, 
but  do  not  enable  the  birds  to  fly.  There  are  several  species,  abounding 
in  the  Antarctic  Seas,  where  they  pass  the  greater  portion  of  their  time  in 


THREE-TOED    WOODPECKER. 

the  water,  and  appear  rarely  to  stay  any  time  on  land,  except  during  the 
breeding  season.  In  the  water  they  are  exceedingly  active,  swimming  and 
diving  with  the  greatest  facility,  and  making  use  of  their  little  naked  wings 
as  fins,  when  engaged  in  the  latter  operation.  When  in  motion  on  land, 
however,  they  employ  these  in  place  of  an  anterior  pair  of  legs;  and  by 
their  assistance  contrive  to  scuttle  along  so  rapidly  that  when  they  are  in 
motion  among  the  tussocks  of  grass  they  might  readily  be  mistaken  for 
quadrupeds.  They  do  not  appear  to  have  very  acute  sensations  ;  Sparman 
tells  us  that  he  stumbled  over  a  sleeping  one  and  kicked  it  several  times 


372 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


without  disturbing  its  rest.  Forster  says  that  he  left  several  of  them 
apparently  lifeless  while  he  went  in  pursuit  of  others,  but  they  after- 
ward got  up  and  marched  off  with  their  usual  gravity.  They  hatch 
their  eggs  by  holding  them  between  their  thighs,  and  when  threatened 
with  danger,  move  away,  still  retaining  them  in  this  position.  During 


TUFTED    PENGUIN. 

the  period  of  incubation  the  male  fishes  for  the  female,  and  after  the 
young  are  hatched  both  parents  are  engaged  for  a  time  in  procuring 
their  food. 

Mr.  Darwin  gives  the  following  pleasant  account,  the  scene  of  the  adven- 
ture being  the  Falkland  Islands,  where  these  birds  abound  :  One  day, 


PECULIAR  SPECIES  OF  BIRDS. 

having  placed  myself  between  one  of  these  penguins  and  the  water,  I  was 
much  amused  by  watching  its  habits.  It  was  a  brave  bird,  and,  till  reaching 
the  sea,  it  regularly  fought  and  drove  me  backward.  Nothing  less  than 
heavy  blows  would  have  stopped  him  ;  every  inch  gained  he  firmly  kept, 
standing  close  before  me,  erect  and  determined.  When  thus  opposed,  he 
continually  rolled  his  head  from  side  to  side,  in  a  very  odd  manner,  as  if 
the  power  of  vision  only  lay  in  the  anterior  and  basal  part  of  each  eye. 
This  bird  is  commonly  called  the  jackass  penguin,  from  its  habit,  while 
on  shore,  of  throwing  its  head  backward,  and  making  a  loud,  strange  noise, 
very  like  the  braying  of  that  animal;  but  while  at  sea  and  undisturbed,  its 
note  is  very  deep  and  solemn,  and  is  often  heard  in  the  night-time.  In 
diving,  its  little  plumeless  wings  are  used  as  fins ;  but  on  the  land  as  front 
legs.  When  crawling — it  may  be  said  on  four  legs — through  the  tussocks, 
or  on  the  side  of  a  grassy  cliff,  it  moved  so  very  quickly  that  it  might 
readily  have  been  mistaken  for  a  quadruped.  When  at  sea,  and  fishing, 
it  comes  to  the  surface,  for  the  purpose  of  breathing,  with  such  a  spring, 
and  dives  again  so  instantaneously,  that  I  defy  any  one  at  first  sight  to  be 
sure  that  it  is  not  a  fish  leaping  for  sport. 

How  the  Old  Bird  Rears  the  Young. 

The  following  interesting  account,  probably  referring  to  this  species,  is 
furnished  by  Captain  Fitzroy.  He  is  speaking  of  Noir  Island:  Multitudes 
of  penguins  were  swarming  together  in  some  parts  of  the  island,  among 
the  bushes  and  tussocks  near  the  shore,  having  gone  there  for  the  purpose 
of  moulting  and  rearing  their  young.  They  were  very  valiant  in  self-de- 
fense, and  ran  open-mouthed  by  dozens,  at  any  one  who  invaded  their 
territory,  little  knowing  how  soon  a  stick  would  scatter  them  on  the 
ground.  The  young  were  good  eating,  but  the  others  proved  to  be  black 
and  tough  when  cooked.  The  manner  in  which  they  feed  their  young  is 
curious  and  rather  amusing.  The  old  bird  gets  on  a  little  eminence  and 
makes  a  great  noise,  between  quacking  and  braying,  holding  its  head  up 
in  the  air,  as  if  it  were  haranguing  the  penguinnery,  while  the  young  one 
stands  close  to  it,  but  a  little  lower.  The  old  bird,  having  continued  its 
clatter  for  about  a  minute,  puts  its  head  down  and  opens  its  mouth  widely, 
into  which  the  young  one  thrusts  its  head,  and  then  appears  to  suck  from 
the  throat  of  its  mother  for  a  minute  or  two,  after  which  the  clatter  is 
repeated  and  the  young  one  is  again  fed ;  this  continues  for  about  ten 
minutes.  I  observed  some  which  were  moulting  make  the  same  noise, 
and  then  apparently  swallow  what  they  thus  supplied  themselves  with  ;  so 
in  this  way,  I  suppose  they  are  furnished  with  subsistence  during  the  time 
they  cannot  seek  it  in  the  water. 


374 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


The  web-footed  pelicans  are  large  and  heavy,  with  immense  extent  of 
wing,  and  are  excellent  swimmers.  The  expansive  pouch,  whose  elasticity 
is  well  known  to  all  who  have  witnessed  the  shapes  into  which  it  is 
stretched  and  formed  by  the  itinerant  showman,  will  hold  a  considerable 
number  of  fish,  and  thus  enables  the  bird  to  dispose  of  the  superfluous 
quantity  which  may  be  taken  during  fishing  expeditions,  either  for  its 
own  consumption  or  for  the  nourishment  of  its  young.  In  feeding  the 
nestlings — and  the  male  is  said  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  female  when  sit- 
ting, in  the  same  manner — the  under  mandible  is  pressed  against  the  neck 

and  breast,  to 
assist  the  bird  in 
disgorging  the 
contents  of  the 
capacious  pouch; 
and  during  this 
action  the  red 
nail  of  the  upper 
mandible  would 
appear  to  come 
in  contact  with 
the  breast ;  thus 
laying  the  foun- 
dation, in  all 
probability,  for 
the  fable  that  the 
pelican  nour- 
ished her  young 
with  her  blood, 
and  for  the  atti- 
tude  in  which 
the  imagination 

of  painters  has  placed  this  bird  in  books  of  emblems,  with  the  blood 
spirting  from  the  wounds  made  by  the  terminating  nail  of  the  upper 
mandible  into  the  gaping  mouths  of  her  offspring. 

The  neighborhood  of  rivers,  lakes,  and  the  sea-coasts,  are  the  haunts  of 
the  pelicans,  and  they  are  rarely  seen  farther  than  twenty  leagues  from 
the  land.  They  appear  to  be  to  a  certain  extent  gregarious.  Levaillant, 
upon  visiting  Dassen-Eyland,  where  was  the  tomb  of  a  Danish  captain, 
beheld,  as  he  says,  after  wading  through  the  surf  and  clambering  up  the 
rocks,  such  a  spectacle  as  perhaps  never  before  appeared  to  the  eye  of 


THE   PELICAN. 


PECULIAR  SPECIES  OF  BIRDS. 


375 


mortal.  "All  of  a  sudden  there  arose  from  the  whole  surface  of  the 
island  an  impenetrable  cloud,  which  formed,  at  the  distance  of  forty  feet 
above  our  heads,  an  immense  canopy,  or  rather  a  sky,  composed  of  birds 
of  every  species,  and  of  all  colors — cormorants,  sea-gulls,  sea-swallows, 
pelicans,  and  I  believe  the  whole  winged  tribe  of  this  part  of  Africa  were 
here  assembled.  All  their  voices,  mixed  together  and  modified  according 
to  their  different  kinds,  formed  such  a  horrid  music  that  I  was  obliged  to 
cover  my  head  to  give  a  little  relief  to  my  ears.  The  alarm  which  we 
spread  was  so  much  the  more  general  among  these  innumerable  legions 
of  birds,  as  we  principally  disturbed  the  females  which  were  then  sitting. 
They  had  nests,  eggs,  and  young  to  defend.  They  were  like  furious 
harpies  let  loose  against  us,  and  their  cries  rendered  us  almost  deaf. 
They  often  flew  so  near  us  that  they  flapped  their  wings  in  our  faces,  and 
though  we  fired  our  pieces  repeatedly  we  were  not  able  to  frighten  them ; 
it  seemed  almost  impossible  to  disperse  this  cloud.  We  could  not  move 
one  step  without  crushing  either  their  eggs  or  their  young  ones ;  the  earth 
was  entirely  strewed  with  them."  The  same  traveller  found  on  the  Klein- 
Brak  River,  while  waiting  for  the  ebb-tide,  thousands  of  pelicans  and 
flamingoes,  some  of  deep  rose-color  and  others  white. 

A  Pelican  Cemetery. 

The  subject  of  Montgomery's  beautiful  poem,  "  The  Pelican  Island," 
was  suggested  by  a  short  passage  in  Captain  Flinder's  voyage  to  Terra 
Australis,  in  which  he  describes  one  of  those  numerous  gulfs  which  in- 
dent the  coasts  of  New  Holland,  and  are  thickly  spotted  with  small  is- 
lands. "Upon  two  of  these,"  he  says,  "  we  found  many  young  pelicans 
unable  to  fly.  Flocks  of  the  old  birds  were  sitting  upon  the  benches  of 
the  lagoon,  and  it  appeared  that  the  islands  were  their  breeding-places ; 
not  only  so,  but  from  the  number  of  skeletons  and  bones  there  scattered, 
it  would  seem  that,  for  ages,  these  had  been  selected  as  the  closing  scene 
of  their  existence.  Certainly  none  more  likely  to  be  free  from  disturb- 
ance of  every  kind  could  have  been  chosen,  than  these  islets  of  a  hidden 
lagoon  of  an  uninhabited  island,  situate  upon  an  unknown  coast,  near  the 
antipodes  of  Europe ;  nor  can  anything  be  more  consonant  to  their  feel- 
ings, if  pelicans  have  any,  than  quietly  to  resign  their  breath,  surrounded 
by  their  progeny,  and  in  the  same  spot  where  they  first  drew  it." 

The  following  is  one  of  the  poet's  pictures  of  the  training  of  the  young  : 

On  beetling  rocks  the  little  ones  were  marshal!' d  ; 
There  by  endearments,  stripes,  example,  urged 
To  try  the  void  convexity  of  heaven, 
And  plough  the  ocean's  horizontal  field. 


376  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Timorous,  at  first  they  fluttered  round  the  verge,       , 

Balanced  and  furled  their  hesitating  wings, 

Then  put  them  forth  again  with  steadier  aim  ; 

Now,  gaining  courage  as  they  felt  the  wind 

Dilate  their  feathers,  fill  their  airy  frames 

With  buoyancy  that  bore  them  from  their  feet, 

They  yielded  all  their  burthen  to  the  breeze, 

And  sailed  and  soared  where'er  their  guardians  led. 

Ascending,  hovering,  wheeling,  or  alighting. 

They  searched  the  deep  in  quest  of  nobler  game 

Than  yet  their  inexperience  had  encountered  ; 

With  these  they  battled  in  that  element, 

Their  wings  or  fins  were  equally  at  home, 

Till  conquerors  in  many  a  desperate  strife, 

They  dragged  their  spoils  to  land,  and  gorged  at  leisure. 

Another  picture,  from  the  same  graphic  pen,  may  well  be  added : 

Day  by  day, 

New  lessons,  exercises,  and  amusements 
Employed  the  old  to  teach,  the  young  to  learn. 
Now  floating  on  the  blue  lagoon  behold  them, 
The  sire  and  dam  in  swan-like  beauty  steering, 
Their  cygnets  following  through  the  foaming  wake, 
Picking  the  leaves  of  plants,  pursuing  insects, 
Or  catching  at  the  bubbles  as  they  brake ; 
Till  on  some  minor  fry,  in  reedy  shallows, 
With  flapping  pinions  and  unsparing  beaks, 
The  well  taught  scholars  plied  their  double  art, 
To  fish  in  troubled  waters,  and  secure 
The  petty  captives  in  their  maiden  pouches  ; 
Then  hurry  with  their  banquet  to  the  shore, 
With  feet,  wings,  breast,  half  swimming  and  half-flying  ; 
And  when  their  pens  grew  strong  to  fight  the  storm , 
And  buffet  with  the  breakers  on  the  reef 
The  parents  put  them  to  severer  proofs. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
THE  IMPERIAL  EAGLE. 

Monarch  of  Mountain  and  Forest — Majestic  Flights — Gazing  at  the  Sun — Rapa- 
cious Tyrants — Elevated  Nest — Symbol  of  Roman  Empire — Tribute  of  Mrs.  He- 
mans  to  Wounded  Eagle — Amazing  Gift  of  Sight — Seizure  of  Marie  Delex — A 
Monster  of  the  Air — Children  .Carried  Away  on  Wings — Frightful  Encounters — 
A  Daring  Rescue — Forest  King  on  His  Crag — Swift  Descent — Shrewd  Method 
of  Taking  Prey — The  Bald  Eagle— Dimensions  of  Sea-Eagle — Preying  on  Quad- 
rupeds— Mated  Once  for  Life— Osprey  or  Fish  Eagle — Peculiar  Foot  and  Toes — 
Plunging  Down  from  Vast  Heights— Claws  of  Astonishing  Strength — Harpy 
Eagle — Tenant  of  Mexico  and  South  America— Hard  Fighter — Destroyer  of 
Animal  Life — Sure  Aim  and  Fatal  Blow— Feathers  Used  for  Decorations — 
Striking  Colors  of  Plumage. 

HE  eagle,  the  monarch  of  the  mountain  forests,  over  which  he  has 
reigned  since  the  creation,  is  still  found  exercising  his  dominion  in 
the  ancient  and  remote  woods  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  America,  but 
more  particularly  in  the  northern  parts.  Nuttall  thus  describes  it : 
Near  their  rocky  nests  they  are  seen  usually  in  pairs,  at  times  majestically 
soaring  to  a  vast  height,  and  gazing  on  the  sun,  toward  which  they  ascend 
until  they  disappear  from  view.  From  this  sublime  elevation  they  often  se- 
lect their  devoted  prey — sometimes  a  kid  or  a  lamb  from  the  sporting  flock, 
or  the  timid  rabbit  or  hare  crouched  in  the  furrow,  or  sheltered  in  some 
bush.  The  largest  birds  are  also  frequently  their  victims,  and  in  extreme 
want  they  will  not  refuse  to  join  with  the  alarmed  vulture  in  his  cadaver- 
ous repast.  After  this  gorging  meal  the  eagle  can,  if  necessary,  fast  for 
several  days. 

The  precarious  nature  of  his  subsistence,  and  the  violence  by  which  it 
is  constantly  obtained,  seem  to  produce  a  moral  effect  on  the  disposition 
of  this  rapacious  bird ;  though  in  pairs,  they  are  never  seen  associated 
with  their  young ;  their  offspring  are  driven  forth  to  lead  the  same  unso- 
cial, wandering  life  as  their  unfeeling  progenitors.  This  harsh  and  ty- 
rannical disposition  is  strongly  displayed  even  when  they  lead  a  life  of  re- 
straint and  confinement.  The  weaker  bird  is  never  willingly  suffered  to 
eat  a  morsel,  and  though  he  may  cower  and  quail  under  the  blow  with 
the  most  abject  submission,  the  same  savage  deportment  continues  to- 
ward him  as  long  as  he  exists.  Those  observed  in  steady  confinement 
frequently  uttered  hoarse  cries,  sometimes  almost  barkings,  accompanied 

(377) 


378  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

by  vaporous  breathings,  strongly  expressive  of  their  ardent,  unconquer- 
able, and  savage  appetites.  Their  fire-darting  eyes,  lowering  brows,  flat 
foreheads,  restless  disposition,  and  terrific  plaints,  together  with  their  pow- 
erful natural  weapons,  seem  to  assimilate  them  to  the  tiger  rather  than 
the  timorous  bird.  Yet  it  would  appear  that  they  may  be  rendered  do- 
cile, as  the  Tartars,  according  to  Marco  Polo,  were  said  to  tame  this  spe- 
cies to  the  chase  of  hares,  foxes,  wolves,  antelopes,  and  other  kinds  of 
large  game,  in  which  they  displayed  all  the  docility  of  the  falcon. 

The  longevity  of  the  eagle  is  as  remarkable  as  its  strength ;  it  is  be- 
lieved to  subsist  for  a  century,  and  is  about  three  years  in  gaining  its  com- 
plete growth  and  fixed  plumage.  This  bird  was  held  in  high  estimation 
by  the  ancients  on  account  of  its  extraordinary  magnitude,  courage,  and 
sanguinary  habits.  The  Romans  chose  it  as  an  emblem  for  their  im- 
perial standard,  and  from  its  aspiring  flight  and  majestic  soaring  it  was 
fabled  to  hold  communion  with  heaven,  and  to  be  the  favorite  messenger 
of  Jove.  The  Tartars  have  a  particular  esteem  for  the  feathers  of  the 
tail,  with  which  they  superstitiously  think  to  plume  invincible  arrows.  It 
is  no  less  the  venerated  war-eagle  of  our  northern  and  western  aborigines,, 
and  the  caudal  feathers  are  extremely  valued  for  head-dresses,  and  as  sa- 
cred decorations  for  the  pipe  of  peace. 

A  Nest  in  the  Tree-Tops. 

The  eagle  builds  its  nest  upon  the  tops  of  trees,  and  prefers  those  which 
have  the  greater  number  of  climbing  shrubs  about  them.  Where  such 
are  not  to  be  found,  it  selects  a  bushy  thicket,  in  which  it  forms  a  spa- 
cious eyrie  of  sticks  and  twining  branches,  laid  nearly  flat,  and  lined  with 
a  thick  layer  of  hair  inartificially  disposed.  The  female  lays  two  eggs, 
much  pointed  at  one  extremity,  and  dotted  and  spotted  with  crimson  on 
a  ground  of  brownish-red. 

The  eagle  devours  the  dead  and  the  living.  Sometimes  four  or  five 
unite  to  pursue  a  prey  that  a  single  one  could  not  master.  D'Azara 
states  that  he  has  seen  them  hunt  down  red  buzzards,  herons,  and  other 
large  birds ;  and  it  seems  they  prey,  not  only  on  a  variety  of  smaller  crea- 
tures, but  also  on  young  fawns  and  lambs.  Often  do  they  feast,  too,  on 
what  others  have  taken.  Thus,  if  an  eagle  sees  a  vulture  with  a  piece 
of  flesh,  it  will  pursue  him,  and  compel  him  to  disgorge  it ;  and  the  sports- 
man is  not  unfrequently  foiled  by  this  bird  coming  and  bearing  off  the 
game  before  his  eyes. 

It  is  not  improbable  that  similar  habits  of  solitude  in  the  lion  and  the 
eagle,  together  with  their  magnitude  and  strength,  have  given  rise  to 
their  titles,  so  generally  current,  of  kin g*  of  beasts — king  of  birds.  Jons- 


THE  IMPERIAL  EAGLE. 

ton  says  in  an  old  work,  "  England  by  a  Person  of  Quality  :  " — "  The 
eagle  challenged!  the  first  place,  not  that  it  is  the  best  dish  at  table,  for 
none  will  eat  it,  but  because  it  is  the  king  of  birds."  The  ancient  Greeks 
were  of  the  same  opinion,  for  Pindar  speaks  of  "  the  great  eagle,  the  chief 
magistrate  of  the  birds." 

Dignity  and  majesty  are  the  common  attributes  of  the  eagle.     Hence 
Mrs.  Hemans,  addressing  one  of  these  birds  which  has  been  wounded,  thus 

speaks : 

Eagle  !  this  is  not  thy  sphere  ! 
Warrior  bird,  what  seek'st  thou  here  ? 
Wherefore  by  the  fountain's  brink 
Doth  thy  royal  pinion  sink  ? 
Wherefore  on  the  violet's  bed 
Lay'st  thou  thus  thy  drooping  head  ? 
Thou,  that  hold'st  the  blast  in  scorn, 
Thou,  that  wear'st  the  wings  of  morn ! 

Eagle  !  Eagle  !  thou  hast  bowed 
From  thine  empire  o'er  the  cloud  ! 
Thou  that  hadst  ethereal  birth, 
Thou  hast  stoop' d  too  near  the  earth, 
And  the  hunter's  shaft  hath  found  thee, 
And  the  toils  of  death  hath  bound  thee — 
Wherefore  did'st  thou  leave  thy  place, 
Creature  of  a  kingly  race  ? 

Stern  and  unsocial  in  their  character,  yet  confident  in  their  strength  and 
efficient  means  of  defense,  the  eagles  delight  to  dwell  in  the  solitude  of 
inaccessible  rocks,  on  whose  summits  they  build  their  rude  nest  and  sit  in 
lone  majesty,  while  with  their  keen  and  piercing  eye  they  sweep  the  plains 
below,  even  to  the  horizon.  The  combined  extent  and  minuteness  of  their 
vision,  often  including  not  merely  towns,  villages,  and  districts,  but 
countries  and  even  kingdoms  in  its  vast  circuit,  at  the  same  time  carefully 
piercing  the  depths  of  forests,  the  mazes  of  swamps,  and  the  intricacies, 
of  lawns  and  meadows,  so  as  to  discover  every  moving  object — even  the 
sly  and  stealthy  animals  that  constitute  their  prey — form  a  power  of  sight 
to  which  human  experience  makes  no  approach.  If  we  connect  with  this 
amazing  gift  of  vision  the  power  of  flight  which  enables  these  birds  to 
shoot  through  the  heavens  so  as  to  pass  from  one  zone  to  another  in  a  single 
day  and  at  a  single  flight,  we  shall  readily  comprehend  how  it  is  that  they 
have  in  all  ages  so  impressed  the  popular  imagination  as  to  render  them 
the  standing  types  and  emblems  of  power.  In  ancient  times  the  lion 
was  the  representative  of  kings,  but  the  eagle,  soaring  in  the  sky,  was 
made  the  companion  of  the  gods,  and  the  constant  associate  of  Jupiter 
himself. 


380  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Although  in  our  days  the  carrying  off  of  Ganymede  is  not  re-enacted, 
yet  the  inhabitants  of  mountainous  countries  have  some  ground  for  accus- 
ing the  eagles  of  bearing  off  their  children.  A  well  known  fact  of  this 
kind  took  place  in  the  Valais  in  1838.  A  little  girl,  five  years  old,  called 
Marie  Delex,  was  playing  with  one  of  her  companions  on  a  mossy  slope 
of  the  mountain,  when  all  at  once  an  eagle  swooped  down  upon  her  and 
carried  her  away  in  spite  of  the  cries  and  presence  of  her  young  friend. 
Some  peasants^  hearing  the  screams,  hastened  to  the  spot,  but  sought 
in  vain  for  the  child,  for  they  found  nothing  but  one  of  her  shoes 
on  the  edge  of  the  precipice.  The  child,  however,  was  not  carried  to 
the  eagle's  nest,  where  only  two  eaglets  were  seen,  surrounded  by  heaps 
of  goat  and  sheep  bones.  It  was  not  till  two  months  after  this  that 
a  shepherd  discovered  the  corpse  of  Marie  Delex,  frightfully  mutilated, 
upon  a  rock  half  a  league  from  where  she  had  been  borne  off. 
Eagle  and  Child  in  the  Air. 

An  instance  of  this  kind,  which  occurred  in  the  autumn  of  1868,  is  thus 
narrated  by  a  teacher  in  county  Tippah,  Missouri:  A  sad  casualty 
occurred  at  my  school  a  few  days  ago.  The  eagles  have  been  very  trouble- 
-some  in  the  neighborhood  for  some  time  past,  carrying  off  pigs  and  lambs. 
No  one  thought  they  would  attempt  to  prey  upon  children ;  but  on  Thurs^ 
day,  at  recess,  the  little  boys  were  out  some  distance  from  the  house, 
playing  marbles,  when  their  sport  was  interrupted  by  a  large  eagle 
-sweeping  down  and  picking  up  little  Jemmie  Kenney,  a  boy  of  eight 
years,  and  flying  away  with  him.  The  children  cried  out,  and  when  I 
got  out  of  the  house,  the  eagle  was  so  high  that  I  could  just  hear  the 
child  screaming.  The  alarm  was  given,  and  from  screaming  and 
shouting  in  the  air,  the  eagle  was  induced  to  drop  his  victim ;  but  his 
talons  had  been  buried  in  him  so  deeply,  and  the  fall  was  so  great,  that 
he  was  killed. 

The  Abbe  Spallanzani  had  a  common,  or  black  eagle,  which  was  so 
powerful,  that  it  could  easily  kill  dogs  much  larger  than  itself.  When  a 
dog  was  cruelly  forced  into  the  room  where  the  eagle  was  kept,  it  imme- 
diately ruffled  the  feathers  on  its  head  and  neck,  taking  a  short  flight, 
alighted  on  the  back  of  its  victim,  held  the  neck  firmly  with  one  foot,  so 
that  there  could  be  no  turning  of  the  head  to  bite,  while  one  of  the  flanks 
was  grasped  with  the  other,  and  in  this  attitude  the  eagle  continued,  till 
the  dog,  with  fruitless  cries  and  struggles,  expired.  The  beak,  hitherto 
unemployed,  was  now  used  to  make  a  small  hole  in  the  skin ;  this  was 
gradually  enlarged,  and  from  it  the  eagle  tore  away  and  devoured  the 
flesh. 


MARIE  DELEX  SEIZED  AND  CARRIED  AWAY  BY  AN  IMMENSE  EAGLE. 

(381) 


382  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Ebel  relates  that  a  young  hunter  in  Switzerland,  having  discovered  an 
eagle's  nest,  killed  the  male,  and  was  descending  the  rocks  to  capture  the 
young  ones,  when,  at  the  moment  he  was  putting  his  hand  into  the  cleft 
to  take  the  nest  away,  the  mother,  indignantly  pouncing  upon  him,  fixed 
her  talons  in  his  arm,  and  her  beak  in  his  side.  With  great  presence  of 
mind,  the  hunter  stood  still ;  had  he  moved,  he  would  have  fallen  to  the 
bottom  of  the  precipice ;  but  now,  holding  his  gun  in  one  hand,  and 
supporting  it  against  the  rock,  he  took  his  aim,  pulled  the  trigger  with 
his  foot,  and  shot  the  eagle  dead.  The  wounds  he  had  received  confined 
him  to  his  bed,  however,  for  six  weeks.  A  somewhat  similar  story  is 
related  of  the  children  of  a  Scottish  peasant,  who  were  surprised,  in  their 
endeavor  to  take  away  some  young  eaglets  from  the  nest,  by  the  return( 
of  the  mother,  from  whose  indignation  they  had  great  difficulty  in  escaping. 

A  peasant,  with  his  wife  and  three  children,  took  up  his  summer  quar- 
ters in  a  cottage,  and  pastured  his  flock  on  one  of  the  rich  Alps  that  over- 
look the  Dranse.  The  eldest  boy  was  an  idiot,  about  eight  years  of  age; 
the  second,  five  years  old,  but  dumb ;  and  the  third,  an  infant.  One 
morning  the  idiot  was  left  in  charge  of  his  brothers,  and  the  three  had 
wandered  to  some  distance  from  the  cottage  before  they  were  missed ; 
and,  when  the  mother  found  the  two  elder,  she  could  discover  no  trace  of 
the  babe.  A  strange  contrast  was  presented  by  the  two  children ;  the 
idiot  seemed  transported  with  joy,  while  his  dumb  brother  was  filled  with 
•consternation.  In  vain  did  the  terrified  parent  attempt  to  gather  from 
either  what  had  become  of  the  infant.  But,  as  the  idiot  danced  about  in 
great  glee,  laughed  immoderately,  and  imitated  the  action  of  one  who  had 
caught  up  something  of  which  he  was  fond,  and  hugged  it  to  his  breast, 
the  poor  woman  was  slightly  comforted,  supposing  that  some  acquaint- 
ance had  fallen  in  with  the  children,  and  taken  away  the  babe. 

A  Happy  Rescue. 

But  the  day  and  the  succeeding  night  passed  without  any  tidings  of  the 
lost  one.  On  the  morrow  the  parents  were  earnestly  pursuing  their  search, 
when,  as  an  eagle  flew  over  their  heads,  the  idiot  renewed  his  gesticu- 
lations, and  the  dumb  boy  clung  to  his  father  with  frantic  shrieks.  Now 
the  dreadful  thought  broke  upon  their  minds  that  the  infant  had  been 
carried  off  by  a  bird  of  prey,  and  that  his  half-witted  brother  was  delighted 
at  his  riddance  of  an  object  which  had  excited  his  jealousy. 

Meanwhile,  an  Alpine  hunter  had  been  watching  near  an  eyrie,  hoping 
to  shoot  the  mother-bird,  on  returning  to  her  nest.  At  length,  waiting 
with  the  anxious  perseverance  of  such  determined  sportsmen,  he  saw  her 
.slowly  winging  her  way  towards  the  rock,  behind  which  he  had  taken 


THE  IMPERIAL  EAGLE. 


383 


refuge,  when,  on  her  nearer  approach,  he  heard,  to  his  horror,  the  cries 
of  an  infant,  and  then  beheld  it  in  her  frightful  grasp.  Instantly  his 
resolve  was  made,  to  fire  at  the  eagle  the  moment  she  should  alight  on 
the  nest,  and  rather  to  kill  the  child  than  leave  it  to  be  devoured.  With 
a  silent  prayer,  arising  from  his  heart  of  hearts,  he  poised,  directed,  and 
discharged  his  rifle;  the  ball  went  through  the  head  or  breast  of  the 


VULTURE  ON   HIS   MOUNTAIN   CRAG. 

eagle;  with  indescribable  delight  he  bore  the  babe  away;  and,  within 
ibur-and-twenty  hours  after  it  was  missed,  he  had  the  satisfaction  of 
restoring  it — with  wounds  which  were  not  serious,  on  one  of  its  arms  and 
sides — to  its  transported  mother's  bosom. 

The  flight  of  the  bald  eagle,  when  taken  into   consideration  with  the 
ardor  and  energy  of  his  character,  is  noble  and  interesting.     Sometimes 


(384) 


SEA   EAGLE   AND    ITS   CAPTIVE. 


THE  IMPERIAL  EAGLE.  385 

the  human  eye  can  just  discern  him,  like  a  minute  speck,  moving  in  slow 
curvatures  along  the  face  of  the  heavens,  as  if  reconnoitering  the  earth 
at  that  immense  distance.  Sometimes  he  glides  along  in  a  direct  horizon- 
tal line,  at  a  vast  height,  with  expanded  and  unmoving  wings,  till  he 
gradually  disappears  in  the  distant  blue  ether.  Seen  gliding  in  easy  cir- 
cles over  the  high  shores  and  mountainous  cliffs  that  tower  above  the 
Hudson  and  Susquehanna,  he  attracts  the  eye  of  the  intelligent  voyager, 
and  adds  great  interest  to  the  scenery.  At  the  great  Cataract  of  Niagara, 
the  world's  wonder,  there  rises  from  the  gulf  into  which  the  Fall  of  the 
Horse-Shoe  descends,  a  stupendous  column  of  smoke,  or  spray,  reaching 
to  the  heavens,  and  moving  off  in  large  black  clouds,  according  to  the 
direction  of  the  wind,  forming  a  very  striking  and  majestic  appearance. 
The  eagles  are  here  seen  sailing  about,  sometimes  losing  themselves  in 
this  thick  column,  and  again  reappearing  in  another  place,  with  such  ease 
and  elegance  of  motion,  as  renders  the  whole  truly  sublime. 

High  o'er  the  watery  uproar,  silent  seen, 

Sailing  sedate  in  majesty  serene, 

Now  midst  the  pillared  spray  sublimely  lost, 

And  now,  emerging,  down  the  rapids  tossed, 

Glides  the  bald  eagle,  gazing,  calm  and  slow, 

O'er  all  the  horrors  of  the  scene  below; 

Intent  alone  to  sate  himself  with  blood, 

From  the  torn  victims  of  the  raging  flood. 

Audubon  describes  a  bald  eagle  pursuing  a  swan,  as  follows :  The  next 
moment,  however,  the  wild  trumpet-like  sound  of  a  yet  distant  but  ap- 
proaching swan  is  heard  :  a  shriek  from  the  female  eagle  comes  across 
the  stream  ;  for  she  is  fully  as  alert  as  her  mate.  The  snow-white 'bird  is 
now  in  sight ;  her  long  neck  is  stretched  forward ;  her  eye  is  on  the 
watch,  vigilant  as  that  of  her  enemy ;  her  large  wings  seem  with  difficul- 
ty to  support  the  weight  of  her  body,  although  they  flap  incessantly.  So 
irksome  do  her  exertions  seem,  that  her  very  legs  are  spread  beneath  her 
tail,  to  aid  her  in  her  flight.  She  approaches  ;  the  eagle  has  marked  her 
for  his  prey.  As  the  swan  is  passing  the  dreaded  pair,  the  male  bird 
starts  from  his  perch,  in  full  preparation  for  the  chase,  with  an  awful 
scream. 

Flight  Like  a  Flash  of  Lightning-. 

Now  is  the  time  to  witness  a  display  of  the  eagle's  powers.  He  glides 
through  the  air  like  a  falling  star,  and,  like  a  flash  of  lightning,  comes 
upon  the  timorous  quarry,  which  now,  in  agony  and  despair,  seeks,  by 
various  maneuvers,  to  elude  the  grasp  of  his  cruel  talons.  It  mounts, 
doubles,  and  willingly  would  plunge  into  the  stream,  were  it  not  prevented 
25 


386  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

by  the  eagle,  which,  long  possessed  of  the  knowledge  that,  by  such  a 
stratagem,  the  swan  might  escape  him,  forces  it  to  remain  in  the  air,  by 
attempting  to  strike  it  with  his  talons  from  beneath.  The  hope  of 
escape  is  soon  given  up  by  the  swan.  It  has  already  become  much  weak- 
ened, and  its  strength  fails  at  the  sight  of  the  courage  and  swiftness  of 
its  antagonist.  Its  last  gasp  is  about  to  escape,  when  the  ferocious  eagle 
strikes  with  his  talons  the  under  side  of  its  wing*  and,  with  unresisted 
power,  forces  the  bird  to  fall  in  a  slanting  direction  upon  the  nearest 
shore. 

And,  again,  when  two  of  these  eagles  are  hunting,  in  concert,  some 
bird  which  has  alighted  on  the  water,  this  writer  says  :  At  other  times, 
when  these  eagles,  sailing  in  search  of  prey,  discover  a  goose,  a  duck,  or 
a  swan,  that  has  alighted  on  the  water,  they  accomplish  its  destruction  in 
a  manner  that  is  worthy  of  our  attention.  Well  aware  that  the  water- 
fowl have  it  in  their  power  to  dive  at  their  approach,  and  thereby  elude 
their  attempts  upon  them,  they  ascend  in  the  air,  in  opposite  directions, 
over  the  lake  or  river  on  which  the  object  which  they  are  desirous  of  pos- 
sessing has  been  observed.  Both  reach  a  certain  height,  immediately  af- 
ter which,  one  of  them  glides  with  great  swiftness  toward  the  prey ;  the 
latter,  meantime,  aware  of  the  eagle's  intention,  dives  the  moment  before 
he  reaches  the  spot.  The  pursuer  then  rises  in  the  air,  and  is  met  by  its 
mate,  which  glides  toward  the  water  bird  that  has  just  emerged  to  breathe, 
and  forces  it  to  plunge  again  beneath  the  surface,  to  escape  the  talons  of 
this  second  assailant.  The  first  eagle  is  now  poising  itself  in  the  place 
where  its  mate  formerly  was,  and  rushes  anew,  to  force  the  quarry  to 
make  another  plunge.  By  thus  alternately  gliding,  in  rapid  and  often- 
repeated  rushes,  over  the  ill-fated  bird,  they  soon  fatigue  it,  when  it 
stretches  out  its  neck,  swims  deeply,  and  makes  for  the  shore  in  the  hope 
of  concealing  itself  among  the  rank  weeds.  But  this  is  of  no  avail ;  for 
the  eagles  follow  it  in  all  its  motions ;  and  the  moment  it  approaches  the 
margin,  one  of  them  darts  upon  it. 

The  Sea  Eagle. 

In  the  genus  haliaetus  belong  the  fishing  or  sea  eagles,  the  best  known 
and  largest  of  which  is  the  white-headed  eagle.  The  length  is  about 
three  feet,  and  the  extent  of  wings  seven  feet ;  the  female  is  somewhat 
larger.  Its  usual  food  is  fish,  but  it  eats  the  flesh  of  other  animals,  when 
it  can  get  it  and  often  seizes  quadrupeds  and  birds  of  inferior  flight,  and 
when  pressed  by  hunger  will  feed  on  carrion.  The  flight  of  this  bird  is 
very  majestic;  it  sails  along  with  extended  wings  and  can  ascend  until  it 
disappears  from  view,  without  any  apparent  motion  of  the  wings  or  tail ; 


FISH  EAGLE  WITH  BROOD  OF  YOUNG. 


(387) 


388  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

and  from  the  greatest  height  it  descends  with  a  rapidity,  which  can  scarcely 
be  followed  by  the  eye.  The  power  of  wing  is  not  more  remarkable  than 
the  consumate  skill  with  which  the  strong  pinions  are  made  to  cut  the  air. 

These  birds  live  to  a  great  age.  They  are  generally  seen  in  pairs  and 
the  union  seems  to  last  for  life.  The  attachment  of  the  old  birds  to  their 
young  is  very  great.  The  breeding  season  commences  about  March  and 
though  each  male  has  but  one  mate  during  its  entire  life,  many  and  fierce 
are  the  battles,  which  arise  about  the  possession  of  these  spouses. 
The  Osprey  or  Fish  Eagle. 

The  white-tailed  sea  eagle  of  Europe,  called  also  osprey,  is  distributed 
over  the  northern  portions  of  the  Old  World.  It  feeds  principally  on  fish, 
and  when  unable  to  obtain  fish,  on  sea  birds,  young  seals,  and  any  small 
animals  which  it  can  surprise.  The  length  from  the  point  of  the  beak  to 
the  end  of  the  tail  is  about  two  feet,  and  the  expanded  wings  measure 
somewhat  more  than  five  feet. 

The  wings,  when  closed,  reach  beyond  the  end  of  the  tail.  The  head 
is  small,  and  is  brown  or  black,  with  white  at  the  top.  The  upper  parts 
of  the  body  and  the  whole  of  the  tail  are  brown,  and  the  breast  is  white. 
It  is  a  singular  circumstance  in  the  formation  of  this  bird  that  the  outer 
toe  turns  easily  backward,  so  as  on  occasion  to  have  two  of  the  toes  for- 
ward and  two  backward,  and  it  has  a  much  larger  claw  than  the  inner 
one.  This,  and  the  roughness  of  the  whole  foot  underneath,  are  well 
adapted  for  the  securing  of  its  prey. 

A  Sudden  Plunge. 

During  the  spring  and  summer  months  the  osprey  is  frequently  seen 
hovering  over  the  rivers  for  minutes  without  visible  change  of  place.  It 
then  suddenly  darts  down  and  plunges  into  the  water,  whence  it  seldom 
rises  again  without  a  fish  in  its  talons.  When  it  rises  in  the  air  it  shakes 
off*  the  water  and  pursues  its  way  towards  the  woods.  The  bald  eagle 
which,  on  these  occasions,  is  generally  on  the  watch,  instantly  pursues 
the  osprey,  whereupon  the  latter  drops  the  fish.  The  former  immediately 
pounces  at  this  prey  and  never  fails  to  catch  it  before  it  reaches  the  water, 
leaving  the  osprey  to  begin  its  work  afresh.  Sometimes  the  osprey  will 
fight  with  the  other  for  its  rightful  property,  and  though  generally  con- 
quered in  the  end,  a  fight  of  this  sort  has  been  kept  up  for  upwards  of 
half  an  hour. 

The  Harpy  Eagle. 

The  harpy  eagle  is  of  the  size,  power,  and  fierceness  of  the  true  eagles. 
It  has  a  crest  of  numerous  broad,  black  feathers  on  the  back  part  of  the 
head,  which  is  raised  by  excitement  and  depressed  in  tranquillity.  The 


THE  IMPERIAL  EAGLE. 


389 


back  and  wings  are  brownish-black,  each  feather  terminating  in  a  narrow 
streak  of  lighter  shade ;  the  under  surface  is  pure  white ;  its  wings  are 
short,  its  legs  and  talons  robust,  its  general  aspect  severe  and  savage, 
with  something  of  the  gloomy  expression  of  the  owl.  It  inhabits 


RAVENOUS    HARPY    EAGLE. 


Mexico  and  the  northern  portions  of  South  America.  It  preys  on  sloths, 
monkeys,  fawns,  and  other  quadrupeds,  and  especially  the  young  ones. 
One  of  the  species,  which  was  being  carried  to  England,  killed  and 


390  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

devoured  a  king-vulture  which  was  in  the  same  cage.  After  its  arrival  a 
cat  was  put  into  the  cage,  and  this  it  struck  with  its  foot,  instantly 
breaking  its  back.  It  has  been  known  to  break  a  man's  skull  by  a  stroke 
of  its  powerful  bill. 

D'Orbigny  tells  of  one  which,  having  been  pierced  entirely  through 
the  body  by  two  arrows  of  the  Indians,  still  fiercely  attacked  the  persons 
around  him,  and  was  finally  dispatched  with  difficulty.  This  formidable 
species  inhabits  the  edges  of  forests,  and  is  particularly  fond  of  seeking 
its  prey  along  the  banks  of  rivers ;  it  seems  not  to  fear  man,  but  allows 
his  approach  with  an  air  of  defiance. 

The  Short-Winged  Tyrant  of  the  Forest. 

The  shortness  of  the  wings  of  the  harpy  eagle,  when  compared  with 
those  of  the  golden  eagle  of  Europe,  and  their  rounded  form  and  breast, 
though  well  adapting  them  for  a  continued  steady  flight,  render  them  less 
efficient  as  organs  of  rapid  aerial  evolutions  than  those  of  the  latter,  but 
as  it  inhabits  the  woods  and  does  not  prey  upon  birds,  but  upon  animals 
incapable  of  saving  themselves  by  flight,  its  powers  of  wing  are  in 
accordance  with  the  circumstances  as  to  food  and  locality  under  which  it 
is  placed. 

The  harpy  is  the  crested,  crowned  tyrant,  and  destructive  South 
American  eagle.  Its  length  is  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  feet  and  the 
spread  of  the  wings  five  to  six  feet.  Its  general  color  is  dark  brown 
above  and  white  below.  The  feathers  of  the  breast  are  very  long  and 
loose.  It  lives  in  the  dark  forests  of  inter-tropical  America,  especially 
near  the  borders  of  great  rivers,  and  preys  on  sloths,  monkeys,  large  birds 
and  on  young  deer  and  other  quadrupeds  of  that  size. 

If  the  harpy  eagle  soars  not  aloft,  hovering  over  plains  and  mountains, 
it  threads  the  woods,  and  with  unerring  aim,  strikes  its  defenceless  vic- 
tims. Death  seems  the  work  of  an  instant ;  the  strongest  of  these  animals, 
powerless  in  his  grasp,  is  clutched  and  expires.  Strong  as  are  the  talons 
of  the  golden  eagle,  great  as  is  the  muscular  development  of  its  limbs, 
and  formidable  as  are  its  claws,  they  seem  almost  trifling  compared  with 
those  of  the  harpy  eagle.  It  is  interesting  to  compare  the  skeletons  of 
these  birds.  The  bones  of  the  harpy  are  in  thickness  more  than  double 
that  of  the  golden  eagle,  and  the  enormous  size  of  the  talons  is  sufficient 
to  convince  the  observer  of  the  ease  with  which  this  fierce  bird  could 
bury  its  claws  in  the  vitals  of  its  prey.  In  its  native  regions  the  harpy 
eagle  is  by  no  means  common.  It  is  eagerly  hunted  by  the  natives,  who 
consider  the  feathers  of  this  bird  as  their  proudest  decorations. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CHARMING  CREATURES  OF  THE  AIR. 

J 

Beauty  of  the  Bird  of  Paradise— Strange  Guesses— "A  Heavenly  Residence  "—Fly- 
ing Against  the  Wind — Method  of  Capturing  the  Paradise  Bird — Rising  Above 
the  Gale — Plumage  of  Wonderful  Elegance — Bird  Seen  in  a  Mirror — Fastidious 
Creature — Pride  of  Feathers — Pretty  Hedge-Sparrow — Great  Pains  in  Building 
a  Nest — Fine  Singers — Nightingale  Learning  the  Hedge-Sparrow's  Song — Dis- 
covery of  the  Lyre-Bird — Singular  Form  of  Tail — Graceful  Appearance — Swift 
Runner — Sudden  Break  in  the  Music— Savages  Decorated  with  Superb  Feath- 
ers— The  Swift  Swallow— Ingenious  Aerial  Oars— Long  Flights — Extraordinary 
Migrations — Guesses  by  Scientific  Men — ''When  the  Swallows  Homeward  Fly" — 
Argus  Pheasant — Size  and  Color — A  Beauty  of  Sumatra — Plumage  Decorated 
with  a  Hundred  Eyes — Short  Life  in  Captivity — Old  Birds  with  Gay  Feathers — 
Story  of  Croesus  and  Solon — "Golden-Flower  Fowl"  of  China — Far-Flying  Alba- 
tross— Expert  Fisher — Nest  Built  up  on  the  Ground— The  Plumed  Crane — 
Milton's  Description — Story  of  William  the  Conqueror — Habits  of  Crane  Fam- 
ily—Ludicrous Vanity  of  a  Crane — Dweller  in  Tree-Tops. 

HE  birds  of  paradise  have  great  diversity  of  beauty.  Some  of 
them  have  thinly-barbed  feathers  to  cover  the  closed  wing,  so 
prolonged  as  to  form  immense  tufts,  and  extending  far  back- 
ward beyond  the  body.  The  most  fanciful  conjectures  have 
been  entertained  in  reference  to  the  habits  of  these  birds.  By  some  they 
have  been  regarded  as  inhabitants  of  the  air,  living  only  on  the  dew  of 
heaven,  and  never  touching  the  surface  of  this  terrestrial  sphere ;  and 
others,  while  believing  they  never  rested  on  the  ground,  have  considered 
that  they  subsisted  on  insects.  Some  have  ranked  them  among  the  birds 
of  prey,  and  others — including  Buffon — asserted  that  they  had  no  feet, 
and  could  neither  walk  nor  swim,  and  were  incapable  of  any  other  means 
of  progression  except  by  flight. 

Some  little  mystery  beclouded  the  views  of  many,  in  consequence  of 
the  fact  that  the  people  of  the  islands  where  the  bird  of  paradise  was  first 
obtained  have  paid  little  regard  to  the  study  of  natural  history.  The  fact 
is,  that  its  legs  being  large  and  strong,  and  neither  ornamental  nor  required 
in  the  skins  made  up  for  general  commerce,  were  cut  off;  while  the 
natives,  thus  concealing  what  they  regarded  as  a  deformity,  considered 
themselves  entitled  to  augment  their  demands  when  they  offered  the  bird 
for  sale.  The  purchaser  of  it  in  civilized  countries  naturally  inquired  for 
the  legs  of  which  it  was  destitute,  and  the  seller  began  to  think  that  it  could 

(391) 


392  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

have  none.  Having  arrived  at  this  satisfactory  conclusion,  it  was  a  neces- 
sary inference  that  a  bird  without  legs  must  live  in  the  air,  which  would 
render  them  unnecessary  ;  the  extraordinary  beauty  of  the  plumage  added 
to  the  deception,  and  as  it  was  considered  to  have  "  heavenly  beauty,"  it 
was  thought  also  to  have  a  "  heavenly  residence."  In  accordance  with 
this  view  its  name  was  given,  and  the  false  reports  which  have  been  prop- 
agated on  the  subject  have  thus  arisen.  Hence  Linnaeus  and  the  older 
writers  styled  the  bird  apoda,  or  footless,  although  the  man  who  intro- 
duced the  bird  to  scientific  observation  in  Europe  distinctly  stated  that  it 
was  in  no  prominent  respect  different  from  other  birds. 
Paradise  Birds  in  the  Air. 

The  true  residence,  or  breeding-place,  of  these  birds  seems  to  be  Papua, 
or  New  Guinea,  whence  they  make  occasional  excursions  to  some  smaller 
neighboring  islands.  They  fly  in  flocks  of  about  thirty  or  forty,  led,  it  is 
alleged,  by  a  single  bird,  which  the  natives  call  their  king,  but  which  is 
said  to  be  of  a  different  species.  It  is  further  pretended,  that  when  this 
bird  settles  the  whole  flight  settle  also,  in  consequence  of  which  they 
sometimes  perish,  being  unable  to  rise  again,  owing  to  the  peculiar  struc- 
ture of  their  wings.  They  also  always  fly  against  the  wind,  lest  their 
plumage  should  be  discomposed.  While  flying  they  make  a  noise  like 
starlings,  but  their  common  cry  rather  resembles  that  of  a  raven,  and  is 
very  audible  in  windy  weather,  when  they  dread  the  chance  of  being 
thrown  upon  the  ground.  In  the  Aru  islands  they  are  seen  to  perch  on 
lofty  trees,  and  are  variously  captured  by  the  inhabitants,  with  bird-lime 
snares  and  blunted  arrows.  Though  many  are  taken  alive,  they  are 
always  killed  immediately,  embowelled,  the  feet  cut  off,  the  plumed  skins 
fumigated  with  sulphur  and  then  dried  for  sale.  The  Dutch  ships 
frequenting  the  sea  between  New  Guinea  and  Aru,  a  distance  of  about 
twenty  miles,  not  unfrequently  observe  flocks  of  paradise  birds  crossing 
from  one  to  the  other  of  these  places,  but  constantly  against  the  wind. 
Should  a  gale  arise,  they  ascend  to  a  great  height,  into  the  regions  of 
perpetual  calm,  and  there  pursue  their  journey.  With  respect  to  their 
food,  we  have  little  certain  information  from  the  older  authors,  some  of 
whom  assert  they  prey  on  small  birds,  a  supposition  which  is  favored  by 
their  strength  of  bills  and  legs,  and  the  vigor  with  which  they  act  in  self- 
defence.  They  are  said  also  to  feed  on  fruits,  berries,  and  butterflies. 
Plumed  Bird  of  Graceful  Plight. 

A  recent  account  of  these  birds  in  a  state  of  nature  is  given  by  Lesson. 

The  birds  of  paradise,  he  says,  or  at  least  the  emerald  species  live  in 
troops  in  the  vast  forests  of  the  Papuans,  a  group  of  islands  situated  under 


§\ 


ROYAL    BIRD    OF    PARADISE. 


(393) 


394  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  equator,  and  which  is  composed  of  the  islands  Arou,  Wagiou,  and  the 
great  island  called  New  Guinea.  They  are  birds  of  passage,  changing 
their  quarters  according  to  the  monsoons.  The  females  congregate  in 
troops,  assemble  upon  the  tops  of  the  highest  trees  in  the  forest,  and  all 
cry  together  to  call  the  males.  These  last  are  always  alone  in  the  midst 
of  some  fifteen  females,  which  compose  their  seraglio,  after  the  manner  of 
the  gallinaceous  birds. 

Colored  Plumage  of  Surprising  Elegance. 

Soon  after  our  arrival  at  this  land  of  promise  (New  Guinea)  for  the 
naturalist,  I  was  on  a  shooting  excursion.  Scarcely  had  I  walked  some 
hundred  paces  in  those  ancient  forests,  the  daughters  of  time,  whose 
sombre  depth  was  perhaps  the  most  magnificent  and  stately  sight  that  I 
had  ever  seen,  when  a  bird  of  paradise  struck  my  view:  it  flew  gracefully 
and  in  undulations ;  the  feathers  of  its  sides  formed  an  elegant  and  aerial 
plume,  which,  without  exaggeration,  bore  no  remote  resemblance  to  a 
brilliant  meteor.  Surprised,  astounded,  enjoying  an  inexpressible  gratifi- 
cation, I  devoured  this  splendid  bird  with  my  eyes;  but  my  emotion  was 
so  great  that  I  forgot  to  shoot  at  it,  and  did  not  recollect  that  I  had  a  gun 
in  my  hand  till  it  was  far  away. 

One  scarcely  has  a  just  idea  of  the  paradise  birds  from  the  skins  which 
the'  Papuans  sell  to  the  Malays  and  which  come  to  us  in  America.  The 
people  formerly  hunted  the  birds  to  decorate  the  turbans  of  their  chiefs. 
They  kill  them  during  the  night  by  climbing  the  trees  where  they  perch, 
and  shooting  them  with  arrows  made  for  the  purpose,  very  short,  which 
they  make  with  the  stem  of  the  leaves  of  a  palm.  The  campongs,  or  vil- 
lages of  Mappia  and  of  Emberbake"ne  are  celebrated  for  the  quantity  of 
birds  which  they  prepare,  and  all  the  art  of  the  inhabitants  is  directed1  to 
taking  off  their  feet,  skinning,  thrusting  a  little  stick  through  the  body, 
and  drying  it  in  the  smoke.  Some  more  adroit,  at  the  solicitation  of  the 
Chinese  merchants,  dry  them  with  the  feet  on. 

It  is  at  the  rising  and  setting  of  the  sun  that  the  bird  of  paradise  goes 
to  seek  its  food.  In  the  middle  of  the  day  it  remains  hidden  under  the 
ample  foliage  of  the  teak-tree,  and  comes  not  forth.  He  seems  to  dread 
the  scorching  rays  of  the  sun,  and  to  be  unwilling  to  expose  himself  to 
the  attacks  of  a  rival. 

Bennett,  in  his  "  Wanderings,"  gives  the  following  account  of  a  bird  of 
paradise  which  he  found  in  an  aviary  at  Macao,  where  it  had  been  con- 
fined nine  years,  exhibiting  no  appearance  of  age: 

This  elegant,  beautifully  colored  creature  has  a  light,  playful,  and 
graceful  manner,  with  an  arch  and  impudent  look  ;  dances  about  when  a 


CHARMING  CREATURES  OF  THE  AIR.  395- 

visitor  approaches  the  cage,  and  seems  delighted  at  being  made  an  ob- 
ject of  admiration;  its  notes  are  very  peculiar,  resembling  the  cawing  of 
the  raven,  but  its  tones  are  by  far  more  varied.  During  four  months  of 
the  year,  from  May  to  August,  it  moults.  It  washes  itself  regularly 
twice  daily,  and,  after  having  performed  its  ablutions,  throws  its  delicate 
feathers  up  nearly  over  the  head,  the  quills  of  which  have  a  peculiar 
structure,  so  as  to  enable  the  bird  to  effect  this  object.  His  food  during 
confinement  is  boiled  rice  mixed  with  soft  egg,  together  with  plantains 
and  living  insects  of  the  grasshopper  tribe ;  these  insects,  when  thrown, 
to  him,  the  bird  contrives  to  catch  in  his  beak  with  great  celerity. 
Passionate  Pride  of  Dress. 

I  have  observed  the  bird,  previously  to  eating  a  grasshopper  given 
him  in  an  entire  and  unmutilated  state,  place  the  insect  upon  the  perch, 
keep  it  firmly  fixed  with  the  claws,  and,  divesting  it  of  the  legs  and  wings, 
devour  it,  with  the  head  always  placed  first.  He  rarely  alights  upon 
the  ground,  and  so  proud  is  the  creature  of  his  elegant  dress,  thatvhe 
never  permits  a  soil  to  remain  upon  it,  and  may  frequently  be  seen 
spreading  out  his  wings  and  feathers,  and  regarding  his  splendid  self  in 
every  direction,  to  observe  whether  the  whole  of  the  plumage  is  in  an 
unsullied  condition.  He  does  not  suffer  from  the  cold  weather  during 
the  winter  season  at  Macao,  though  exposing  the  elegant  bird  to  the 
bleak  northerly  winds  is  always  very  particularly  avoided. 

The  sounds  uttered  by  this  bird  are  very  peculiar ;  that  which  ap- 
pears to  be  a  note  of  congratulation  resembles  somewhat  the  cawing  of 
the  raven,  but  changes  to  a  varied  scale  of  musical  gradations.  A 
drawing  of  the  bird,  of  the  natural  size,  was  made  by  a  Chinese  artist. 
The  bird  advanced  steadily  towards  the  picture,  uttering  at  the  same 
time  its  cawing,  congratulatory  notes  ;  it  did  not  appear  excited  by  rage, 
but  pecked  gently  at  the  representation,  jumping  about  the  perch,  knock- 
ing its  mandables  together  with  a  clattering  noise,  and  cleaning  them 
against  the  perch,  as  if  welcoming  the  arrival  of  a  companion.  After  the 
trial  of  the  picture,  a  looking-glass  was  brought,  to  see  what  effect  it 
would  produce  upon  the  bird,  and  the  effect  was  nearly  the  same;  he 
regarded  the  reflection  of  himself  most  steadfastly  in  the  mirror,  never 
quitting  it  during  the  time  it  remained  before  him.  When  the  glass  was 
removed  from  the  lower  to  the  upper  perch,  he  instantly  followed,  but 
would  not  descend  upon  the  floor  of  the  cage  when  placed  so  low. 
Paradise  Bird  in  His  Glory. 

One  of  the  best  opportunities  of  seeing  this  splendid  bird  in  all  the 
beauty  of  action,  as  well  as  display  of  plumage,  is  early  in  the  morning, 


396  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

when  he  makes  his  toilet ;  the  beautiful  plumage  is  then  thrown  out, 
and  cleaned  from  any  spot  that  may  sully  its  purity  by  being  passed 
gently  through  the  bill;  the  short  chocolate-colored  wings  are  ex- 
tended to  the  utmost,  and  he  keeps  them  in  a  steady  flapping  motion,  as 
if  in  imitation  of  their  use  in  flight,  at  the  same  time  raising  up  the  deli- 
cate long  feathers  over  the  back,  which  are  spread  in  a  chaste  and  ele- 
gant manner,  floating  like  films  in  the  ambient  air. 

I  never  yet,  says  Bennett,  beheld  a  soil  on  its  feathers.  After  ex- 
panding its  wings,  it  would  bring  them  together  so  as  to  conceal  the 
head,  then  bending  it  gracefully,  it  would  inspect  the  state  of  its  plumage 
underneath.  This  action  it  repeats  in  quick  succession,  uttering  at  the 
time  its  croaking  notes ;  it  then  pecks  and  cleans  its  plumage  in  every 
part  within  reach,  and  throwing  out  the  elegant  and  delicate  tuft  of 
feathers  underneath  the  wings,  seemingly  with  much  care,  and  with  not 
a  little  pride,  they  are  cleaned  in  succession,  if  required,  by  throwing 
them  abroad,  elevating  them,  and  passing  them  in  succession  through 
the  bill.  Then  turning  its  back  to  the  spectator,  the  actions  above- 
mentioned  are  repeated,  but  not  in  so  careful  a  manner;  elevating  its 
tail  and  long  shaft-feathers,  it  raises  the  delicate  plumage,  forming  a 
beautiful  dorsal  crest,  and  throwing  its  feathers  up  with  much  grace,  ap- 
pears as  proud  as  a  lady  in  her  full  ball-dress. 

Having  completed  the  toilet,  it  utters  the  usual  cawing  notes,  at  the 
same  time  looking  archly  at  the  spectators,  as  if  ready  to  receive  all  the 
admiration  that  it  considers  its  elegant  form  and  display  of  plumage  de- 
mand; it  then  takes  exercise  by  hopping,  in  a  rapid  and  graceful  man- 
ner, from  one  end  of  the  upper  perch  to  the  other,  and  descends  sud- 
denly upon  the  second  perch  close  to  the  bars  of  the  cage,  looking  out 
for  the  grasshoppers  which  it  is  accustomed  to  receive  at  this  time. 

This  bird  is  not  at  all  ravenous  in  its  habits  of  feeding,  but  it  eats  rice 
leisurely,  almost  grain  by  grain.  Should  any  of  the  insects  thrown  in- 
to the  cage  fall  upon  the  floor,  it  will  not  descend  to  them,  appearing  to 
be  fearful  that  in  so  doing  it  may  soil  its  delicate  plumage :  it  therefore 
seldom  or  ever  descends,  except  to  perform  ablutions  in  the  pan  of 
water  placed  at  the  bottom  of  the  cage  expressly  for  its  use. 
The  Hedge-Sparrow  or  Siskin. 

The  siskin  or  hedge-sparrow  is  a  common  bird  in  all  the  high  parts  of 
Europe.  They  build  generally  near  the  extremities  of  the  branches  of 
tall  fir  trees  or  near  the  summit  of  the  tree.  They  build  a  nest  of  small 
twigs  of  birch  or  heath  outside,  and  neatly  lined  with  hair.  Their  eggs 
are  a  bluish  white  spotted  with  purple  or  red.  The  bird  closely  resem- 


GRACEFUL    HEDGE-SPARROWS. 


(397) 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

bles  the  common  sparrow  in  appearance.  They  are  excellent  singers 
and  can  easily  be  domesticated.  There  are  about  forty  species  of  this 
pretty  little  bird  which  by  its  gentle  ways  and  its  beautiful  song  has  en- 
deared itself  to  the  inhabitants  of  continental  Europe  and  the  British 
Isles. 

A  nestling  nightingale  learnt  the  notes  of  a  hedge-sparrow  that  sang 
near  to  it,  for  want  of  other  sounds  to  imitate  ;  and  it  was  extraordinary 
to  hear  the  gentle,  although  agreeable  warble  of  the  latter  attuned  to 
the  full  compass  and  power  of  the  nightingale.  The  effect  was  most 
pleasing,  although,  of  course,  not  equal  to  the  natural  notes  of  this  bird, 
not  one  of  which  he  retained.  Indeed,  many  birds  are  almost  entirely 
imitative,  and  in  default  of  hearing  the  parent  bird,  they  borrow  notes 
of  others:  soft-billed  birds  always  preferring  the  song  of  soft-billed 

birds,  and  vice  versa. 

The  L.yre-Bird. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  a  party  of  rather  turbulent 
Irishmen  were  sent  on  a  voyage  of  discovery  to  New  South  Wales.  The 
governor  hardly  knew  what  to  do  with  them,  and  he  thought  the  hard- 
ships of  travelling  in  an  unknown  country  would  cure  their  restlessness. 
When  they  returned,  they  brought  with  them  a  bird  which  they  called  a 
pheasant.  Its  size  was  that  of  a  common  hen,  of  a  reddish  black  color, 
and  with  strong  black  legs.  It  had  a  crest  on  its  head,  but  its  tail  was 
the  most  extraordinary  part  of  it.  It  spread  out  in  the  shape  of  a  lyre, 
and  was  composed  of  several  feathers  of  a  light  brown  color,  inclining  to 
orange,  and  shading  into  silver.  The  end  of  each  feather  was  black. 
The  feathers  were  of  a  different  texture,  alternately  thin  and  thick. 

The  tail  has  not  the  dazzling  splendor  of  the  peacock,  but  it  surpasses 
it  in  beauty  of  shape.  There  are,  as  you  see,  two  large  curved  feathers,  of 
black  and  brown  striped,  that  curve  into  the  form  of  a  lyre,  and  between 
them  are  a  number  of  finer  and  gauze-like  feathers  that  fill  up  the  space 
and  give  them  a  most  elegant  appearance.  Nothing  so  striking  or  grace- 
ful had  been  ever  imagined,  and  yet  it  had  been  hidden  in  the  wild  bushes 
of  Australia  from  time  immemorial. 

Of  all  the  birds  the  lyre-bird  is  the  most  difficult  to  catch  sight  of,  much 
less  to  procure.  Its  large  strong  feet  are  made  for  running,  and  it  is  con- 
stantly going  up  and  down  among  the  brushwood,  from  the  top  of  the 
mountains  to  the  steep  and  stony  gullies  below.  It  carries  its  tail  erect,  so 
that  it  can  come  to  no  danger.  It  has  a  loud  cry,  which  may  be  heard  a 
long  way  off,  and  another  note,  which  may  be  called  a  song,  but  which 
cannot  be  heard  unless  you  are  close  by. 


QUEENLY  LYRE-BIRD. 


(399) 


400  EARTH,  SEA  AND  SKY. 

The  naturalist  goes  through  unheard-of  toils  to  catch  a  sight  of  the 
birds.  He  lies  hidden  among  the  brushwood,  and  hears  their  loud  shrill 
notes,  for  days  together,  without  being  able  to  obtain  a  glimpse  of  them. 
Quite  determined  to  do  so,  he  does  not  give  up  his  point,  but  climbs  along 
the  gullies  and  ravines,  where  he  has  to  cling  to  trees  and  creeping  plants 
to  keep  himself  from  falling. 

These  are  the  spots  where  the  birds  often  resort ;  but  if  so  much  as  a 
branch  cracks,  or  a  stone  rolls  over,  they  take  the  alarm  and  are  gone. 
Even  when  the  hunter  has  come  up  with  one  of  them,  he  has  to  crawl 
among  the  branches  of  the  trees  and  remain  perfectly  motionless.  If  the 
bird  is  not  singing,  or  engaged  in  scratching  for  food,  it  is  almost  sure  to 
perceive  him  if  he  stirs  either  hand  or  foot,  and  it  vanishes  as  if  by  magic. 

It  runs  with  the  utmost  rapidity,  aided  by  its  wings,  over  rocks  or  logs 
of  wood,  or  whatever  comes  in  its  way.  It  does  not  often  fly  into  a  tree, 
except  to  roost.  It  scratches  about  the  ground  and  the  roots  of  trees  to 
pick  up  seeds  and  insects.  Its  nest  is  very  large,  and  like  that  of  the  mag- 
pie. There  are  twelve  or  sixteen  eggs  in  the  nest,  of  a  white  color,  with  a 
few  light  blue  spots.  The  young  birds  scamper  about  with  the  utmost 
rapidity,  and  hide  themselves  amongst  the  rocks  and  bushes.  In  some 
places,  where  roads  have  been  cut  through  the  bush,  the  bird  is  more  fre- 
quently seen,  and  a  man  on  horseback  can  approach  it  more  easily  than 
when  on  foot.  It  seems  less  afraid  of  the  horse  than  of  the  man.  Some- 
times it  is  pursued  by  dogs,  that  are  taught  to  rush  suddenly  upon  it  when 
it  leaps  down  from  its  roosting-place  in  the  tree.  And  sometimes  the 
hunter  wears  one  of  the  beautiful  lyre- like  tails  in  his  hat,  and  keeps  it 
moving  about  while  he  hides  in  the  bushes.  The  bird  is  taken  by  sur- 
prise at  what  he  supposes  to  be  one  of  his  own  species,  and  comes  within 

reach  of  the  gun. 

No  Time  to  be  Lost. 

Another  way  is  to  whistle,  or  make  some  unusual  sound,  upon  which 
the  bird  will  come  forth  out  of  curiosity,  and  allow  himself  to  be  seen  ;  but 
unless  the  gun  is  fired  in  a  moment,  he  is  half  way  down  the  valley.  In- 
deed, shooting  the  lyre-bird  is  totally  different  to  any  other  kind  of  sport, 
and  the  most  clever  sportsman  could  do  nothing  unless  he  understood 
the  nature  of  the  country  and  the  habits  of  the  bird.  The  native  is  by  far 
the  most  expert  hunter  of  any.  He  likes  to  deck  his  hair  with  the  plum- 
age of  the  lyre-bird,  and  to  glide  noiselessly  among  the  bushes  with  a  gun 
in  his  hand.  So  cautious  is  he,  and  so  silent,  that  he  can  always  approach 
nearer  to  it  than  any  one  else,  and  rarely  suffers  it  to  escape. 

Besides  its  running  powers,  the  bird  can  take  very  wonderful  leaps. 


CHARMING  CREATURES  OF  THE  AIR.  401 

At  one  leap  it  can  rise  ten  feet  from  the  ground.  Its  habits  are  solitary  ; 
but  two  lyre-birds  have  been  seen  at  play,  chasing  each  other  round  and 
round,  and  carrying  their  elegant  tails  in  an  upright  position.  It  has 
also  the  habit  of  making  a  round  hillock,  on  which  it  comes  every  day 
.and  erects  its  tail,  and  tramples  the  ground,  and  utters  all  its  notes — 
sometimes  mocking  those  of  other  birds,  and  even  making  a  howling 
noise  like  that  of  the  dingo,  or  native  dog. 

Besides  its  loud  full  call,  which  may.be  heard  echoing  to  a  great  dis- 
tance, it  can  sing  the  little  song  we  have  mentioned.  The  strain  is  often 
broken  off  suddenly,  and  then  resumed  again.  The  nests  are  sometimes 
placed  on  the  ledge  of  some  projecting  rock,  or  on  the  stump  of  a  tree, 
but  always  near  the  ground.  One  of  the  nests  which  was  seen  by  a 
naturalist  was  deep,  and  shaped  like  a  bason,  and  lined  with  the  bark  of 
trees  and  fibrous  roots. 

Man  the  Foe  of  the  Animal  Creation. 

"  It  is  much  to  be  regretted,"  Mr.  Bennet  justly  remarks,  "that  hu- 
man beings  are  so  eager  to  destroy,  even  to  extermination,  the  races  of 
animals,  useful  or  dangerous,  which  may  be  found  in  a  new  country.  In 
the  settled  parts  of  a  colony,  the  harmless  kangaroos  and  emus  are 
rarely  seen,  when  they  might  be  easily  domesticated  about  the  habita- 
tions. The  same  remark  applies  to  the  lyre-pheasant.  Why  are  they 
not  domesticated  before,  by  extermination  they  are  lost  to  us  forever  ?" 

The  tail  feathers  are  detached  entire  from  the  bird,  and  are  sold  in  the 
shops  in  Sydney  in  pairs.  The  price  was  formerly  low,  but  as  the  bird 
has,  from  being  destroyed,  as  it  was  not  aforetime,  become  rare,  the  tails 
fetch  five  to  ten  dollars  per  pair.  About  the  ranges  of  the  Tumal  coun- 
try, where  gun  has  seldom  been  carried,  they  are  more  frequently  seen. 
Mr.  Bennett  is  our  authority  for  the  following  particulars  : 

This  bird  has  its  young,  like  all  the  wild  animals,  in  the  country,  and 
can  there  be  most  easily  procured.  It  is  heavy  in  flight,  but  swift  of 
foot.  On  catching  a  glimpse  of  the  sportsman,  it  runs  rapidly,  aided  by 
the  wings,  in  getting  over  logs  of  wood,  rocks,  or  any  obstruction  to  its 
progress  ;  it  seldom  flies  into  trees,  except  to  roost,  and  then  rises  only 
from  branch  to  branch.  These  birds  build  in  old  hollow  trunks  of 
trees  which  are  lying  on  the  ground  or  in  the  holes  of  rocks.  The  nest 
is  formed  merely  of  dried  grass  or  dried  leaves,  scraped  together.  The 
female  lays  from  twelve  to  sixteen  eggs,  of  a  white  color,  with  a  few 
scattered  blue  spots. 

The  young  are  difficult  to  catch,  as  they  run  with  rapidity,  concealing 
themselves  among  the  rocks  and  bushes.     The  lyre-bird,  on  descending, 
20 


(402) 


ARIEL    SWALLOWS   AND   NESTS. 


CHARMING  CREATURES  OF  THE  AIR.  403 

from  high  trees,  on  which  it  perches,  has  been  seen  to  fly  some  distance. 
It  is  more  frequently  observed  during  the  early  hours  of  the  morning, 
and  in  the  evenings,  than  during  the  heat  of  the  day.  It  scratches  about 
the  ground  and  the  roots  of  trees,  to  pick  up  seeds  and  insects.  The 
aborigines  deck  their  greasy  locks  with  the  splendid  tail-feathers  of  this 
bird,  when  they  can  procure  them. 

The  Swift  Swallow. 

The  mechanism  of  birds  is  admirably  suited  to  aid  their  rapid  flight 
Their  aerial  oars,  moved  by  muscles  of  extraordinary  power,  easily  adapt 
themselves  to  all  the  hazards  of  their  peregrinations  through  the  elevated 
regions  of  air.  There  are  animals,  as  the  swallow,  for  instance,  to  which 
flight  is  so  easy  that  they  seem  to  make  a  sport  of  it.  A  passive  force 
further  assists  their  suspension  in  the  plains  of  the  atmosphere;  air, 
rarefied  by  the  warmth  of  the  body,  penetrates  into  all  its  cavities  and 
even  to  the  interior  of  the  bones.  Rendered  thus  specifically  lighter, 
like  Montgolfier  balloons  filled  with  warm  gas,  they  float  without  effort 
amid  the  clouds.  Such  is  the  daring  flight  of  those  condors  which 
launched  themselves  from  the  frozen  summits  of  the  Andes  towards  the 
sky,  and  soon  disappeared  from  the  sight  of  D'Orbigny,  without  one's 
being  able  to  explain  how  they  could  breathe  so  rarefied  an  atmosphere. 

The  bird,  though  endowed  with  such  a  slight  frame,  nevertheless  sur- 
passes in  strength  the  ponderous  engines  which  glide  along  our  railroads. 
Its  vessels  and  fibres,  notwithstanding  their  wonderful  delicacy,  work  and 
resist  more  energetically  than  our  heavy  wheel-work  and  cast-iron  tubes ; 
in  the  one  is  seen  the  finger  of  God,  in  the  other  only  the  genius  of  man ! 
Launched  like  an  arrow  into  space,  the  bird,  playing  the  while,  silently 
clears  twenty  leagues  an  hour.  A  locomotive  going  at  high  pressure, 
enveloped  in  fire  and  smoke,  attains  the  same  speed  only  by  consuming 
heaps  of  coal  and  water  amid  the  infernal  uproar  of  its  wheels  and 

pistons. 

Excursions  of  Hundreds  of  Miles. 

According  to  Sir  Hans  Sloane,the  sea-mews  which  nestle  on  the  rocks 
of  Barbadoes  take  every  day  a  journey  over  the  sea  of  four  hundred 
miles  to  amuse  themselves  and  seek  for  food  on  a  distant  island,  the 
industry  of  the  animal  thus  excelling  that  of  man. 

On  their  adventurous  excursions  birds  follow  their  track  unerringly, 
guided  by  sensations  of  an  unknown  nature  and  of  extreme  delicacy, 
among  which  sight  and  smell  play  a  great  part.  All  historians  re- 
late that  after  the  battle  of  Pharsalia,  the  putrid  emanations  from  the 
dead  heaped  upon  the  ground  attracted  the  vultures  from  Asia  and  Africa, 


404  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

which  came  thither  to  make  their  repast.  It  is  certain,  according  to 
Humboldt,  that  if  a  horse  or  cow  be  killed  in  the  most  solitary  passes  of 
the  Cordilleras  where  one  might  think  not  even  condors  could  exist, 
several  of  these  sordid  carnivorous  birds,  attracted  by  the  stench,  are 
soon  seen  arriving  in  order  to  gorge  themselves  with  the  putrefied  flesh. 

The  migrations  of  certain  birds  are  understood  ;  we  know  whence  they 
start,  where  they  halt,  and  where  they  end  their  journey.  Thus,  for  in- 
stance, in  autumn,  bands  of  quails  which  are  emigrating,  constantly  ar- 
rive exhausted  at  the  island  of  Malta,  where  they  meet  with  fatal  hospi- 
tality. They  are  taken  in  swarms  in  the  streets  of  the  town  and  on  the 
roads,  and  as  the  inhabitants  cannot  consume  the  whole  of  this  living 
harvest,  it  is  sent  to  distant  markets. 

Singular  Disappearances. 

The  mysterious  emigration  of  the  swallows  has  particularly  occupied 
the  attention  of  observers.  Men  could  not  make  out  what  became  of 
these  charming  visitors  when  they  suddenly  disappeared,  and  not  long 
ago  the  strangest  suppositions  were  indulged  in  on  this  head. 

As  these  birds  in  autumn  seek  their  prey  in  the  swamps,  and  seem  to 
plunge  into  them,  it  was  for  a  long  time  believed  that  they  buried  them- 
selves in  the  mud,  only  to  issue  again  with  the  return  of  the  spring 
warmth,  which  re-animated  them  after  a  six  months'  asphyxia,  or  slum- 
ber. Olaus  Magnus,  a  northern  naturalist,  more  erudite  than  observing, 
was  the  first  who  propagated  this  fable,  going  so  far  as  to  maintain  that 
the  Norwegian  fishermen  often  take  in  their  nets  a  number  of  swallows 
along  with  the  fish.  It  was  even  asserted  that  if  the  poor  birds,  all  soiled 
with  mud,  soaked  with  water,  and  stupefied  with  cold,  were  exposed  to  the 
heat  of  a  stove,  they  were  seen  to  become  speedily  dry  and  return  to  life. 

Linnaeus,  BufTon,  and  even  Cuvier  believed  such  stories  !  Ought  we  to 
consider  this  as  a  reproach  on  their  parts,  when  we  see  that  some  physi- 
ologists of  our  own  time  obstinately  maintain  that  certain  animals  can 
be  reanimated? 

The  idea  that  swallows  winter  in  the  mud  of  our  marshes  was  so  pop- 
ular, that  a  German  academy  thought  it  advisable  to  examine  whether 
there  was  any  foundation  for  the  opinion  or  not.  This  learned  body  ac- 
cordingly proposed  to  give  their  weight  in  silver  for  all  the  swallows 
brought  out  of  the  water,  but  the  prize  was  never  claimed.  The  most 
astonishing  part  of  the  matter  is  to  find  Cuvier  believing  in  such  a  fable. 
He  says,  "  It  appears  certain  that  swallows  become  torpid  during  winter, 
and  even  that  they  pass  this  season  at  the  bottom  of  the  water  in  the 
marshes/' 


CHARMING  CREATURES  OF  THE  AIR.  405 

As  the  swallows  have  for  a  long  time  concealed  their  winter  residence, 
it  became  the  subject  of  all  sorts  of  conjectures.  Some  naturalists  main- 
tained that,  instead  of  emigrating  to  distant  regions,  they  hide  themselves 
and  become  torpid  in  the  depths  of  some  cave,  just  as  the  bats  do.  One 
of  the  most  reliable  of  these  men,  Larrey  the  surgeon,  mentions  having 
discovered  in  the  neighborhood  of  Maurienne  a  grotto,  the  roof  of  which 
was  lined  with  a  mass  of  swallows  which  kept  themselves  attached  to  it 
like  a  swarm  of  bees. 

But  the  experiments  of  Spallanzani  have  destroyed  all  these  false  creeds. 
The  learned  abbe  found  that  the  swallows  which  he  wanted  to  throw  into 
a  state  of  hybernation  in  an  ice-house,  did  not  become  torpid,  but  died. 

Adanson  has  taught  us  that  the  swallows  of  southern  Europe  betake 
themselves  to  the  Senegal  during  the  cold  season.  Those  which  are 
scattered  through  adjacent  lands  unite  together  at  autumn  on  the  shores 
of  the  Mediterranean,  and  when  an  irresistible  desire  impels  them  to 
depart,  cross  this  sea  in  numerous  troops.  Thus  then  in  summer  the 
swallow  builds  its  nest  under  the  sumptuous  cornices  of  palaces,  and  in 
winter  inhabits  the  huts  of  Senegambia. 

All  do  not  attain  the  goal  of  their  pilgrimage.  The  waves  engulf  those 
which  have  reckoned  too  much  upon  their  strength,  unless  some  pro- 
pitious rock  or  ship  happen  to  be  at  hand  to  lend  them  refuge.  During 
one  of  my  wanderings  across  the  Mediterranean,  says  Adanson,  some 
strayed  swallows  happened,  when  we  were  mid-way  between  the  two 
coasts,  to  fall  totally  exhausted  on  the  deck  of  the  frigate  which  was 
carrying  me  towards  Africa.  Every  one  on  board,  soldiers  and  sailors, 
overwhelmed  them  with  attentions,  which  they  received  without  exhibit- 
ing signs  of  fear.  When  they  had  at  last  recovered  from  their  fatigues, 
they  recommenced  their  journey  towards  the  high  regions  of  Senegal, 
and  perchance  rested  beneath  the  cabins  of  savages  long  ere  we  had 
greeted  the  ports  of  Algeria. 

The  Wanderers'  Welcome  Return. 

But  after  long  and  perilous  journeys  these  charming  visitors  of  our 
dwellings  return  each  year  with  touching  fidelity  to  find  their  old  domicile 
again.  If  the  rains  and  winds  have  injured  it,  the  architects  quickly 
repair  it  before  making  it  witness  of  their  loves.  Spallanzani  has  even 
noticed  that  the  feathered  couples  become  strongly  attached  to  their 
particular  nests.  Having  fixed  party-colored  ribbons  to  the  feet  of  some 
of  them,  he  recognized  them  the  year  after,  when  they  came  to  take  pos- 
session again.  He  saw  them  return  thus  for  eighteen  successive  sum- 
mers. How  many  among  us  never  enjoy  such  a  long  tenancy ! 


406  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Another  species  of  the  same  group,  the  ariel  swallow,  fondly  returns  to 
its  republic,  formed  of  agglomerated  nests,  and  more  ingeniously  con- 
structed than  those  of  our  swallows.  These  nests  resemble  so  many  wide- 
necked  bottles  hung  by  the  bottom  in  inaccessible  places. 

The  Argus  Pheasant. 

The  pheasants  have  a  short,  convex,  and  strong  bill,  the  head  more  or 
less  covered  with  carunculated  bare  flesh  on  the  sides,  which,  in  some 
species,  is  continued  upwards  to  the  crown,  and  beneath,  so  as  to  hang 
under  each  jaw,  and  the  legs,  in  most  of  the  species,  are  furnished  with 
spurs.  The  females  produce  many  young  ones  at  a  brood.  These  they 
take  care  of  for  some  time.  The  nests  of  the  whole  tribe  are  formed 
on  the  ground.  The  common  pheasant  is  about  three  feet  long,  of 
which  the  tail  forms  one-half;  the  male  is  bright  rufous  above,  the 
head  and  neck  blue  with  green  and  golden  reflections,  and  variegated 
with  black  and  white.  Its  habits  are  much  like  those  of  the  common 
fowl. 

One  of  the  prettiest  species  is  the  argus  pheasant.  It  is  about  the  size 
of  a  common  fowl ;  the  under  part  and  lower  neck  are  reddish  brown, 
spotted  with  yellow  and  black ;  the  back  ochrey  yellow  with  black  and 
brown  spots ;  tail  deep  chestnut  with  white  spots,  surrounded  by  a  black 
ring ;  secondaries  about  three  feet  long  and  brownish,  but  when  spread 
adorned  with  beautiful  oscillated  spots,  like  those  in  the  peacock's  tail. 

The  female  is  dull  chestnut  red,  varied  with  yellowish  brown  and  black 
without  the  development  of  the  tail  feathers  and  secondaries.  It  is  found 
in  the  forests  of  Sumatra  and  the  other  large  East  Indian  islands,  where 
it  lives  in  pairs.  The  name  argus  pheasant  is  derived  from  the  number 
of  eye-like  spots  with  which  its  wing  feathers  are  covered. 

Short-Lived  Beauties. 

These  birds  are  extremely  shy,  and  very  difficult  to  be  kept  alive  for 
any  length  of  time  after  they  have  been  taken  from  the  woods.  In  a 
strong  light  they  appear  to  be  dazzled,  and  when  exposed  to  such,  they 
seem  to  be  melancholy  and  inanimate,  but  in  the  dark  they  recover  all 
their  animation.  They  have  a  cry  not  unlike  that  of  a  peacock,  and  their 
wings  and  tail  feathers  are  in  considerable  request  for  female  head  dresses. 

Other  pheasants  are  the  horned  pheasant  and  Impeyan  pheasant  (so 
called  in  honor  of  Lady  Impey),  an  inhabitant  of  Nepaul  and  the  Him- 
alaya mountains,  both  very  beautiful  birds. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  hen  bird,  when  she  is  getting  old,  will  often 
assume  the  beautiful  colors  and  gay  plumage  of  her  mate,  and  become  a 
sort  of  natural  curiosity.  Next  to  the  peacock,  the  pheasant  carries  away 


BEAUTIFUL    ARGUS    PHEASANT. 


(407) 


408  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  palm  in  beauty,  both  for  the  lovely  color  of  his  plumes,  and  the  happy 
manner  in  which  they  are  blended. 

There  is  an  old  story  told  about  the  famous  king  of  Lydia,  Croesus,  who 
was  said  to  be  the  richest  monarch  in  the  world.  He  was  one  day  seated 
on  his  throne,  in  his  royal  robes,  and  in  all  his  magnificence,  and  asked 
Solon,  the  Greek  philosopher,  if  he  had  ever  seen  anything  so  fine.  It 
was  rather  a  foolish  question.  And  Solon  replied,  that  having  seen  the 
beautiful  plumage  of  the  pheasant,  he  could  not  be  surprised  by  any  other 
grandeur  that  might  be  displayed  before  him. 

The  pheasant,  thus  grandly  attired,  is  no  less  admired  when  served  up 
at  the  table.  His  flesh  is  so  delicate  that  its  delicacy  once  became  a 
proverb,  and  when  a  doctor  in  those  days  wished  to  recommend  an  article 
of  diet,  he  used  to  say  it  was  as  nice  and  as  wholesome  as  the  flesh  of  the 
pheasant. 

There  are  many  varieties  of  the  pheasant,  such  as  the  spotted  pheasants 
of  China,  and  the  gold  and  silver  pheasants,  also  brought  from  that 
country.  The  daily  life  of  the  pheasant  is  very  much  like  that  of  the 
grouse.  He  loves  the  thick  plantation  or  the  tangled  wood,  and  during 
the  summer  and  autumn  has  the  habit  of  sleeping  on  the  ground,  though 
in  the  winter  a  tree  is  chosen  on  which  to  roost. 

Early  in  the  morning  he  visits  the  open  fields,  and  searches  for  the  ten- 
der shoots  of  the  grass  and  of  many  of  the  meadow  plants,  and  will  pick 
up  worms  and  insects.  Later  in  the  season,  acorns,  and  beech  nuts,  and 
wild  berries  form  articles  of  diet.  But  during  a  severe  winter  the  birds 
require  to  be  fed,  or  they  would  suffer  from  hunger.  Then  they  become 
very  tame,  and  come  when  they  are  called. 

The  Golden  Pheasant. 

The  golden  pheasant  is  derived  from  China.  Its  name  there  is  said  by 
Latham  to  be  "  kinki,"  or  "  kinker/'  which  signifies  "  golden-flower  fowl." 
It  is  a  favorite  in  that  country,  as  may  be  seen  by  its  frequent  occurrence 
in  Chinese  paintings. 

In  our  country  this  bird  has  hitherto  been  preserved  only  in  aviaries,, 
where  it  is  shielded  from  the  cold  of  winter  and  supplied  with  food.  In 
captivity  it  breeds  freely.  It  is  one  of  a  race  remarkable  for  beauty. 

The  golden  pheasant  is  much  smaller  than  the  common  one.  The 
length  of  the  male  is  about  three  feet,  of  which  the  tail  measures  twenty- 
three  inches.  The  head  is  ornamented  with  a  beautiful  silky  crest  of  a 
fine  amber-yellow.  The  feathers  of  the  back  of  the  head  ^nd  neck  are  of 
a  rich  orange-red  edged  with  a  line  of  black,  and  capable  of  being  raised 
at  will.  Lower  down,  so  as  to  lie  on  the  top  of  the  back,  the  feathers  are 


CHARMING  CREATURES  OF  THE  AIR. 


409> 


glossy  greenish-black.     The  back  is  rich  yellow  ;  the  wings  deep  blue  at: 
their  base,  the  under  surface  intense  scarlet. 

There  are  four  species  of  albatross,  of  which  three  are  found  princi- 
pally in  the  seas  of  hot  climates  and  the  fourth  within  the  Antarctic  Cir- 
cle. In  size,  these  marine  birds  are  sometimes  as  large  as  a  swan.  Their 
general  color  is  white,  the  upper  parts  are  marked  with  black  lines.  The 


GOLDEN   PHEASANT. 

quill  feathers  are  black  and  the  tail  is  rounded  and  of  lead  color.     The 
bill  is  of  pale  yellow  and  the  legs  of  flesh  color. 

The  powers  of  flight  of  the  albatross  are  exceedingly  great ;  it  is  al- 
most always  on  the  wing  and  is  equally  at  ease  during  the  stillest  calm^ 
or  flying  with  great  swiftness  before  the  most  furious  gale.  They  are 
very  voracious,  and  feed  on  fish  and  mollusks.  The  shoals  of  flying-fish. 


410 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


suffer  greatly  from  the  voracity  of  these  birds.  They  also  often  pursue 
the  shoals  of  salmon  into  the  mouths  of  large  rivers  and  so  gorge  them- 
selves, as,  notwithstanding  their  otherwise  extraordinary  powers  of  flight, 
to  be  prevented  by  their  weight  and  consequent  stupidity  even  from  rising. 
They  always  fish  in  fine  weather  and  retire  into  the  harbors  when  the  wind 
is  boisterous.  Their  voice  very  much  resembles  the  braying  of  an  ass. 


WANDERING    ALBATROSS. 

In  South  America  they  build  their  nests  about  the  end  of  September; 
these  are  formed  of  earth  on  the  ground  and  are  from  one  to  three  feet 
high.  The  eggs  are  as  large  as  those  of  a  goose  and  have  the  single 
property  of  their  white  not  becoming  hard  by  boiling.  When  attempted 
to  be  seized,  the  albatross  makes  a  vigorous  defense  with  its  bill. 

Cranes  are  found  in  numerous  flocks,  in  the  northern  parts  of  Europe. 
Linnaeus  describes  their  appearance  in  Lapland,  and  Pennant  says  they 


CHARMING  CREATURES  OF  THE  AIR.  411 

also  visit  Russia  and  Siberia.  The  nest  of  the  crane  is  made  among  long 
herbage,  reeds,  and  the  luxuriant  vegetation  of  swampy  tracts,  and  some- 
times on  insulated  ruins.  Two  eggs  are  laid,  of  a  pale  dull-greenish 
color,  blotched  with  brown.  The  food  of  this  bird  consists  not  only  of 
grain  and  vegetables,  but  worms,  frogs,  and  snails.  Cranes  are  said  to 
make  great  havoc  in  the  corn  when  it  is  green.  Of  their  migration  Mil- 
ton says  • 

Part  loosely  wing  the  region  ;  part,  more  wise, 

In  common,  ranged  in  figure,  wedge  their  way, 

Intelligent  of  seasons  ;  and  set  forth 

Their  airy  caravan  ;  high  over  seas 

Flying,  and  over  lands  with  mutual  wing 

Easing  their  flight:  so  steers  the  prudent  crane 

Her  annual  voyage,  borne  on  winds  ;  the  air 

Floats  as  they  pass,  fanned  with  unnumbered  plumes. 

Flocks  of  these  birds  are  seen,  at  stated  times,  in  France  and  Germany, 
passing  north  and  south,  as  the  season  may  be,  in  marshalled  order,  high 
in  the  air,  their  sonorous  voices  distinctly  heard  even  from  their  elevated 
course.  Occasionally  they  descend,  attracted  by  newly-sown  fields,  or  the 
prospect  of  finding  food  in  marshes,  on  the  borders  of  rivers,  or  even  the 
shores  of  the  sea;  but  generally  they  continue  their  flight  unchecked 
towards  their  destined  resting-places. 

Willoughby  says,  "  The  flesh  is  very  savory  and  well  tasted,  not  to  say 
delicate;"  and  indeed  it  seems  to  have  been  highly  prized  in  former 
days.  Pegge  says,  "  William  the  Conqueror  was  remarkable  for  an  im- 
mense stomach,  and  withal  was  so  exact,  so  nice  and  curious  in  his  re- 
pasts, that  when  his  prime  favorite,  William  Fitz  Osborne,  who,  as  steward 
of  his  household,  had  the  charge  of  the  curey,  served  him  with  the  flesh 
of  a  crane  scarcely  half  roasted,  the  king  was  so  highly  exasperated  that 
he  lifted  up  his  fist,  and  would  have  struck  him,  had  not  Eudo,  who  was 
appointed  steward  immediateiy  after,  warded  off  the  blow."  At  the  en- 
thronization  of  George  Newell,  an  English  archbishop,  204  cranes  were 
served ;  and  in  the  "  Northumberland  Household  Book,"  the  price  of  the 
crane  is  marked  sixteen  pence.  At  an  ancient  marriage-feast,  one  of  the 
items  is,  "  9  cranes,  every  crane  three  shillings  and  fourpence." 
Habits  of  the  Crane  Family. 

Cranes  are  large  birds  frequenting  marshes  and  open  plains,  migrating 
to  warm  climates  in  winter  and  returning  to  the  north  to  breed.  They 
fly  usually  at  night  in  large  flocks,  following  a  leader  in  two  diverging- 
lines  not  unlike  ploughshares,  at  a  great  elevation  and  sometimes  uttering 
loud  cries.  Their  food  consists  of  reptiles,  fish,  mice  and  other  small  ani- 


412 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


mals,  insects,  seeds,  roots  and  grain.  They  are  very  shy  and  difficult  to 
approach  from  the  acuteness  of  their  sight  and  hearing.  In  captivity 
they  become  gentle,  feeding  on  vegetable  substances. 

The  crowned  or  crested  crane  is  slender  and  graceful,  and  is  often 
kept  in  captivity  for  its  beauty  and  docility ;  its  voice  is  remarkably  shrill. 
When  the  cranes  are  on  the  ground  they  are  said  to  set  guards  during  the 
night. 

The  demoiselle  crane  is  remarkable  for  the  idea  that  it  appears  to  have 
respecting  its  own  beauty.  Its  deportment  is  very  singular  and  at  times 
even  ludicrous.  It  moves  about  with  a  consequential  air,  hanging  its 
head  first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other.  It  then  will  run  some 


CRESTED    CRANE   AND    VIRGIN    CRANE. 

twenty  or  thirty  yards  treading  only  on  the  tips  of  its  toes,  as  if  it  were 
trying  to  pick  its  way  over  a  very  dirty  road.  Then  it  will  have  a  little 
dance  all  to  itself  and  suddenly  stand  still  again  quite  composed,  as  if  it 
had  been  doing  nothing  at  all. 

From  these  habits  naturalists  have  named  this  bird  demoiselle,  or  pea- 
cock crane.  Its  daily  habits  are  very  regular.  At  sunrise  it  leaves  its 
resting  place  in  search  of  prey  along  the  banks  of  a  stream.  About  two 
hours  later  it  takes  a  bath  and  then  amuses  itself  in  the  above  described 
manner.  Sometimes  a  short  excursion  is  made  in  the  afternoon,  but  gen- 
erally one  meal  suffices  for  the  whole  day.  They  select  their  resting 
place  in  dense  forests  on  high  trees,  never  on  the  ground. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBES. 

The  Odd-Looking  Flamingo — "  Bean  Pole  "  of  the  Bird  World — Fiery  Plumage — 
Elegant  Appearance— Singular  Nest— Remarkable  Construction  of  Jaws— The 
"Kiwi-Kiwi" — Wingless  Creatures— Descendants  of  the  Ancient  Dinornis — 
New  Zealand  Chiefs  Dressed  in  the  Skin  of  the  Apteryx— An  Egg  that  Weighs 
One-fourth  as  much  as  the  Bird— Habits  of  the  Apteryx — The  Ostrich — Bird  of 
the  Desert— Extraordinary  Nest  and  Eggs— Birdlings  Hatched  by  the  Sun — 
Arabian  Stories  of  the  Ostrich— Royal  Carriage  Drawn  by  a  Team  of  Ostriches — 
Riding  the  Two-legged  Steed — Cunning  Methods  of  Capture — American  Os- 
trich Described — Noisy  Guinea-Fowl — Flesh  of  Fine  Flavor — Conspicuous 
Crest — Eggs  Colored  like  the  Plumage— The  Sacred  Ibis — Varied  Colors— Bird 
of  Mexico — Egyptian  Veneration  for  the  Ibis — Regular  Migration — Embalmed 
Remains  in  Egyptian  Burial  Places — The  Giant  Heron — Lonely  Creature — In- 
habitant of  Marshes  and  Water  Courses— Singular  Habits — Seeking  Prey — 
Standing  for  Hours  on  one  Leg— Little  Herons — The  Heron  and  Falcon  in 
Combat— The  Shoe-Bill—Strangest  of  all  Birds— The  Spoon-Bill— A  Voiceless 
Bird— The  Owl— Immense  Eyes— A  Night  Prowler— White  Owl— Tenant  of 
Barns — Voracity  for  Mice — The  Owl  Attacking  a  Man— Little  Birds'  Revenge — 
The  Darter — Long  Neck— The  Famous  Stork— Remarkable  Intelligence — A 
Good  Wife  and  Mother— Storks  Sentenced  to  Death  for  Infidelity— The  Adju- 
tant— Blue-Headed  Parakeets. 

HERE  are  few  birds  so  odd  in  their  appearance  as  the  flamingo. 
Its  body  is  not  so  large  as  that  of  the  stork,  but  its  legs  are  like 
long  stilts.  Indeed,  they  may  be  said  to  be  quite  out  of  pro- 
portion to  its  size;  when  it  stands  up  it  is  six  feet  high.  The 
head  is  small,  but  is  furnished  with  a  very  long  bill,  which,  as  you  see, 
curves  down  from  the  middle.  The  end  of  the  bill,  as  far  as  the  bend,  is 
black,  and  then  a  reddish  yellow.  The  tongue  is  large  and  fleshy,  and 
fills  up  the  whole  of  the  bill,  and  the  tip  is  gristly.  Its  long  legs  rather 
link  it  with  the  waders,  but  the  three  front  toes  are  united  by  a  web,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  water-birds. 

The  plumage  of  the  head,  when  in  its  full  perfection,  is  deep  scarlet, 
with  black  quills.  As  it  strides  about  upon  its  stilt-like  legs,  with  its 
enormous  length  of  neck,  we  should  regard  it  as  a  most  uncouth  creature 
but  for  its  splendid  scarlet  robe,  that  excites  our  admiration.  It  lives  with 
its  companions  in  a  flock,  and  the  flock  stand  in  a  line,  like  sentinels,  clad 
in  their  red  uniform.  One  of  the  band  acts  as  a  watchman,  and  if  any 
danger  approaches,  utters  a  scream  like  the  sound  of  a  trumpet  Then 

(413) 


414 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


the  whole  flock  rise  in  the  air  with  loud  clamor,  and  look  very  much  like 
a  fiery  cloud. 

The  creeks  and  ravines  of  tropical  countries  in  Asia  and  Africa  abound 
with  flamingoes.     They  are  seen  standing,  as  in  the  engraving,  and  pre- 


ASIATIC    FLAMINGO. 

sent  a  most  grotesque  appearance.  Their  way  of  feeding  is  very  peculiar 
They  twist  their  neck  in  such  a  way  that  the  upper  part  of  the  bill  touches 
the  ground,  while  they  disturb  the  mud  with  their  webbed  feet,  and  raise 
up  the  insects  and  spawn  of  which  they  are  in  search. 

In  the.  summer  the  flock  of  flamingoes  will  take  a  journey  northward  as 


CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBE.  415 

far  as  the  Rhine.  When  they  are  on  the  wing  they  have  a  very  splendid 
appearance.  They  look  like  a  great  fiery  triangle.  All  at  once  they 
slacken  their  speed,  hover  for  a  moment,  and  then  alight  on  the  banks  of 
the  river.  They  range  themselves  in  the  usual  line,  place  their  guards, 
and  begin  at  once  to  fish. 

Considering  the  enormous  length  of  its  legs,  you  would  wonder  how 
the  bird  contrives  to  hatch  its  eggs,  or  what  kind  of  a  nest  it  builds.  It 
is  a  mason  bird,  and  forms  its  nest  of  mud,  in  the  shape  of  a  hillock,  with 
a  hole  at  the  top.  Here  the  mother  bird  lays  two  eggs  about  the  size  of 
those  of  the  goose.  The  nest  is  high  enough  to  allow  her  to  throw  her 
legs  across  it  and  sit  upon  the  eggs,  in  an  attitude  as  if  she  were  riding. 
The  flamingo  sitting  on  its  nest  in  this  manner  has  been  compared  to  a 
man  on  a  high  stool,  with  his  legs  hanging  down.  The  nest  itself  is  very 
curious,  and  is  solid  nearly  to  the  top,  and  then  hollow  like  a  basin. 
Flamingoes  in  the  Snare. 

The  bottom  of  the  nest  is  in  the  water,  and  the  bird  usually  has  its  feet 
in  the  water.  In  some  parts  of  the  tropics,  the  birds  are  tamed  for  the 
sake  of  their  skin,  which  is  used  in  swans'  down.  They  are  caught  in 
snares,  or  else  decoyed  by  tame  flamingoes  that  are  used  on  purpose.  The 
tame  flamingoes  are  driven  into  places  frequented  by  the  wild  ones,  and 
meat  is  laid  upon  the  ground.  As  soon  as  the  wild  flamingoes  see  the 
others  eating  the  meat,  they  come  forward  to  obtain  a  share.  A  battle 
ensues  between  the  birds,  and  the  bird-catcher,  who  is  hidden  close  by, 
watches  his  opportunity  to  dart  forward  and  seize  the  prey. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  flamingoes — that  of  America  is  of  a  deep  red, 
while  the  one  in  Asia  and  Africa  is  rose-colored,  with  black  wings.  In  old 
times  the  flesh  of  the  flamingo  was  considered  a  dainty,  and  even  now 
the  young  bird  is  thought  by  some  people  to  taste  like  partridge.  But 
the  people  in  these  days,  who  have  tasted  it,  say  it  is  very  disagreeable. 

There  was  a  tame  flamingo  that  lived  a  little  time  in  our  latitude.  It 
used  to  dip  its  bread  in  water,and  to  eat  more  in  the  night  than  in  the  day. 
It  was  very  impatient  of  cold,  and  would  go  so  near  to  the  fire  as  to  burn 
its  toes.  One  of  its  legs  was  hurt  by  an  accident,  and  it  could  not  use  it 
But  it  contrived  to  walk  all  the  same,  for  it  put  its  head  to  the  ground 
and  used  its  long  neck  as  a  crutch. 

As  the  flamingo  frequents  the  sea-coast  and  the  adjacent  marshes,  it 
has  the  power  of  swimming,  and  its  toes  are  partially  webbed  ;  and  thus 
it  may  fearlessly  venture  even  beyond  its  depth,  nor  apprehend  being 
carried  away  by  the  retiring  tide.  Its  food  consists  of  small  fish,  shells, 
and  water  insects,  for  the  capture  of  which  its  beak  is  most  singularly 


416  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

constructed  ;  in  length  it  is  nearly  five  inches  ;  the  upper  mandible  is  bent 
downwards  in  the  middle,  at  an  acute  angle,  as  if  broken,  the  space  from 
the  angle  to  the  point  being  a  broad  flat  plate,  of  a  somewhat  oval  figure ; 
the  lower  mandible,  which  is  the  larger,  is  so  adjusted  as  to  fit  the  angle 
with  its  edges,  its  under  surface  being  gently  arched  downwards.  The 
edges  of  both  mandibles  are  furnished  with  a  row  of  tooth-like  eminences, 
those  of  the  upper  being  the  larger. 

The  use  of  the  mandibles  is  like  a  strainer,  allowing  the  water  to  pass 
through,  but  retaining  any  small  body,  as  an  insect  or  a  fish.  In  search- 
ing for  food  in  the  mud,  at  the  bottom  of  waters,  the  upper  and  not  the 
under  mandible  is  applied  to  the  ground ;  the  flat  portion  of  its  surface 
being  well  adapted  for  pressing  close  down  on  the  soft  bed  of  the  marsh 
or  creek.  Hence,  in  that  situation,  the  inferior  mandible  is  placed  upper- 
most, and  by  its  motion  works  the  disturbed  and  turpid  water  through 
the  two,  as  is  seen  in  ducks  and  other  aquatic  birds. 

The  first  year  the  flamingo's  livery  is  of  a  grayish  clouded  white ;  the 
second,  the  white  is  purer,  but  the  wings  are  tinted  with  a  beautiful  rose- 
color;  in  the  third  year  it  attains  full  plumage.  Its  color  is  then  ex- 
tremely rich  and  brilliant,  being  of  a  fine  deep  scarlet  on  the  back,  and 
roseate  on  the  wings,  the  quill-feathers  of  the  wings  being  jet  black.  The 
hues  of  the  bird  become  more  intense  during  succeeding  years.  A  flock 
of  these  tall  and  splendid  birds,  moving  about  on  the  sea-beach,  with 
their  plumage  reflecting  the  glowing  rays  of  a  tropical  sun,  is  a  spectacle 
never  to  be  forgotten. 

The  Apteryx  or  Kiwi-Kiwi. 

The  apteryx  is  a  native^ of  New  Zealand  and  belongs  to  the  ostrich 
family.  These  birds  are  found  in  extensive  and  thick  beds  of  ferns,  in 
which  they  hide.  They  are  nocturnal  and  feed  on  worms,  snails,  insects 
.and  larvae,  run  swiftly  and  defend  themselves  with  their  powerful  feet. 
Their  name  is  derived  from  the  apparent  absence  of  wings,  those  mem- 
bers being  merely  rudimentary.  When  hunted  by  dogs,  it  seeks  refuge 
among  rocks  and  in  the  chambers  which  it  excavates  in  the  earth.  In 
these  chambers  its  nest  is  made  and  the  eggs  laid. 

The  natives  hunt  it  with  great  eagerness,  as  the  skin  is  used  for  the 
dresses  of  chiefs,  who  can  hardly  be  persuaded  to  part  with  a  single  skin. 
The  bird  has  a  singular  habit  of  resting  with  the  tip  of  his  bill  placed  on 
the  ground.  The  nostrils  of  the  apteryx  are  placed  almost  at  the  very 
extremity  of  the  bill.  The  aborigines  of  New  Zealand  give  it  the  name 
of  Kiwi-Kiwi.  Their  eggs  are  extraordinarily  large  and  weigh  about 
one-fourth  as  much  as  the  female  bird. 


CURIOUS    APTERYX    OR    "  KIWI." 


(417) 


418  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Though  the  apteiyx  has  no  wings,  yet  there  are  small  members  grow- 
ing out  of  the  part  of  the  body  from  which  the  wings  of  birds  arise. 
The  feathers  are  soft  and  flexible,  and  furnished  with  extremely  fine 
hair,  so  that  the  covering  of  the  apteryx  has,  at  a  distance,  exactly  the 
appearance  of  coarse  fur.  The  length  from  the  point  of  the  bill  to  the 
end  of  the  tailless  body  is  about  thirty-two  inches ;  but  the  bill  varies 
greatly  in  length,  and  it  is  supposed  that  the  female  has  the  longer  bill. 
It  appears  that  worms,  insects,  and  probably  snails,  are  the  food  of  this 
species. 

Gould,  the  naturalist,  has  become  acquainted  with  several  specimens  of 
this  bird.  He  states  that  its  favorite  localities  are  those  covered  with  ex- 
tensive and  dense  beds  of  fern,  amongst  which  it  conceals  itself,  and 
when  hard  pursued  by  dogs,  the  usual  mode  of  chasing  it,  it  takes  refuge 
in  the  crevices  of  rocks,  hollow  trees,  and  the  deep  holes  which  it  exca- 
vates in  the  ground  in  the  form  of  a  chamber.  In  these  latter  situations 
it  is  said  to  construct  its  nest  of  dried  ferns  and  grasses,  and  there  de- 
posits its  eggs. 

The  natives  of  New  Zealand  hunt  it  for  the  sake  of  its  flesh,  of  which 
they  are  extremely  fond.  Until  the  approach  of  night  it  buries  itself  in 
the  recesses  of  the  forest-,  and  then  ventures  forth,  in  couples,  in  search  of 
food,  which  they  discover  in  darkness  with  the  greatest  ease.  The  cry  of 
this  bird  resembles  the  sound  of  a  whistle,  and  it  is  by  imitating  this  that 
the  hunters  are  able  to  take  it.  Sometimes  it  is  chased  by  dogs,  and  at 
others  secured  by  suddenly  coming  upon  it  with  a  lighted  torch,  when  it 
makes  no  attempt  at  flight. 

The  Richly  Appareled  Ostrich. 

The  ostrich,  the  camel-bird  of  the  Arabs,  has  been  celebrated  from  the 
earliest  antiquity.  It  is  found  throughout  Arabia  and  Africa,  everywhere 
shunning  the  presence  of  man  and  preferring  the  solitude  of  the  desert. 
The  food  of  the  ostrich  consists  of  the  tops  of  the  various  shrubby  plants 
which  the  most  arid  parts  of  South  Africa  produce  in  abundance.  It  is  so 
easily  satisfied  with  regard  to  water,  that  it  is  constantly  to  be  found  in  the 
most  parched  and  desolate  tracts  which  even  the  antelopes  and  the  beasts 
of  prey  have  deserted.  Its  cry  at  a  distance  so  much  resembles  that  of 
the  lion,  that  the  Hottentots  are  said  to  be  sometimes  deceived  by  it. 

The  male  ostrich  of  South  Africa  usually  associates  to  himself  from  two 
to  six  females.  The  hens  lay  all  their  eggs  together  in  one  nest,  the  nest 
being  merely  a  shallow  cavity  scraped  in  the  ground,  of  such  dimensions 
as  to  be  conveniently  covered  by  one  of  these  gigantic  birds  in  incubation. 
An  ingenious  device  is  employed  to  save  space,  and  give  at  the  same  time 


CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBES.  419 

to  all  the  eggs  their  due  share  of  warmth.  Each  one  of  the  eggs  is  made 
to  stand  with  the  narrow  end  on  the  bottom  of  the  nest,  and  the  broad  end 
upwards  ;  and  the  earth  which  has  been  scraped  out  to  form  the  cavity  is 
employed  to  confine  the  outer  circle,  and  keep  the  whole  in  the  proper 
position.  The  hens  relieve  each  other  in  the  task  of  incubation  during  the 
day,  and  the  male  takes  his  turn  at  night,  when  his  superior  strength  is 
required  to  protect  the  eggs  or  the  newly-fledged  young  from  the  jackals, 
tiger-cats,  and  other  enemies.  Some  of  these  animals,  it  is  said,  are  not 
unfrequently  found  lying  dead  near  the  nest,  destroyed  by  a  stroke  from 
the  foot  of  this  powerful  bird. 

Remarkable  Nest. 

No  fewer  than  sixty  eggs  are  sometimes  found  in  and  around  an 
ostrich's  nest ;  but  a  smaller  number  is  more  common ;  and  incubation  is 
occasionally  performed  by  a  single  pair  of  ostriches.  Each  female  lays 
from  twelve  to  sixteen  eggs.  They  continue  to  lay  during  incubation,  and 
even  after  the  young  brood  are  hatched.  The  supernumerary  eggs  are  not 
placed  in  the  nest,  but  around  it,  being  designed  to  aid  the  nourishment 
of  the  young  birds,  which,  though  as  large  as  a  pullet  when  first  hatched, 
are  probably  unable  at  once  to  digest  the  hard  and  acid  food  on  which  the 
old  ones  subsist.  The  period  of  incubation  is  from  thirty-six  to  forty  days. 
Occasionally  the  nest  is  left  by  all  the  birds  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  the 
heat  of  the  sun  being  then  sufficient  to  keep  the  eggs  at  the  proper  tem- 
perature. 

As  to  the  passage  in  the  Book  of  Job  (xxxix.  14),  it  may  be  remarked 
that  within  the  torrid  zone  the  heat  of  the  sun's  rays  renders  the  incuba- 
tion of  the  female  unnecessary,  excepting,  perhaps,  at  night ;  but  in  the 
cooler  latitudes  she  is  assiduous  in  performing  the  maternal  office.  In 
Caffraria,  the  Rev.  J.  Broadbent,  on  approaching  an  ostrich's  nest, 
remarks  : — "  We  saw  the  female  sitting  upon  it ;  and  though  she  had  been 
disturbed  before  by  the  Hottentot,  she  remained  till  we  were  very  near, 
and  then  ran  off  at  the  report  of  two  guns  which  were  fired.  The  ground 
was  sandy  for  several  miles  round,  and  covered  with  thinly  scattered 
bushes.  There  lay  a  great  number  of  loose  ostrich  feathers  about  the  nest, 
which  appeared  to  have  come  off  the  female  while  sitting,  and  she  had  the 
naked  appearance  which  domestic  fowls  have  at  such  times. 

."  The  eggs  were  forty -two  in  number,  and  were  arranged  with  great 
apparent  exactness.  Those  which  were  in  the  circle  we  found  to  be  quite 
fresh,  at  which  I  expressed  my  surprise.  The  Hottentot  informed  me 
that  these  had  been  provided  for  the  ostrich  against  the  hatching  of  those 
in  the  middle,  when  she  would  break  them,  one  after  another,  and  give 


420  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

them  to  her  young  ones  for  food  ;  and  that  by  the  time  they  were  all  dis- 
posed of  in  this  manner,  the  young  ostriches  would  be  able  to  go  abroad 
with  their  mother,  and  provide  for  themselves  such  things  as  the  desert 
afforded.  This  fact  affords  a  fine  instance  of  animal  instinct." 

An  entire  volume  might  be  filled  with  fables  recorded  of  the  ostrich. 
According  to  the  Arabs,  it  is  the  progeny  of  a  bird  and  a  camel.  .  One 
Arabian  author  states  that  it  is  aquatic  ;  another  maintains  that  it  never 
drinks ;  some  that  its  principal  food  consists  of  stones  and  bits  of  iron. 
Buffon  himself  asserts  that  it  might  swallow  red-hot  iron,  provided  the 
quantity  was  small.  Pliny  and  (following  him)  Pierre  Belon,  state  that 
when  the  ostrich  is  pursued  it  fancies  itself  safe  if  it  can  place  its  head  be- 
hind a  tree,  believing  that,  as  it  cannot  see  its  pursuers,  they  cannot  see  it. 
Strange  Articles  of  Diet. 

That  the  ostrich  is  extremely  voracious  is  certain.  Although  the 
senses  of  sight  and  hearing  are  so  highly  developed  that  it  is  said  to  dis- 
tinguish objects  six  miles  off,  and  the  slightest  sounds  excite  its  ear,  the 
senses  of  taste  and  smell  are  very  imperfect.  This  is  the  explanation 
given  for  its  readiness  to  swallow  unedible  substances.  In  a  wild  state  it 
takes  into  its  stomach  large  pebbles,  to  increase  its  digestive  powers ;  in 
captivity  it  gorges  bits  of  wood  and  metal,  pieces  of  glass,  plaster  and 
chalk,  probably  with  the  same  object.  The  pieces  of  iron  found  in  the 
body  of  one  dissected  by  Cuvier  "  were  not  only  worn  away,"  says  the 
great  naturalist,  "  as  they  would  likely  be  by  trituration  against  other  hard 
bodies,  but  they  had  been  considerably  reduced  by  some  digestive  juice, 
and  presented  all  the  evidence  of  actual  corrosion." 

Herbage,  insects,  mollusks,  small  reptiles,  and  even  small  mammalia, 
are  the  principal  food  of  the  wild  ostrich ;  when  it  is  in  a  state  of  domes- 
ticity even  young  chickens  are  devoured  by  it.  It  is  capable  of  enduring 
hunger  and  thirst  for  many  days — about  the  most  useful  faculty  it  could 
possess  in  the  arid  and  burning  deserts  which  it  inhabits — but  it  is  quite  a 
mistake  to  suppose  it  never  drinks,  for  it  will  travel  immense  distances  in 
search  of  water  when  it  has  suffered  a  long  deprivation,  and  will  then 
drink  with  evident  pleasure. 

The  muscular  power  of  the  ostrich  is  truly  surprising.  If  matured  it 
can  carry  a  man  on  its  back  ;  and  is  readily  trained  to  be  mounted  like  a 
horse,  and  to  bear  a  burden.  The  tyrant  Firmius,  who  reigned  in  Egypt 
in  the  third  century,  was  drawn  about  by  a  team  of  ostriches ;  even  now 
the  negroes  frequently  use  it  for  riding. 

When  it  first  feels  the  weight  of  its  rider,  the  ostrich  starts  at  a  slow 
trot ;  it  however  soon  gets  more  animated,  and  stretching  out  its  wingst 


CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBES.  421 

takes  to  running  with  such  rapidity  that  it  seems  scarcely  to  touch  the 
ground.  To  the  wild  animals  which  range  the  desert  it  offers  a  success- 
ful resistance  by  kicking,  the  force  of  which  is  so  great  that  a  blow  in  the 
chest  is  sufficient  to  cause  death.  Verreaux  states  that  he  has  seen  a  ne- 
gro killed  by  such  a  blow. 

Man  succeeds  in  capturing  the  ostrich  only  by  stratagem.  The  Arab 
on  his  swiftest  courser  would  fail  to  get  near  it  if  he  did  not  by  his  intel- 
ligence supply  the  deficiency  in  his  physical  powers.  "  The  legs  of  an 
ostrich  running  at  full  speed,"  says  Dr.  Livingstone,  "  can  no  more  be 
seen  than  the  spokes  in  the  wheel  of  a  vehicle  drawn  at  a  gallop."  Ac- 
cording to  the  same  author,  the  ostrich  can  run  about  thirty  miles  in  an 
hour — a  speed  and  endurance  much  surpassing  that  of  the  swiftest  horse. 
Taking-  the  Ostrich  by  Artifice. 

The  Arabs,  well  acquainted  with  these  facts,  follow  them  for  a  day  or 
two  at  a  distance,  without  pressing  too  closely,  yet  sufficiently  near  to 
prevent  them  from  taking  food.  When  they  have  thus  starved  and 
wearied  the  birds,  they  pursue  them  at  full  speed,  taking  advantage  of  the 
fact,  which  observation  has  taught  them,  that  the  ostrich  never  runs  in  a 
straight  line,  but  describes  a  curve  of  greater  or  less  extent.  Availing 
themselves  of  this  habit,  the  horsemen  follow  the  chord  of  this  arc,  and, 
repeating  the  stratagem  several  times,  they  gradually  get  within  reach, 
when,  making  a  final  dash,  they  rush  impetuously  on  the  harrassed  birds, 
and  beat  them  down  with  their  clubs,  avoiding  as  much  as  possible  shed- 
ding blood,  as  this  depreciates  the  value  of  the  feathers,  which  are  the 
chief  inducement  of  their  pursuit. 

Some  tribes  attain  their  object  by  a  rather  singular  artifice.  The  hun- 
ter covers  himself  with  an  ostrich's  skin,  passing  his  arm  up  the  neck  of 
the  bird  so  as  to  render  the  movements  more  natural.  By  the  aid  of  this 
disguise,  if  skilfully  managed,  ostriches  can  be  approached  sufficiently 
near  to  kill  them. 

The  Arabs  also  hunt  the  ostrich  with  dogs,  which  pursue  it  until  it  is 
completely  worn  out.  In  the  breeding  season,  having  sought  and  found 
out  where  the  ostrichs  lay  their  eggs,  another  artifice  is  to  dig  a  hole 
within  gunshot  of  the  spot,  in  which  a  man,  armed  with  a  gun,  can  hide 
himself.  The  concealed  enemy  easily  kills  the  male  and  female  birds  in 
turn,  as  they  sit  on  their  nest.  Lastly,  to  lie  in  wait  for  them  close  by 
water,  and  shoot  them  when  they  come  to  quench  their  thirst,  is  often 
successful. 

The  American  ostrich  is  scarcely  more  than  naif  the  size  of  the  African 
species,  from  which  it  also  differs  in  having  the  head  covered  with  feathers. 


(422) 


CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBES.  423 

and  the  feet  furnished  with  three  toes.  It  is  of  a  nearly  uniform  gray 
tint,  and  the  feathers  of  the  wings  and  tail,  although  elongated,  possess 
none  of  the  beauty  of  those  of  the  true  ostrich ;  they  are  only  employed 
in  the  manufacture  of  light  dusting-brooms.  It  is  very  abundant  in  the 
great  plains  of  tropical  America,  where  it  is  pursued  on  horseback,  and 
captured  either  by  the  lasso,  or  by  throwing  at  its  legs  an  instrument 
formed  of  two  heavy  balls  or  stones,  attached  together  by  a  leathern  thong. 
Mr.  Darwin,  who  had  frequent  opportunities  of  observing  these  birds, 
says  that  they  take  the  water  readily,  and  swim  across  broad  and  rapid 
rivers,  and  even  from  island  to  island  in  bays. 

They  are  said  to  be  polygamous;  the  male  bird  prepares  the  nest,  col- 
lects the  eggs,  which  are  frequently  laid  by  the  females  at  random  on  the 
ground,  and  performs  all  the  duties  of  incubation.  Mr.  Darwin  confirms 
these  observations,  and  says  that  four  or  five  females  have  been  seen  to 
lay  in  the  same  nest,  and  that  the  male  when  sitting  lies  so  close  that  he 
himself  nearly  rode  over  one.  At  this  time  the  males  are  said  sometimes 
to  be  very  fierce,  and  they  have  been  known  to  attack  a  man  on  horse- 
back, trying  to  kick  and  leap  on  him. 

Le  Vaillant  found  a  female  ostrich  on  a  nest  containing  thirty-two  eggs, 
and  twelve  eggs  were  arranged  at  a  little  distance,  each  in  a  separate 
cavity  formed  for  it.  He  remained  near  the  place  for  some  time,  and  saw 
three  other  females  come  and  alternately  seat  themselves  on  the  nest,  each 
sitting  for  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  then  giving  place  to  another,  who, 
while  waiting,  sat  close  by  the  side  of  her,  whom  she  was  to  succeed. 

The  Guinea-Fowl. 

The  guinea-fowl  is  a  gallinaceous  bird  of  the  turkey  family.  Guinea- 
hens  are  peculiar  to  Africa,  where  they  frequent  woods  on  the  banks  of 
rivers,  in  large  flocks.  They  feed  on  grains,  grasshoppers  and  other  in- 
sects. When  alarmed  they  attempt  to  escape  by  running,  rather  than  by 
flight.  The  common  guinea-hen  is  slate  colored,  covered  all  over  with 
round  white  spots  and  is  about  the  size  of  the  common  fowl.  They  are 
very  noisy  and  troublesome,  always  quarreling  with  the  other  inmates  of 
the  poultry  yard,  and  they  are  hard  to  raise  from  the  delicacy  of  the 
young  and  their  liability  to  disease. 

Their  flesh  is  of  fine  flavor  and  their  eggs  are  excellent.  They  are  great 
feeders,  requiring  to  be  fed  beyond  what  they  can  pick  up  by  themselves, 
and  are  apt  to  injure  tender  buds  and  flowers.  The  crested  guinea-fowl 
or  pintado  has  a  crest  of  black  feathers  and  the  body  black  with  blue  spots  ; 
the  mitred  pintado  has  the  head  surmounted  by  a  conical  helmet  and 
is  black,  white  spotted. 


424 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


The  four  species  of  pintado  hitherto  known  are  all  natives  of  Africa  and 
of  islands  adjacent  to  the  African  coast.  Their  mode  of  feeding  is  similar 
to  that  of  the  domestic  poultry.  They  scrape  the  ground  with  their  feet 
in  search  of  insects,  worms  or  seeds.  The  females  lay  and  hatch  their  eggs 
nearly  in  the  same  manner  as  the  common  hens.  The  eggs,  however,  are 

/f  /-=* 


CRESTED  GUINEA-FOWL. 

smaller  and  have  a  harder  shell.  Buffon  states  that  there  is  a  remarkable 
difference  between  the  eggs  of  the  domestic  guinea-fowls  and  those  which 
are  wild ;  the  latter  being  marked  with  small  round  spots,  like  those  on 
the  plumage  of  the  birds,  and  the  former  being,  when  first  laid,  of  a  quite 
bright  red  and  afterwards  of  the  faint  color  of  the  dried  rose. 

The  young  birds,  for  some  time  after  they  come  into  the  world,  are  des- 


CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBES.  425 

titute  of  the  helmet  or  callous  protuberance,  which  is  so  conspicuous  on 
the  heads  of  the  old  ones.  The  guinea-fowl  is  a  restless  and  clamorous 
bird.  During  the  night  it  perches  on  high  places  and  if  disturbed, 
alarms  every  animal  within  hearing  by  its  cry.  These  birds  delight  in 
rolling  themselves  in  the  dust  for  the  purpose  of  ridding  themselves  of 

insects. 

The  Sacred  Ibis. 

There  are  about  half  a  dozen  species  of  this  wading  bird,  including 
three  in  the  United  States.  The  red  or  scarlet  ibis  is  about  twenty-eight 
inches  long,  its  bill  six  and  one-half  inches,  and  the  extent  of  its  wings  a 
little  over  three  feet.  This  bird,  whose  color  is  a  uniform  bright  scarlet, 
is  found  in  South  America  and  the  West  Indies.  The  white  ibis,  or  white 
curlew,  whose  plumage  is  pure  white,  is  very  common  in  the  Southern 
Atlantic  and  Gulf  States,  occasionally  straggling  as  far  north  as  New  Jer- 
sey. Its  flesh  has  a  very  fishy  taste  and  is  rarely  eaten  except  by  the  In- 
dians. 

The  glossy  ibis,  a  smaller  species,  is  about  twenty-one  inches  long. 
Its  general  color  is  chestnut-brown,  with  the  back  and  top  of  head  me- 
tallic green,  glossed  with  purple.  It  exists  in  great  numbers  in  Mexico 
and  has  been  found  as  far  north  as  Massachusetts.  Of  this  genus  there 
are  about  twenty  species  found  in  the  warmer  parts  of  Africa,  Asia  and 
South  America,  one  of  which  is  the  Sacred  Ibis  of  the  Egyptians.  It  is 
about  as  large  as  a  domestic  fowl,  and  is  found  throughout  Northern  Africa. 

This  bird,  which  was  reared  in  the  temples  of  ancient  Egypt  and  was 
embalmed,  frequents  overflowed  lands  and  dry  plains  and  feeds  on  frogs 
and  small  aquatic  lizards.  It  is  a  migratory  bird  appearing  simultaneous- 
ly with  the  rise  of  the  Nile  and  departing  as  the  inundation  subsides.  It 
is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  the  ibis  does  not  visit  Egypt  regularly  any  more 
as  of  old,  breeding  in  the  Sudan.  As  soon  as  it  arrives  there  it  takes 
possession  of  its  well  selected  breeding  places,  from  which  it  undertakes 
excursions  in  search  of  prey.  It  is  not  afraid  of  the  natives  and  can  of- 
ten be  seen  among  the  cattle  herds  picking  up  a  grasshopper  here  and  a 
frog  or  lizard  there.  Dr.  Brehm  met,  on  his  travels  up  the  Blue  Nile,  so 
many  of  this  beautiful  bird,  that  he  was  able  to  kill  twenty  of  them  with- 
in two  days.  The  female  lays  three  to  four  white  eggs  of  the  size  of  duck 
eggs.  This  bird  is  easily  domesticated  and  is  found  in  many  zoological 
gardens  of  Europe  and  America. 

In  Egypt  the  ibis  was  regarded  with  great  veneration  by  the  ancients, 
who  kept  them  in  their  temples,  and  embalmed  them  after  their  death  ; 
thousands  of  their  remains  are  still  found  in  the  burial  places  amid  the 


426 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


ruins  of  ancient  Egypt.  Various  reasons  have  been  given  for  this  cus- 
tom, some  saying  that  the  ibis  destroyed  the  noxious  serpents  which  were 
so  numerous  in  that  country ;  others  that  there  was  supposed  to  be  some 
analogy  between  the  plumage  of  the  bird  and  one  of  the  phases  of  the 
moon ;  while  a  third  opinion  is  that  the  birds  were  regarded  with  favor, 
because,  their  annual  migration  into  Egypt  taking  place  at  the  period  of 
the  rising  of  the  Nile,  they  were  considered  as  the  harbingers  of  that 
event. 

Herons  are  found  in  most  parts  of  the  world, migrating  to  the  warmer 


THE    SACRED    IBIS. 

regions  as  winter  comes  on.  They  are  generally  seen  alone,  standing  in 
swamps,  pools  and  shallow  rivers  waiting  for  their  prey,  with  the  long 
neck  drawn  down  between  their  shoulders ;  but  no  sooner  does  a  reptile 
or  fish  appear,  than  the  bill  is  darted  forth  and  the  animal  immediately 
swallowed.  The  common  heron  of  Europe,  is  of  bluish-ash  color  with 
a  black  crest  on  the  hind  head  and  the  fore-part  of  the  neck  white  with 
black  dots.  Its  food  consists  of  fish,  frogs,  aquatic  insects,  mollusks, 
mice,  moles  and  similar  small  animals.  They  generally  build  their 


CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBES.  427 

nest  in  the  vicinity  of  a  river.  There  exists  about  a  hundred  different 
species  of  herons.  The  giant-heron,  which  is  represented  in  our  illustra- 
tion, is  an  extremely  formidable  enemy  to  the  scaly  tribes.  There  is  in 
fresh  water  scarcely  a  fish,  however  large,  that  the  heron  will  not  strike 
at  and  wound,  though  unable  to  carry  it  off;  but  the  smaller  fishes  are 
his  chief  subsistence.  His  method  is,  to  wade  as  far  as  he  can  go,  into 
the  water,  and  then  patiently  to  await  the  approach  of  his  prey,  into 
which,  when  it  comes  within  his  reach,  he  darts  his  bill  with  inevitable 
aim.  Willoughby  says,  he  has  seen  a  heron  that  had  in  his  stomach  no 
fewer  than  seventeen  carp. 

The  heron,  as  he  stands  fishing  for  his  food,  is  the  very  picture  of 
patience.  For  some  time  he  has  been  slowly  stalking  about  on  his  long 
legs,  watching  for  his  prey.  Now  he  approaches  stealthily  into  the  water, 
laying  down  one  foot  after  another  with  the  utmost  caution.  He  does 
not  want  to  alarm  the  fish  that  may  be  swimming  merrily  about,  or  the 
little  fry  that  is  sporting  playfully  in  among  the  stones.  He  does  not  want 
either  of  them  to  know  that  he  is  there.  He  will  stand  thus  for  hours, 
until  you  hardly  know  whether  he  is  alive. 

Suddenly,  however,  the  happy  moment  comes.  The  fish  that  had  per- 
haps caught  sight  of  him  and  swam  away,  has  forgotten  his  fright;  and 
the  fry  that  lay  hidden  under  the  stones  feel  sure  he  must  have  gone  by 
this  time.  But  they  do  not  understand  the  nature  of  their  enemy. 
Nothing  can  weary  out  his  patience  or  make  him  forget.  The  moment 
the  victim  comes  within  the  right  distance,  down  goes  the  bill  with  its 
sharp  edge,  and  the  prey  is  seized  and  devoured.  He  has  an  excellent 
appetite,  and  can  devour  more  in  a  meal  than  one  would  believe.  When 
he  has  finished  eating  he  goes  away  into  some  quiet  place,  and  stands  on 
one  leg  for  hours.  He  may  be  called  the  prince  of  the  wading  birds. 

Herons  place  their  nests  among  the  tall  reeds,  at  some  distance  one 
from  the  other,  and  only  a  few  feet  above  the  high-water  mark.  The 
nest  is  large,  and  made  of  sticks,  without  any  lining,  and  is  quite  flat. 
The  eggs  have  rather  a  thick  shell,  and  are  of  a  light  blue  green  color. 
Both  birds  sit  on  the  eggs,  which  take  a  month  to  hatch. 

A  Solitary  Bird. 

Before  we  leave  this  bird  we  must  say  a  few  words  about  the  night 
herons  that  live  in  the  cedar  swamps.  The  cedar  swamp  is  perhaps  the 
most  dismal  spot  you  can  imagine.  The  ground  underfoot  is  like  a  bog, 
covered  with  great  bushy  limbs  and  logs  of  fallen  trees.  And  the  trunks 
of  the  cedars  grow  side  by  side  to  the  height  of  two  hundred  feet,  and  so 
close  together  that  a  man  cannot  ^ush  himself  between.  And  there  are 


428 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


no  branches,  except  at  the  top,  where  the  trees  are  all  matted  together, 
50  as  to  shut  out  daylight 

Nothing  breaks  the  dreary  silence  except  the  chirp  of  a  few  birds,  or 
the  harsh  scream  of  the  heron.  And  if  the  wind  gets  up,  the  tall  stems 
clash  together,  and  rub  one  against  the  other,  and  make  such  creaking, 
and  such  hideous  noises  that  the  effect  is  something  awful. 


GIANT    HERON. 

Every  spring  the  herons  come  to  the  cedar  swamp,  and  take  posses- 
sion of  their  old  nests  on  the  cedar  trees.  All  the  branches  near  the 
place  where  they  live  are  completely  battered  and  broken  down  by  them, 
and  the  ground  is  strewed  with  feathers,  and  fishes,  and  pieces  of  old 
.nests,  and  all  kinds  of  rubbish.  And  we  can  hardly  describe  the  noise, 


CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBES.  429* 

for  it  is  enough  to  deafen  you.     They  keep   repeating  the   note   "  qua- 
qua,"  until  tne  Indian  gives  them  the  name  of  "  qua-birds." 

The  little  herons  are  some  time  before  they  know  how  to  fly,  but  they 
soon  begin  to  crawl  about  the  branches,  and  get  to  the  top  of  the  tree 
to  look  out  for  their  parents.  They  are  terribly  afraid  of  being  caught,, 
and  if  by  chance  any  one  conies  that  way — and  the  Indian  thinks  young 
heron  as  nice  as  pigeon — they  scramble  out  of  the  way  as  fast  as  they  can^ 
and  hide  themselves  in  the  mud. 

The  Heron's  Enemies. 

The  herons  are  birds  of  passage,  and  their  going  and  coming  depend 
on  the  supply  of  food  they  can  obtain.  They  build  their  nests  in  com- 
panies, like  the  rooks,  in  lofty  trees,  in  the  neighborhood  of  streams  and 
rivers,  and  such  places  are  called  heronries.  1  hey  are  very  fond  of  the 
society  of  the  ravens,  although  the  ravens  often  return  their  friendship 
by  carrying  off  their  eggs.  The  falcons  and  the  weasels  are  also  great 
enemies  to  the  young  birds.  The  heron  leaves  the  care  of  hatching  the 
brood  to  his  partner,  but  when  this  task  is  over  he  assists  in  providing 
the  family  with  food.  When  the  young  birds  are  strong  enough  to  get 
their  own  living,  the  parents  drive  them  away,  and  they  take  each  a 
separate  course,  and  begin  the  world  on  their  own  account. 

There  are  still  many  heronries  in  different  parts  of  Europe  in  the 
grounds  of  noblemen,  where  some  stream  meanders  through  the  domain. 

In  one  of  these  places,  a  heron  was  standing  as  usual,  patiently  waiting 
for  his  prey,  when  a  fine  large  eel  came  insight.  Down  went  the  prong- 
like  bill  of  the  heron,  but,  in  his  eagerness,  he  plunged  it  too  near  the 
head  of  the  eel.  The  long,  snaky  body  was  left  at  liberty,  and  it  twisted 
itself  round  and  round  the  neck  of  the  bird  until  it  strangled  him.  The 
heron  was  found  the  next  day,  dead  on  the  bank,  with  the  eel,  also  dead, 
twisted  round  his  neck.  The  owner  of  the  mansion  had  the  two 
creatures,  just  as  they  were,  preserved  as  curiosities,  and  as  such  they 
are  still  to  be  seen. 

In  the  winter  fish  are  not  so  plentiful,  and  the  heron  has  to  be  satisfied 
with  frogs  and  snails  and  worms,  and  even  the  duck-weed  that  floats 
upon  the  pond.  At  these  times  he  becomes  very  thin  and  poor,  and  is 
nothing  but  feathers  and  bones. 

Old-Time  Sport  with  the  Heron  and  Falcon. 

In  the  old  days  of  falconry,  hawking  the  heron  was  considered  the 
highest  feat  that  could  be  accomplished.  The  powerful  wings  of  the 
bird  enabled  it  to  rise  so  high  that  it  put  the  powers  of  the  falcon  to  the 
test.  That  was  the  time  when  the  herons  were  preserved  with  the  utmost 


<430) 


THE   STRANGE    SHOE-BILL. 


CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBES.  431 

care,  and  the  heronries  watched  over  and  provided  with  every  necessary. 
There  are  old  heronries  still  to  be  found  in  ancient  parks. 

The  young  heron  soon  becomes  tame,  and  gets  reconciled  to 
captivity,  but  the  old  ones  pine  away  and  die.  In  the  old  days,  however, 
and  when  the  heron  had  to  be  procured  in  order  to  train  the  hawk  to  fly 
at  him,  he  was  crammed  with  food  like  a  turkey.  Often,  after  this  had 
been  done,  the  bird  would  become  tame,  and  follow  his  owner  about  for 
miles,  and  come  when  he  was  called,  and  take  food  from  his  hand. 

In  most  cases  the  bill  of  the  fishing  bird  is  lined  towards  the  point 
with  bristles.  The  bristles  point  backward,  so  that  the  food  can  slip 
easily  over  them,  but  it  cannot  come  back  without  being  caught  on  the 
bristly  hooks.  There  is  no  crop  at  all,  and  the  food  goes  at  once  into 
the  stomach.  The  throat  of  the  heron  has  the  power  of  stretching  out 
when  it  gulps  down  a  fish  too  big  for  it.  It  stretches  into  a  fan-like 
shape,  and  then  comes  back  again  when  the  fish  has  gone  down- 

The  Shoe-Bill. 

The  most  singular  bird  of  Africa  and  even  of  the  whole  globe  is  prob- 
ably the  shoe-bill.  It  has  a  bulky  body,  a  thick  neck,  a  large  head  and 
a  curiously  formed  bill,  not  unlike  a  clumsy  wooden  shoe.  Its  color  is 
an  ashy  gray,  with  jet  black  wing  feathers. 

The  shoe-bill  is  the  giant  of  the  wading  birds  and  is  found  in  pairs  or 
smaller  societies  as  remote  as  possible  from  human  habitations,  mostly  in 
the  impenetrable  swamps  of  the  White  Nile  and  some  of  its  tributaries. 
At  the  approach  of  man  it  flies  away,  and  when  frightened  by  shots  it 
rises  to  a  great  altitude  and  never  returns  to  its  swamp  as  long  as  there 
is  any  suspicion  of  danger.  This  bird  selects  for  its  breeding  place  a 
small  elevation  in  the  reeds,  either  immediately  on  the  border  of  the 
water  or  in  the  swamp,  mostly  where  surrounding  water  renders  an  ap- 
proach difficult  One  of  this  family  is  similar  to  the  foregoing. 

Aquatic  Spooii-Bill. 

The  spoon-bill  has  its  name  from  the  spoon-like  manner  in  which  both 
the  upper  and  the  lower  parts  of  its  bill  terminate.  It  is  in  other  respects 
like  the  stork  and  the  heron,  and  lives  upon  the  same  food.  They  are  birds 
of  passage.  They  spend  their  summer  in  Holland,  and  then  pass  into  Italy  or 
even  Africa  for  the  winter.  Their  nests  are  made  of  reeds  bound  together  by 
weeds,  and  are  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  only  a  few  inches  above  the" 
surface  of  the  water.  The  nest  is  not  lined,  and  is  just  large  enough  to 
allow  the  mother  bird  to  sit  on  the  eggs,  while  her  partner  stands  beside 
lier.  Sometimes  they  build  on  high  trees,  and,  indeed, -prefer  it. 

They  feed  on  fishes  and  insects  and  shrimps,  and   other  such  diet ;  but 


432 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


if  pressed  with  hunger,  will  eat  almost  anything.  The  whole  of  the 
plumage  of  the  spoon-bill  is  pure  white,  except  a  band  of  feathers  in  the 
front  of  the  neck  that  is  a  buff  color.  It  has  a  beautiful  plume  of  feathers 
on  its  head.  Its  legs  and  toes  and  claws  are  black ;  and  the  toes  are 
connected  by  a  membrane.  The  beak  is  black,  except  at  the  rounded 
part,  where  it  is  yellow. 


SNOW   OWL    AND    SCREECH    OWL. 

There  is  a  curious  fact  about  the  spoon-bill  that  must  not  be  passed 
over.  It  is  one  of  the  very  few  birds  that  possess  no  organ  of  voice,  and 
it  cannot  utter  a  single  note.  There  is  an  entire  absence  of  those  mus- 
cles that  can  contract  and  dilate  the  air-tubes  by  which  the  voice  is 
formed  and  uttered;  in  some  birds  these  are  like  a  musical  instrument 
and  enable  them  to  pour  out  their  son^s. 


CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBES.  433 

Much  in  the  same  manner  as  moths  differ  from  butterflies,  do  owls 
differ  from  the  falcons.  The  owls  are  nocturnal  and  pursue  their 
prey  in  the  night ;  the  falcons  flying  altogether  in  the  day  time.  They 
feed  principally  on  small  birds  and  quadrupeds  and  on  nocturnal  insects. 
Their  eyes  are  so  constructed  that  they  are  able  to  see  much  more  d  s- 
tinctly  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening  than  in  the  broad  glare  of  sunshine. 
All  animals  by  the  contraction  and  dilation  of  their  eyes  have  in  some 
degree  the  power  of  shutting  out  or  admitting  light  as  their  necessities 
require;  but  in  the  owl  this  property  is  observed  in  a  singular  perfection 
and  in  addition  to  this  there  is  an  irradiation  on  the  back  of  the  eye, 
which  greatly  aids  their  vision  in  the  obscure  places  they  frequent. 

In  winter  owls  retire  into  holes  in  towers  and  old  walls  and  pass  (hat 
season  in  sleep.  There  are  about  fifty  species,  of  which  twenty  are  fur- 
nished with  long  feathers  surrounding  the  openings  of  the  cars  and 
called  horns.  In  their  general  mode  of  life  the  owls  may  be  considered 
as  the  cats  of  the  feathered  tribe.  The  snow  owl  has  a  very  small  round 
head ;  about  the  eyes  the  feathers  are  ranged  as  if  proceeding  from  a 
common  centre  in  the  middle  of  the  eye.  The  plumage  of  these  owls  is 
very  elegant.  The  legs  are  of  a  beautiful  yellow  hue,  the  bill  jet  black 
and  the  tongue  is  cleft. 

Pursued  by  Angry  Owls. 

The  owl  is  one  of  the  birds  that  is  very  rarely  seen.  The  reason  is 
because  of  his  secluded  habits  and  his  dislike  to  facing  the  light.  It 
must  be  comething  unusual  that  can  bring  him  out  in  the  day-time. 

A  gardener  was  once  working  in  a  garden  when  he  heard  a  very 
strange  noise  from  the  top  of  a  tree.  As  he  was  very  expert,  he  climbed 
up  to  see  where  the  noise  came  from,  and  what  it  was  that  made  it. 
When  he  got  halfway  up  the  tree,  two  fierce  white  creatures  dashed  out 
and  attacked  him  with  beak  and  claws,  making  at  the  same  time  a  ter- 
rible screaming.  They  were,  as  the  intruder  soon  found  to  his  cost,  a 
pair  of  owls  taking  care  of  their  young  in  a  nest  at  the  top  of  the  tree; 
and  an  owl  in  a  passion  is  no  pleasant  object  to  meet  with.  The 
man  hurried  down  as  fast  as  he  could,  but  he  had  some  difficulty  in 
keeping  off  the  owls.  In  spite  of  the  daylight,  they  darted  at  him  again 
and  again,  wheeled  round  his  head,  and  even  pursued  him,  much 
scratched  and  frightened,  to  the  very  door  of  his  retreat. 

But,  as  a  rule,  the  owl  lies  very  safe  and  snug  in  his  roost,  and  does 
not  stir  till  twilight.  He  is  a  very  curious  bird,  and  we  must  spend  a 
few  minutes  in  making  rather  a  close  acquaintance  with  him.  He  is  a 
bird  of  prey,  for  he  hunts  mice  and  rats,  and  even  small  birds  if  they 


434 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


chance  to  be  about  in  the  twilight.  His  feet  are  formed  on  purpose  to 
grasp  the  prey.  The  toes  are  feathered ;  the  first  toe  is  the  shortest, 
and  the  fourth  toe  is  longer  and  can  be  turned  backwards.  The  claws 
are  long  and  curved,  and  very  sharp. 

The  plumage  is  very  fine  and  soft.  The  eyes  of  the  owl  are  very  large, 


SHARP-BILLED    DARTER    OR   SNAKE    BIRD. 

and  the  circle  of  feathers  round  them  reflects  the  light  upon  them  as  a 
reflector  does  upon  a  lamp.  But  the  worst  of  it  is  that  these  large  eyes 
take  in  more  light  than  the  owl  can  bear.  In  the  day-time  he  is  blinded 
by  the  excess  of  light.  This  makes  him  appear  as  if  he  were  stupid,  and 
he  blunders  about  as  though  he  had  lost  his  senses. 


CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBES.  435 

The  little  birds  hate  the  owl,  for  he  pounces  upon  them  whenever  he 
can.  It  is  fine  sport  to  them  if,  by  any  mistake,  the  owl  chances  to  be 
abroad  in  day-time.  They  soon  find  it  out,  for  one  tells  the  other,  and 
there  is  an  uproar  at  once.  It  is  never  generous  to  take  advantage  of  a 
•defenceless  enemy  ;  but  the  little  birds  do  not  think  of  this.  They  have 
many  wrongs  to  revenge,  and  they  fly  at  his  face,  and  even  peck  him, 
taking  care,  however,  to  keep  away  from  his  claws,  and  they  scold,  and 
drive  him  about  to  their  hearts'  content.  As  a  rule,  he  does  not  try  to 
defend  himself,  but  flutters  dizzily  about,  and  stares  with  his  great  eyes. 
But  if  he  stops  and  turns  round  upon  them,  the  rabble  rout  at  his  heels 
take  to  flight  in  a  moment. 

But  the  eyes  of  the  owl,  though  they  do  not  help  him  much  in  the 
day-time,  are  of  the  utmost  service  in  the  twilight.  He  can  see  the 
smallest  speck  on  the  ground,  or  the  tiny  mouse  in  the  corner  of  the 
barn.  And  the  farmer  rather  likes  him  on  this  account.  One  barn 
•owl  is  as  good,  and  will  do  as  much  work,  as  a  dozen  cats.  But  as 
there  is  no  rule  without  an  exception,  so  there  are  owls  that  can  see  bv 
daylight.  The  snowy  owl  is  one  of  these. 

His  flight  is  noiseless,  like  that  of  the  other  owls,  but  he  can  continue 
on  the  wing  for  a  long  time.  Sometimes  he  hunts  in  the  air.  He  spies 
a  pigeon  or  a  wild  duck,  and  he  sets  himself  to  follow  it.  With  his 
swift  and  steady  flight  he  soon  gains  upon  it.  Then  he  strikes  it  with 
his  talons,  a  little  in  the  same  manner  as  the  hawks  do. 

He  loves  the  margin  of  rivers  or  streams,  and  if  there  is  a  rapid,  or  a 
waterfall,  he  is  all  the  better  pleased.  There  he  stations  himself,  for 
plenty  of  fish  are  sure  to  be  drawn  over,  and  then  he  pounces  upon 
them.  He  also  goes  to  a  trap  in  which  some  small  animal,  such  as  the 
rat,  is  caught,  and  devours  it.  His  diet  consists  also  of  larger  prey, 
such  as  hares  and  squirrels,  and  his  meals  are  excessive.  You  would 
wonder  how  his  stomach  could  hold  the  amount  of  food  put  into  it. 
But,  happily,  it  has  the  power  of  stretching  out  like  india-rubber,  which 
exactly  suits  him.  He  is  considered  a  bird  of  ill  omen,  and  few  people 
like  to  meddle  with  him. 

The  Long-Necked  Darter. 

The  darters  have  a  small  head  and  a  very  long  slender  neck.  Their 
bill  is  long,  straight  and  sharp-pointed  and  at  its  base  are  the  nostrils, 
situated  in  a  long  conspicuous  fissure.  The  face  and  skin  are  bare  of 
feathers.  The  four  toes  are  short  and  webbed  together.  Two  species 
are  found  in  America  and  the  third  in  Ceylon  and  Java.  They  live  al- 
most entirely  on  fish  which  they  take  by  darting  forward  their  bill. 


436  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  most  apparent  and  remarkable  part  of  its  body  is  the  long  and 
slender  neck,  which  is  constantly  in  motion  except  during  flight,  when  it 
becomes  immovable  and  extendea  and  forms  with  the  tail  a  straight  and 
horizontal  line.  The  principal  food  of  the  darter  is  fish,  -which,  if  small 
enough,  it  swallows  entire,  but  if  they  are  too  large,  it  flies  off  with 
them  to  some  rock  or  stump  of  tree,  where  fixing  them  under  one  of  its 
feet,  it  tears  them  to  pieces  with  its  bill.  It  generally  builds  its 
nest  on  rocks  or  trees,  but  always  so  near  to  the  river,  that  it  can  in 
case  of  danger  precipitate  itself  into  it.  They  are  very  cunning  and  sa- 
gacious when  surprised  in  water.  Their  head,  which  is  the  only  part 
exposed,  disappears  the  instant  the  hunter  approaches,  and  if  missed 
once  it  is  in  vain  to  think  of  approaching  them  again,  as  they  never  show 
themselves  again,  except  for  the  moment  necessary  for  breathing. 

The  Renowned  Stork. 

There  are  several  species  of  storks,  the  most  important  being  the  white 
stork.  It  measures  about  forty  inches  in  height ;  length  to  end  of  tail, 
forty-two  inches;  wings,  extended,  seventy-six  inches;  its  plumage  is 
white ;  the  wings  are  fringed  with  black.  This  is  the  species  best  known 
in  Europe.  Holland  and  Germany  are  its  favorite  residences ;  and  Alsace 
is  the  part  of  France  in  which  they  are  most  frequently  met  with.  It  is 
so  rarely  seen  in  England  that  there  it  has  become  almost  a  matter  of 
legend.  It  is  very  common  in  the  warm  and  temperate  parts  of  Asia. 
In  the  month  of  August  it  leaves  Europe  to  visit  Africa,  whence  it  returns 
in  the  following  spring.  This  migration  is  not  caused  by  temperature,  as 
the  stork  can  bear  severe  cold.  It  is  a  mere  question  of  sustenance ;  for, 
feeding  as  it  does  principally  upon  reptiles  which  remain  in  a  complete 
state  of  torpor  during  winter,  it  is  naturally  compelled  to  seek  its  food 
elsewhere. 

The  stork  is  of  a  mild  nature,  and  is  easily  tamed.  As  it  destroys  a 
host  of  noxious  creatures,  it  has  become  a  useful  helper  to  man,  who,  not 
ungrateful,  gives  it  succor  and  protection.  In  ancient  Egypt  it  was  ven- 
erated on  the  same  score  as  the  ibis ;  in  Thessaly  there  was  a  law  which 
condemned  to  death  any  one  killing  these  birds.  Even  at  the  present  day 
the  Germans  and  Dutch  esteem  it  a  fortunate  omen  when  a  stork  selects 
their  house  for  its  home,  and  they  even  furnish  it  with  inducements  to  do 
so  by  placing  on  their  roofs  a  box  or  wheel,  which  forms  a  foundation  for 
the  bird  to  build  a  nest,  which  it  constructs  of  reeds,  grass,  and  feathers. 
Playful  Pet  of  the  Household. 

When  the  stork  has  attached  itself  to  a  place,  and  is  kindly  treated,  it 
sometimes  gives  up  the  habit  of  migrating.  It  cannot  however,  quite  get 


CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBES.  437 

rid  of  agitation  when  the  season  for  departure  comes.  Occasions  have 
been  known  where  it  yielded  to  the  appeals  of  its  wild  companions,  and 
was  allured  away  to  join  the  band  of  travellers.  But  this  separation  is 
only  temporary ;  next  year  the  truant  returns  to  the  old  house,  and  again 
takes  possession  of  its  domicile.  It  exhibits  great  pleasure  in  renewing 
acquaintance  with  former  friends,  and  is  not  long  in  placing  itself  on  a 
footing  of  familiarity  with  them.  It  frolics  with  the  children,  caresses 
the  parents,  plagues  the  dogs  and  cats — in  a  word,  manifests  a  gaiety  and 
susceptibility  of  affection  which  one  would  hardly  expect  to  find  in  a  bird 
generally  dull  and  taciturn.  It  presents  itself  at  the  family  meals,  and 
takes  its  share  of  them.  If  its  master  tills  the  ground,  it  follows  him  step 
by  step,  and  devours  the  worms  which  are  turned  up  by  the  spade  or  the 
plough. 

The  stork  may  certainly  be  taken  as  a  model  for  all  mothers!  Its  love 
for  its  progeny  sometimes  even  approaches  heroism.  We  will  give  two 
touching  instances:  In  1536  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  city  of  Delft,  in 
Holland.  A  stork,  whose  nest  was  placed  on  one  of  the  burning 
buildings,  made  at  first  every  effort  to  save  its  young.  Finally,  seeing 
its  inability  to  assist  them,  it  suffered  itself  to  be  burnt  with  the 
loved  ones  rather  than  abandon  them.  In  1820,  at  another  fire  at 
Kelbra,  in  Russia,  some  storks,  when  threatened  by  the  flames,  suc- 
ceeded in  saving  their  nest  and  offspring  by  sprinkling  them  with 
water,  which  they  brought  in  their  beaks.  This  last  fact  proves  to 
what  extent  intelligence  may  be  produced  under  the  influence  of  parental 

love. 

The  Stork  a  Good  Wife. 

The  stork  is  not  only  a  good  mother,  but  she  is  also  an  excellent  wife. 
The  attachment  which  these  birds  show  for  each  other  when  they  are 
once  paired  has  long  procured  for  them  a  high  reputation  for  conjugal 
fidelity.  Thus,  in  the  Tyrol,  a  male  stork  was  known  to  have  refused  to 
migrate,  passing  several  winters  by  the  side  of  his  mate,  which,  in  con- 
sequence of  a  wound  in  her  wing,  was  unable  to  fly. 

We  must,  however,  add  that  some  lady  storks  are  by  no  means  slow  in 
consoling  themselves  for  the  loss  of  their  husbands.  A  few  days  of 
mourning,  as  a  matter  of  form,  and  their  grief  ends.  Sprungli  notes  the 
case  of  one  widowed  stork  which  contracted  new  bonds  after  two  days. 
Another  gave  evidence  of  the  most  guilty  perversity.  The  lady  began 
by  betraying  the  confidence  of  him  with  whom  she  had  united  her  des- 
tinies ;  his  presence  had  evidently  become  insupportable  to  her,  and  she 
finally  killed  him  with  the  help  of  her  accomplice. 


(438) 


THE   GIGANTIC   ADJUTANT. 


CURIOUS  SPECIMENS  OF  THE  FEATHERED  TRIBES.  439 

These  errors  of  the  female  render  the  high  morality  of  the  male  bird 
more  conspicuous.  Witness  the  following  story,  related  by  Neander : — 

A  number  of  storks  had  taken  up  their  abode  in  the  market-town  of 
Tangen,  in  Bavaria.  Perfect  harmony  reigned  in  every  family,  and  their 
lives  were  passed  in  happiness  and  freedom.  Unfortunately,  a  female,  who 
had  been  up  to  that  time  the  most  correct  of  matrons,  allowed  herself  to 
be  led  away  by  the  idle  gallantries  of  a  young  male  ;  this  took  place  in  the 
absence  of  her  mate,  who  was  engaged  in  seeking  food  for  his  family.  This 
guilty  intimacy  continued  until  one  day  the  male,  returning  unexpectedly^ 
became  convinced  of  her  infidelity.  He  did  not,  however,  venture  to  take 
the  law  into  his  own  hands.  He  arraigned  her  before  a  tribunal  composed 
of  all  the  birds  at  the  time  assembled  for  their  autumnal  migration.  Hav- 
ing stated  the  facts,  he  demanded  the  severest  judgment  of  the  court 
against  the  accused.  The  unfaithful  spouse  was  condemned  to  death  by 
unanimous  consent,  and  was  immediately  torn  in  pieces.  As  to  the  male 
bird,  although  now  avenged,  he  departed  to  bury  his  sorrows  in  the  recesses 
of  some  desert,  and  the  place  which  once  knew  him  afterwards  knew  him 
no  more.  The  French  naturalist,  Figuier,  quotes  the  foregoing  remark- 
able statement  made  by  Neander. 

Jealousy  Demanding  Revenge. 

The  storks  of  the  Levant  manifest  a  still  greater  susceptibility.  The  in- 
habitants of  Smyrna,  who  know  how  far  the  males  carry  their  feelings  of 
conjugal  honor,  make  these  birds  the  subject  of  rather  a  cruel  amusement 
by  placing  hens'  eggs  in  the  nest  of  the  stork.  At  sight  of  this  unusual 
production  the  male  allows  a  terrible  suspicion  to  gnaw  his  heart.  By  the 
help  of  imagination,  he  persuades  himself  that  his  mate  has  betrayed  him ; 
and  in  spite  of  the  protestations  of  the  poor  thing,  he  delivers  her  over  to 
the  other  storks,  which  are  attracted  by  his  cries,  and  the  innocent  and  un- 
fortunate victim  is  pecked  to  pieces.  This  feature  in  its  character  has  not 
a  little  contributed  to  the  universal  estimation  the  stork  is  held  in. 

The  stork  species  called  the  adjutant,  inhabits  India;  they  feed  on  rep- 
tiles and  all  kinds  of  filth,  and  this  fact  has  been  the  means  of  securing  for 
them  the  goodwill  of  the  people.  In  the  large  cities  of  Hindustan  they 
are  as  tame  as  dogs,  and  clear  the  streets  of  every  kind  of  garbage  which 
litters  them.  At  meal-times  they  never  fail  drawing  themselves  up  in  line 
in  front  of  the  barracks,  to  eat  the  refuse  thrown  to  them  by  the  soldiers : 
their  gluttony  is  so  great  that  they  will  swallow  enormous  bones.  At  Cal- 
cutta and  Chandernagore  they  are  protected  by  law,  which  inflicts  a  fine 
of  ten  guineas  on  any  one  killing  one  of  these  birds. 

The  long  white  feathers,  celebrated  for  their  delicacy  and  airiness,  which 


443 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


are  used  in  the  adornment  of  ladies'  bonnets,  and  known  in  commerce  by 
the  name  of  marabou  feathers,  come  from  this  bird  and  the  African  mara- 
bou. Consequently,  in  spite  of  their  ugliness,  a  good  many  are  reared  in 
a  domestic  state  in  order  that  our  fair  ones  may  obtain  their  favorite  dec- 
oration. 

The  blue-headed  parakeet,  not  larger  than  a  common  sparrow,  is  only 
found  in  Borneo,  Sumatra,  Banka,  and  in  the  southern  part  of  Malakka. 


BLUE-HEADED    PARAKEETS. 

Its  plumage  is  a  bright  green,  with  a  dark  ultramarine-blue  spot  on  top 
of  the  head,  a  triangular  yellow  spot  on  the  back,  a  scarlet-red,  elliptical 
spot  on  the  throat  and  some  yellow  and  black  wing  and  tail-feathers. 
They  are  very  graceful  and  lively  little  birds  and  are  easily  domesticated; 
their  pleasing  manners  and  gentle  disposition  rendering  them  great  fa- 
vorites. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
MARVELOUS  CREEPING  ANIMALS. 

Reptiles  of  Antiquity — Animal  Curiosities — Fangs  of  Deadly  Poison — Strange  Mode 
of  Breathing — Historic  Chameleon— Shooting  Tongue — Changing  Colors — Two 
Animals  in  One — A  Creature  Asleep  on  one  Side  and  Awake  on  the  Other — 
Five-Toed  Geckos— Curious  Suction  Foot — Nimble  Running  on  Smooth  Sur- 
faces—Tongue like  a  Dart — The  Common  Iguana — South  American  Reptile — 
Pouch  Under  the  Jaw — Hunting  the  Iguana — Lizards  for  Breakfast — Darwin's 
Description  of  the  Iguana — The  Sea  Guana— Attachment  of  Male  for  Female — 
A  Gallant  Defender— Capital  Swimmers — Bellowing  Bull  Frogs — Frogs  Giving 
First  Idea  of  Electric  Telegraph— Housed  in  Winter  Quarters— Stories  of  the 
Domesticated  Frog — How  a  Frog  Disappeared  and  what  Became  of  Him — Won- 
derful Horned-Frog — The  Mysterious  Salamander—  Old  Notions  about  a  Crea- 
ture that  could  Resist  Fire — Human  Clothing  that  will  not  Burn— Land  Tor- 
toises— Finely  Colored  Shells — Remarkable  Longevity — Elephantine  Tortoise — 
How  the  Tortoise  Feeds— Astounding  Surgical  Operation — Value  of  the 
Tortoise  Shell— The  Tun  Snail— A  Creeping  Oddity. 

acquaintance  with  reptiles  may  be  traced  backwards  to  a  very 
1    remote  period.     The  sacred  Scriptures,  especially  those  of  the 


Old  Testament,  have  numerous  passages  alluding  to  them  ;  and 
the  ancient  monuments  of  the  Egyptians  prove  that  the  great 
groups  of  the  tortoises,  the  lizards,  the  serpents,  and  the  frogs  were  well 
known  to  that  people.  Those  forms  of  animal  life  must,  therefore,  have 
attracted  attention  from  the  earliest  times ;  while  a  natural  desire  to  ascer- 
tain which  of  them  were  dangerous  must  have  led  to  particular  inquiry,  in 
order  to  solve  the  doubt.  It  is  evident,  moreover,  from  the  ancient  writ- 
ings of  Athenaeus,  as  well  as  of  Herodotus,  the  father  of  history,  and  the 
contemporary  of  the  prophet  Malachi,  that  notions  not  merely  vague  but 
precise  were  entertained  respecting  many  species  of  reptiles. 

Reptiles  form,  unquestionably,  a  most  remarkable  class  of  animated 
beings.  Some  are  of  strange  and  uncouth  aspect,  and  others,  resplend- 
ent with  burnished  hues,  glitter  like  steel  and  gold  amidst  the  rays  of  the 
sun ;  not  a  few  are  strong  and  ferocious,  and  of  all  it  may  be  said  they 
supply  abundant  materials  for  interesting  and  instructive  examination. 

These  creatures  teem  within  the  tropical  latitudes.  They  tenant  alike 
the  land  and  the  ocean  ;  some  prefer  the  river  and  the  morass  ;  while  many 
are  arboreal  in  their  habits,  flitting  from  spray  to  spray,  and  from  leaf  to 
leaf,  in  chase  of  insects.  Reptiles  swarm  in  sandy  deserts,  among  dense 

(441) 


442  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

and  tangled  brushwood,  in  humid  forests,  and  in  pestilential  swamps; 
they  colonize  the  ruins  of  ancient  towns  and  cities,  palaces  and  temples,, 
and  often  lurk  unsuspected  in  the  dwellings  of  men. 

In  the  more  temperate  latitudes  of  the  globe  the  number  of  these 
animals  is  greatly  diminished ;  none  are  terrible  from  their  size,  and  very 
few  are  to  be  dreaded  for  their  poison.  Passing  still  farther  northwards, 
a  few  species  remain  which  are  harmless,  while  one  or  two  besides,  though 
furnished  with  poison- fangs,  are  capable  only  of  destroying  creatures  of 
small  size  or  a  weak  frame.  The  viper  of  Northern  Europe  is  the  repre- 
sentative in  our  latitude  of  the  numerous  deadly  snakes  which  infest  the 
countries  of  the  tropics ;  and  the  harmless  common  ringed  snake  takes. 
the  place  of  the  mighty  python  of  Java  and  Bengal. 

Localities  where  Reptiles  are  frozen  Out. 

Advancing  to  the  countries  of  the  polar  circles,  we  cannot  find  the 
snake,  the  lizard,  the  toad,  or  the  frog.  The  low  state  of  the  temperature,, 
the  condition  of  the  land  and  the  water,  and  the  deficiency  of  snails,, 
insects,  and  other  small  animals,  their  usual  food,  combine  to  exclude 
reptiles  from  these  desolate  regions. 

We  may  remark  at  the  outset  that  reptiles,  like  birds,  spring  from  an 
egg.  The  great  marine  tortoises,  for  example,  come  every  year,  at  their 
appointed  times,  to  deposit  their  eggs  in  the  sand  on  the  shores  of  the 
sea  and  banks  of  rivers,  near  strands  of  gentle  declivity.  There  the 
females  hollow  out  a  sort  of  rude,  but  strong  vaulted  nest  or  oven,  as  it 
may  be  termed,  wherein  the  eggs  may  have  the  benefit  of  the  concen- 
trated rays  of  the  sun,  so  as  to  enjoy  an  equable  heat,  as  in  the  instance 
of  eggs  under  a  sitting  hen,  but  under  circumstances  which  do  not  per- 
mit the  body  of  the  mother  to  impart  the  necessary  warmth.  The  shell 
of  these  eggs  is  generally  solid,  and  their  form  globular,  or  of  a  short 
cylindrical  shape,  equally  rounded  at  the  extremities.  A  female  turtle  will 
lay  as  many  as  a  hundred  at  one  time. 

The  reptiles  differ  from  other  animals  in  the  mode  of  their  respiration. 
Mammals  breathe  by  expanding  the  cavity  of  the  chest  occupied  by  the 
lungs,  into  which,  accordingly,  the  air  enters,  through  the  trachea,  or 
windpipe,  to  fill  up  the  vacuum  occasioned  by  the  dilation  of  the  cavity. 
Now,  this  action  supposes  a  certain  degree  of  mobility  in  the  walls  of  the 
chest,  or,  in  other  words,  of  the  ribs  and  sternum,  or  breast  bone,  which 
encircle  it,  independently  of  the  action  of  the  diaphragm — the  great  muscle 
of  respiration,  which  parts  the  chest  from  the  abdominal  cavity ;  but  in 
tortoises  the  walls  of  the  chest  are  immovable ;  they  cannot  be  expanded  ; 
the  bones  are  all  locked  into  one  solid  mass,  and  there  is  no  diaphragm 


MARVELOUS  CREEPING  ANIMALS.  44£ 

parting  the  cavity  occupied  by  the  heart  and  lungs  from  that  containing- 
the  rest  of  the  viscera.  There  must,  therefore,  be  a  peculiar  mechanism  by 
which  the  lungs  become  filled,  and  this  is  clearly  discoverable. 

If  we  watch  a  frog,  for  instance,  we  cannot  readily  discover  that  it 
breathes  at  all,  for  it  never  opens  its  mouth  to  receive  fresh  air,  and  there 
is  no  motion  of  the  sides  to  indicate  that  it  respires;  and  yet,  on  any  sud- 
den alarm,  the  animal  may  be  observed  blowing  itself  up,  as  if  by  some 
internal  power,  though  its  mouth  continues  all  the  while  to  be  closed. 
The  throat,  however,  may  be  observed  in  frequent  motion,  as  if  it  were 
economizing  its  mouthful  of  air,  and  transferring  it  backwards  and  forwards 
between  its  mouth  and  the  lungs  ;  while,  if  we  look  to  the  nostrils,  a  twirl- 
ing motion  may  be  noticed  at  each  movement  of  the  jaws;  for  it  is,  in  fact,, 
through  the  nostrils  that  the  frog  receives  all  the  air  it  breathes. 
A  Creature  Strangled  by  Opening  its  Mouth. 

The  jaws  are  never  opened  but  for  eating ;  and  the  sides  of  the  mouth 
form  a  sort  of  bellows,  of  which  the  nostrils  are  the  inlets,  and  by  their 
alternate  contraction  and  relaxation  the  air  is  swallowed,  and  forced  into 
the  trachea,  so  as  to  inflate  the  lungs.  If  the  mouth  of  a  frog  be  forcibly 
kept  open,  it  can  no  longer  breathe,  because  it  is  deprived  of  the  power  of 
swallowing  the  air  required  for  that  function  ;  and  if  the  nostrils  be  closed, 
in  like  manner  it  is  suffocated. 

The  respiration  of  most  of  the  reptile  tribes  is  performed  in  a  similar 
manner.  The  fact  is,  that  the  air  is  forced  by  the  action  of  the  tongue 
and  mouth  through  the  trachea  into  the  lungs,  by  an  act  resembling  that 
of  swallowing ;  or  rather,  in  the  manner  in  which  the  ball  or  hollow  butt 
of  an  air-gun  is  charged  by  repeated  strokes  of  the  piston. 

The  tortoises  have  lungs  of  great  extent,  passing  backwards  under  the 
back-plate,  and  reaching  to  the  posterior  part  of  the  body.  Turtles,  which 
are  aquatic,  derive  great  advantages  from  this  structure,  which  enables 
them  to  give  buoyancy  to  the  body — encumbered  as  it  is  by  a  heavy 
shell — by  introducing  into  it  a  large  volume  of  air ;  so  that  the  lungs,  in 
fact,  serve  the  purpose  of  a  large  swimming-bladder.  That  such  was  the 
purpose  of  this  structure  is  evident  from  the  volume  of  air  received  into 
the  lungs  being  much  greater  than  is  required  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
respiration. 

All  reptiles  are  cold-blooded,  sluggish,  and  inert ;  subsisting  on  a  scanty 
allowance  of  food.  The  heart  of  the  frog  may  be  regarded  as  consisting 
of  a  single  ventricle  and  a  single  auricle.  From  the  former  there  proceeds 
one  great  arterial  trunk,  which  is  properly  the  aorta.  This  soon  divides 
into  two  trunks,  which,  after  sending  branches  to  the  head  and  neck. 


<444) 


LONG-TONGUED    CHAMELEON. 


MARVELOUS  CREEPING  ANIMALS.  445 

bend  downwards,  and  unite  to  form  a  single  trunk,  which  is  the  descend- 
ing aorta.  From  this  vessel  proceed  all  the  arteries,  which  are  distributed 
to  the  trunk  and  to  the  limbs,  and  these  arterial  ramifications  are  continued 
into  the  great  venous  trunks. 

The  heart  of  the  tortoise  has  two  distinct  auricles — the  one  receiving 
the  blood  from  the  pulmonary  veins,  the  other,  from  those  of  the  body 
generally ;  so  that  the  mixture  of  aerated  and  vitiated  blood  takes  place, 
not  in  the  auricle,  but  the  ventricle.  When  all  the  cavities  are  distended 
with  blood,  the  two  auricles  being  nearly  of  the  same  size  as  the  ventricle,, 
the  whole  has  the  appearance  of  the  union  of  three  hearts.  On  a  similar 
plan  the  circulating  system  of  the  serpents  is  constructed. 
The  Famous  Chameleon. 

One  character  of  the  chameleon  consists  in  the  tongue  being  cylindri- 
cal, worm-like,  capable  of  being  greatly  elongated,  and  terminating  in  a 
fleshy  tubercle,  lubricated  with  a  viscid  saliva.  Another  appears  in  the 
surface  of  the  skin  being  covered  with  horny  granules,  instead  of  scales. 
A  third  is  seen  in  the  deep  and  compressed  form  of  the  body,  which  is 
surmounted  by  an  acute  dorsal  ridge ;  a  fourth,  in  the  tail  being  round,, 
tapering,  and  capable  of  grasping;  and  a  fifth,  in  the  parrot-like  structure 
of  the  feet,  which  have  each  five  toes,  divided  into  two  opposing  sets — 
three  being  placed  outwardly  and  two  inwardly,  connected  together  as  far 
as  the  second  joint,  and  armed  with  five  sharp  claws. 

The  head  of  these  animals  is  very  large;  and  from  the  shortness  of  the 
neck,  it  seems  as  if  set  upon  the  shoulders.  The  upper  part  generally 
presents  an  elevated  central  crust ;  and  a  ridged  arch  is  over  each  orbit  to 
the  muzzle.  The  internal  organ  of  hearing  is  entirely  concealed.  The 
mouth  is  very  wide ;  the  teeth  are  sharp,  small,  and  three-lobed.  The 
whole  of  the  ball  of  each  eye,  except  tho  pupil,  is  covered  with  skin,  and 
forms  a  single  circular  eyelid,  with  a  central  orifice.  The  furrow  between 
the  ball  of  the  eye  and  the  edge  of  the  orbit  is  very  deep ;  and  the  eye- 
lid, closely  attached  to  the  ball,  moves  as  it  moves.  As  each  eye  has  an 
independent  power  of  motion,  the  axis  of  one  eye  may  be  seen  directly 
upwards  or  backwards,  while  that  of  the  other  is  in  a  contrary  direction, 
giving  to  the  creature  a  strange  and  most  ludicrous  appearance. 

The  chameleon  was  once  said  to  live  on  air;  but  insects,  slugs,  and 
such  like  creatures  form  its  food.  For  their  seizure  its  tongue  is  especially 
adapted.  With  the  exception  of  the  fleshy  tubercle  forming  its  tip,  it 
consists  of  a  hollow  tube,  which,  when  withdrawn  into  the  throat,  is 
folded  in  upon  itself,  somewhat  in  the  way  in  which  a  pocket  telescope  is 
shut  up.  When  fully  protruded,  it  reaches  to  a  distance  at  least  equal  to 


44(5     .  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  chameleon's  body;  and  is  launched  forth  and  retracted  with  equal 
rapidity.  An  insect  on  a  leaf  at  an  apparently  hopeless  distance,  or  a 
drop  of  water  on  a  twig,  is  gone  so  instantaneously,  that  the  spectator  is 
astonished.  "  I  never  knew,"  said  an  acute  observer,  "  a  chameleon  I 
long  kept  miss  his  aim  but  once,  and  then  the  fly  was  on  the  other  side 

of  the  glass." 

Curious  Shifting-  Colors. 

The  remote  cause,  says  Weissenborn,  of  the  difference  of  color  in  the 
two  lateral  halves  of  the  chameleon  may,  in  most  cases,  be  distinctly 
referred  to  the  manner  in  which  the  light  acts  upon  the  animal. 
The  statement  of  Murray,  that  the  side  turned  towards  the  light  is  always 
of  a  darker  color,  is  perfectly  true.  This  rule  holds  good  as  well  with 
reference  to  the  direct  and  diffused  light  of  the  sun,  or  moon,  as  to 
artificial  light.  Even  when  the  animal  was  moving  in  the  walks  of  my 
garden,  and  happened  to  come  near  enough  to  the  border  to  be  shaded 
by  the  box  edging,  that  side  (so  shaded)  would  instantly  become  less 
darkly  colored  than  the  other.  Now,  as  the  light  in  these  cases  seldom 
illumines  exactly  one  lateral  half  of  the  animal  in  a  more  powerful  manner 
than  the  other,  and  as  the  middle  line  is  constantly  the  line  of  demarca- 
tion between  the  two  different  shades  of  color,  we  must  evidently  refer 
the  different  effects  to  two  different  centres,  from  which  the  nervous  cur- 
rents can  only  radiate,  under  such  circumstances  towards  the  organs 
situated  respectively  on  one  side  of  the  mesial  line. 

Over  these  centres,  without  doubt,  the  organ  of  vision  immediately  pre- 
sides ;  and,  indeed,  we  ought  not  to  wonder  that  the  action  of  light  has 
such  powerful  effects  on  the  highly  irritable  organization  of  the  chameleon, 
considering  that  the  eye  is  most  highly  developed.  The  lungs  are  but 
secondarily  affected  ;  but  they  are  likewise  more  strongly  excited  on  the 
darker  side,  which  is  constantly  more  convex  than  the  other. 

Notwithstanding  the  strictly  symmetrical  structure  of  the  chameleon, 
as  to  its  two  halves,  the  eyes  move  independently  of  each  other,  and  con- 
vey different  impressions  to  their  respective  centres  of  perception.  The 
consequence  is  that,  when  the  animal  is  agitated,  its  movements  appear 
like  those  of  two  animals  glued  together.  Each  half  wishes  to  move  its 
own  way,  and  there  is  no  concordance  of  action.  The  chameleon,  there- 
fore, is  not  able  to  swim,  like  other  animals :  it  is  so  frightened,  if  put  into 
water,  that  the  faculty  of  concentration  is  lost,  and  it  tumbles  about  as  if  in  a 
state  of  intoxication.  On  the  other  hand,  when  the  creature  is  undis- 
turbed, the  eye  which  receives  the  strongest  impression  propagates  it  to 
the  common  centre,  and  prevails  upon  the  other  eye  to  follow  that  impres- 


MARVELOUS  CREEPING  ANIMALS.  447 

sion,  and  directs  itself  to  the  same  object.  The  chameleon,  moreover,  may 
be  asleep  on  one  side  and  awake  on  the  other.  When  cautiously  approach- 
ing my  specimen  at  night,  with  a  candle,  so  as  not  to  awaken  the  whole 
animal,  by  the  shaking  of  the  room,  the  eye  turned  towards  the  flame 
would  open,  and  begin  to  move,  and  the  corresponding  side  to  change 
color ;  whereas  the  other  side  would  remain  for  several  seconds  longer  in 
its  torpid  and  unchangeable  state,  with  its  eye  shut. 
The  Geckos  or  Wall  Lizards. 

The  family  standing  next  to  the  chameleons  is  that  of  the  geckos, 
having  characteristics  which  prevent  their  being  confounded  with  any 
other  group.  One  part  of  their  structure  may  be  illustrated  by  a  plaything 
of  the  writer's  boyhood,  which,  simple  as  it  was,  often  conveyed  much 
instruction.  It  consisted  of  a  piece  of  leather,  about  four  inches  in  diam- 
eter, having  a  string  with  a  knot  at  the  end,  passed  through  the  centre, 
which,  dipped  in  water,  and  pressed  down  with  the  foot  on  a  stone,  raised 
it  at  pleasure  from  the  ground.  The  reason  of  its  doing  so  is  easily  under- 
stood. The  edges  of  the  wet  leather,  being  closely  pressed,  stuck  so  firmly 
to  the  surface  of  the  stone,  as  to  resist  the  force  of  the  string  when  it  was 
pulled  upwards ;  the  consequence  was,  that  a  hollow  was  formed  in  the 
middle  of  the  leather  which  was  destitute  of  air,  or  what  is  called  a  vacuum. 

This  effect  arises  from  a  tendency  that  exists  in  all  bodies  to  adhere 
together,  provided  the  contact  of  their  surfaces  is  sufficiently  perfect — a 
property  which  is  termed  the  attraction  of  cohesion.  Were  the  leather 
dry,  it  would  not  adhere  to  a  rough  surface,  because  the  contact  could 
not  be  rendered  sufficiently  perfect ;  but  when  saturated  with  water,  the 
interstices  of  the  leather  are  filled  with  that  fluid,  and  the  inequalities  of 
the  surface,  which  would  prevent  close  contact,  are  removed.  As  then 
the  central  part  is  drawn  up  by  the  string,  the  hollow  thus  produced  must 
necessarily  be  a  vacuum,  since  the  air  cannot  pass  through  the  leather  to 
supply  it ;  in  this  state,  therefore,  the  atmosphere  presses  on  the  exterior 
of  the  leather,  and,  like  any  other  weight,  prevents  its  rising  from  the 
stone — the  pressure  being  equal  to  fifteen  pounds  on  every  square  inch  of 
surface.  As,  however,  the  atmosphere,  by  its  pressure,  ultimately  forces 
its  way  through  the  edges  of  the  leather,  the  interior  becomes  filled  with 
air;  it  consequently  balances  the  external  weight,  which  had  before  ccn- 
fined  it,  and  the  stone  falls  to  the  earth. 

This  toy  of  childhood — the  boy's  "  sucker" — will  serve  to  explain  the 
peculiar  mechanism  with  which  the  gecko  tribe  is  provided  for  effecting  the 
adhesion  of  the  feet  to  the  objects  to  which  they  are  applied.  They  are, 
.be  it  observed,  nocturnal  animals ;  their  food  consists  of  insects,  which 


448 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


they  obtain  by  waiting  in  ambush  for  them,  or  by  giving  them  chase  into 
the  holes  and  crevices  to  which  they  retreat  for  refuge.  In  pursuing  them 
they  traverse  the  surface  of  the  smoothest  substances,  pass  over  the  ceil- 
ings of  rooms,  suspend  themselves  on  the  under  side  of  a  leaf,  climb  the 


FIVE-TOED  GECKO  OR  WALL- LIZARD. 

bark  of  trees,  penetrate  the  cavit  ies  and  clefts  of  rocks,  and  ascend  walls ; 
accomplishing  all  of  these  extraordinary  movements  with  the  greatest 
facility. 

Accordingly,  each  foot  is  provided  with  five  toes  ;  all,  except  the  thumb, 
being  terminated  by  a  sharp  curved  claw.     On  the  under  surface  of  each 


MARVELOUS  CREEPING  ANIMALS.  449 

toe  are  sixteen  transverse  slits,  leading  to  the  same  number  of  cavities ; 
these  open  forwards,  and  their  external  edge  is  serrated,  appearing  like  the 
teeth  of  a  small-toothed  comb.  All  these  parts,  together  with  the  cavities, 
are  covered  or  lined  with  cuticle.  Below  them  are  large  muscles,  which 
draw  down  the  claw ;  and  from  the  tendons  of  these  muscles  arise  two  sets 
of  smaller  muscles,  situated  so  as  to  be  put  on  the  stretch,  when  the  former 
are  in  action. 

By  the  contractions  of  these  muscles,  the  orifices  of  the  cavities,  to  which 
they  belong,  are  opened,  and  the  serrated  edges  applied  accurately  to  the 
surfaces  with  which  the  feet  are  in  contact.  Thus,  as  in  the  boy's  play- 
thing, adhesion  takes  place,  and  a  vacuum  is  produced,  which  is  terminated 
at  the  will  of  the  gecko,  by  the  admission  of  the  air. 

For  the  purpose  of  seizing  the  insects,  on  which  it  feeds,  the  lizard 
darts  out  with  astonishing  velocity  its  forked  tongue.  This  is  beset  with 
asperities  which  are  scarcely  discernible,  but  which  are  of  great  use  in 
catching  its  prey.  This  lizard  is  capable  of  existing  for  a  long  time  with- 
out food.  Previously  to  the  breeding  seasons  both  female  and  male  change 
their  skins,  and  this  they  again  do  about  the  beginning  of  winter.  They 
pass  that  season  in  a  state  of  torpor,  more  or  less  complete  according  to 
the  rigor  of  the  climate. 

The  Singular  Reptile  Named  Iguana. 

The  common  iguana  inhabits  a  great  part  of  South  America.  These 
reptiles  are  easily  recognized  from  the  large  pouch  underneath  the  neck, 
and  the  dentated  crest  which  extends  from  the  head  to  the  extremity  of 
the  tail.  The  tail,  feet,  and  body  are  covered  with  small  scales.  On  the 
upper  part  their  color  is  a  more  or  less  decided  green,  sometimes  be- 
coming blue,  at  others  slate-colored ;  the  lower  part  is  of  a  yellowish 
green.  The  sides  present  zigzag,  roundish,  brown  scales,  edged  with  yel- 
low ;  frequently  a  yellow  line  is  traced  obliquely  in  front  of  the  shoulder, 
and  some  specimens  are  sprinkled  with  brown ;  others  have  the  limbs 
spotted  with  brown  on  a  black  ground.  When  full  grown  it  attains  the 
length  of  four  feet.  They  are  very  gentle  creatures,  and  perfectly  harm- 
less, feeding  almost  exclusively  on  vegetables.  They  are  hunted  for  their 
flesh,  which  is  excellent ;  and  they  are  most  numerous  in  Surinam  and 
Brazil. 

The  tongue  is  curiously  used  by  the  animal  to  draw  food  into  the 
mouth,  and  to  forward  it  down  the  gullet,  or  to  repel  it  at  will,  and  the 
only  use  of  the  palatal  teeth  appears  to  be  to  secure  the  food  while  the 
tongue  moves  forward  to  afford  fresh  assistance  in  its  journey  down  the 
throat  Between  the  lower  jaw  and  the  chest  is  a  pouch,  which  the  ani- 
29 


(450) 


SOUTH    AMERICAN    IGUANA. 


MARVELOUS  CREEPING  ANIMALS.  451 

mal  draws  in  or  extends  simultaneously  with  the  compression  or  swelling- 
out  of  the  body  when  enraged  or  excited.  The  portion  of  the  pouch  at- 
tached to  the  jaw  is  inflatable,  and  food  is  sometimes  retained  in  it  for  a 
considerable  period. 

This  iguana  is  not  averse  to  water,  when  not  too  cold,  taking  to  it  only 
when  the  sun  is  shining ;  in  fact,  not  moving  about  much  at  any  other 
time.  Its  mode  of  swimming  differs  from  that  of  other  lizards,  inasmuch 
as  it  places  its  four  legs  close  by  the  side  of  its  body,  and  swims  en- 
tirely with  its  tail.  It  dives  with  great  facility,  and  remains  sometimes  for 
a  considerable  time  under  water.  The  tail  is  a  very  valuable  limb ;  for, 
besides  being  the  sole  means  of  swimming  possessed  by  the  animal,  it  is 
of  great  use  in  climbing  trees,  and  it  is  a  more  important  weapon  of  de- 
fence, a  blow  from  it  being  frequently  sufficient  to  inflict  a  severe  wound. 
Vigorous  Use  of  Teeth  and  Claws. 

In  fact,  this  reptile  is  rather  formidable  when  brought  to  bay  in  the 
woods.  It  is  hunted  by  the  natives  with  dogs  trained  for  the  purpose. 
The  dog,  immediately  upon  scenting  it,  gives  tongue,  and,  if  on  the 
ground,  the  dog  seizes  it  by  the  neck,  and  either  kills  it  or  maims  it, 
which  makes  its  capture  easy ;  if  in  a  tree,  the  iguana  is  either  shaken 
down — a  matter  ordinarily  of  no  small  difficulty — or  the  branch  is  cut  off. 
It  is  almost  useless  to  attempt  to  find  these  reptiles  without  dogs,  as  the 
resemblance  of  their  color  to  that  of  the  trees  which  they  inhabit  prevents 
them  from  being  easily  seen.  Few  dogs  but  those  accustomed  to  the 
sport  will  touch  them,  as,  in  addition  to  the  blows  which  they  inflict  with 
the  tail,  they  bite  and  scratch  furiously ;  and  when  once  they  lay  hold  of 
anything  with  their  teeth,  they  can  only  be  made  to  let  go  by  an  induce- 
ment to  bite  some  more  attractive  object  offered  to  them.  They  run  into 
holes  when  chased,  if  an  opportunity  offers,  and  when  their  eyes  are  hid- 
den from  view  they  fancy  that  their  whole  body  is  safely  covered.  The 
flesh,  particularly  of  the  female,  is  a  great  delicacy ;  it  is  cooked  in  var- 
ious ways,  sometimes  in  a  fricassee  with  the  eggs  whole,  sometimes 
roasted  or  stewed.  The  eggs  have  a  very  glutinous  consistence. 

Within  the  limited  area  of  the  small  archipelago  of  the  Gallapagos, 
situated  under  the  equator  about  ten  degrees  west  of  South  America, 
there  are  two  remarkable  species  of  iguanidae,  of  which  the  habits  have 
been  described  and  commented  upon  by  Mr.  Darwin  in  his  volume  enti- 
tled the  "  Voyage  of  the  Beagle"  One  of  these  is  particularly  so,  because, 
as  that  naturalist  observes,  it  is  the  only  existing  saurian  which  can  prop- 
erly be  said  to  be  a  marine  animal.  In  the  whole  of  that  group  of 
islands,  as  he  tells  us,  there  is  only  one  rill  of  fresh  water;  yet  this  rep- 


452 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


tile  frequents  the  sea-beaches,  and  no  other  parts  of  the  islands.  He  adds 
that  it  is  the  only  known  existing  lizard  that  feeds  exclusively  on  aquatic 
productions. 

The  sea-guana  according  to  Darwin,  is  very  common  on  all  the 
islands  throughout  the  archipelago  of  the  Gallapagos.  It  lives  exclu- 
sively on  the  rocky  sea-beaches,  and  is  never  found — at  least,  I  never  saw 
one — even  ten  yards  inshore.  It  is  a  hideous-looking  creature,  of  a  dirty 
black  color,  stupid  and  sluggish  in  its  movements.  The  usual  length  of 


THE   SEA   GUANA. 

a  full-grown  one  is  about  a  yard,  but  there  are  some  even  four  feet  long.  I 
have  seen  a  large  one  which  weighed  twenty  pounds.  On  the  Island  of 
Albemarle  they  seem  to  grow  to  a  greater  size  than  on  any  other.  These 
lizards  were  occasionally  seen  some  hundred  yards  from  shore  swimming 
about ;  and  Captain  Colnett,  in  his  "  Voyage,"  says,  "  they  go  out  to  sea  in 
shoals  to  fish."  With  respect  to  the  object,  I  believe  that  he  is  mistaken  ; 
but  the  fact  stated  on  so  good  an  authority  cannot  be  doubted. 

When  in  the  water  the  animal  swims  with  the  greatest  ease  and  quick- 


MARVELOUS  CREEPING  ANIMALS.  453 

ness,  by  a  serpentine  movement  of  its  body  and  flattened  tail — the  legs, 
during  this  time,  being  motionless  and  closely  collapsed  on  its  sides.  A 
seaman  on  board  sank  one,  with  a  heavy  weight  attached  to  it,  thinking 
thus  to  kill  it  directly ;  but  when,  an  hour  afterwards,  he  drew  up  the  line, 
the  lizard  was  quite  active.  Their  limbs  and  strong  claws  are  admirably 
adapted  for  crawling  over  the  rugged  and  fissured  masses  of  lava  which 
everywhere  there  form  the  coast.  In  such  situations,  a  group  of  six  or 
seven  of  these  ugly  reptiles  may  oftentimes  be  seen  on  the  black  rocks, 
a  few  feet  above  the  surf,  basking  in  the  sun  with  outstretched  legs.  I 
opened  the  stomachs  of  several,  continued  Mr.  Darwin,  and  in  each 
case  found  it  largely  distended  with  minced  sea-weed  of  that  kind  which 
grows  in  thin  foliaceous  expansions  of  a  bright  green  or  dull  red  color. 
I  do  not  recollect  having  observed  this  sea-weed  in  any  quantity  on  the 
tidal  rocks ;  and  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  it  grows  at  the  bottom  of 
the  sea,  at  some  little  distance  from  the  coast.  If  such  is  the  case,  the 
object  of  these  animals  occasionally  going  out  to  sea  is  explained. 

The  food  of  this  lizard,  equally  with  its  compressed  form  of  tail,  and  the 
certain  fact  of  its  having  been  seen  voluntarily  swimming  out  at  sea,  abso- 
lutely prove  its  aquatic  habits ;  nevertheless,  as  we  are  told  by  Darwin, 
there  is  in  this  respect  one  strange  anomaly,  namely,  that  when  fright- 
ened it  will  not  enter  the  water.  From  this  cause,  it  is  easy  to  drive  these 
lizards  down  to  any  little  point  overhanging  the  sea,  where  they  will 
sooner  allow  a  person  to  catch  hold  of  their  tail  than  jump  into  the  water. 
They  do  not  seem  to  have  any  notion  of  biting ;  but  when  much  fright- 
ened they  squirt  a  drop  of  fluid  from  each  nostril. 

Darwin's  Experience  with  a  Lizard. 

One  day  I  carried  one  to  a  deep  pool  left  by  the  retiring  tide,  and  threw 
it  in  several  times  as  far  as  I  was  able.  It  invariably  returned  in  a  direct 
line  to  the  spot  where  I  stood.  It  swam  near  the  bottom,  with  a  very 
graceful  and  rapid  movement,  and  occasionally  aided  itself  over  the  uneven 
ground  with  its  feet.  As  soon  as  it  arrived  near  the  margin,  but  still 
being  under  the  water,  it  either  tried  to  conceal  itself  in  the  tufts  of  sea- 
weed, or  it  entered  some  crevice.  When  it  thought  the  danger  was 
passed,  it  crawled  out  on  the  dry  rocks,  and  shuffled  away  as  quickly  as 
it  could.  I  several  times  caught  this  same  lizard  by  driving  it  down  to  a 
point,  and,  though  possessed  of  such  perfect  powers  of  diving  and  swim- 
ming, nothing  would  induce  it  to  enter  the  water ;  and  as  often  as  I  threw 
it  in  it  returned  in  the  manner  above  described.  Perhaps  this  singular 
piece  of  apparent  stupidity  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  circumstance  that 
this  reptile  has  no  enemy  whatever  on  shore,  whereas  at  sea  it  must  often 


454  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

fall  a  prey  to  the  numerous  sharks.  Hence,  probably  urged  by  a  fixed 
and  hereditary  instinct  that  the  shore  is  its  place  of  safety,  whatever  the 
emergency  may  be,  it  there  takes  refuge.  I  asked  several  of  the  inhab- 
itants if  they  knew  where  it  laid  its  eggs ;  they  said,  that  although  well 
acquainted  with  the  eggs  of  the  other  kind,  they  had  not  the  least  know- 
ledge of  the  manner  ia  which  this  species  is  propagated. 

These  lizards  are  very  quick  in  all  motions,  and  climb  with  astonishing 
agility.  The  females  are  smaller  than  the  males ;  their  appearance  is 
more  gentle  and  pleasing.  They  are  seen  gathering  along  the  beach 
about  two  months  after  the  end  of  winter  for  the  purpose  of  depositing 
their  eggs  in  the  sand  of  the  sea-shore. 

A  Gallant  Defense. 

During  the  spring  of  the  year  the  male  exhibits  great  attachment 
towards  the  female.  He  defends  her  even  with  fury,  attacking  eveiy 
animal  that  seems  inclined  to  injure  her,  and  sometimes  fastens  his 
teeth  to  the  enemy  so  firmly,  that  it  is  necessary  either  to  kill  him  or  to 
beat  him  on  the  nose  to  make  him  quit  his  hold.  It  cannot  without 
difficulty  be  killed  with  blows  or  even  by  gunshot  wounds,  but  it  dies 
almost  instantly  if  even  a  straw  is  put  up  its  nostrils. 

These  animals  are  found  in  a  great  number  on  the  Galapagos  Islands, 
where  they  live  on  the  rocks  only  a  few  feet  distant  from  the  sea.  They  are 
excellent  swimmers  by  a  snake-like  movement  of  the  body  and  tail,  but 
never  using  their  feet,  which  are  laid  closely  to  the  -  body  and  never 
moved.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  when  alarmed  they  seek  refuge  on  the 
rocks  and  not  in  the  water,  although  they  are  more  or  less  aquatic  ani- 
mals. 

Electric  Telegraph  Suggested  by  the  Frog. 

The  foot  of  a  frog  is  often  selected  for  observation  in  the  microscope, 
as  beautifully  illustrating  the  circulation  of  the  blood.  It  is  also  worthy 
of  remembrance  that  Galvani,  Professor  of  Anatomy  at  Bologna,  remarked 
on  one  occasion  that  when  the  limbs  or  nerves  of  a  frog  were  put  into 
communication  with  the  muscles  of  the  thigh,  by  means  of  an  electric 
conductor,  the  limbs  were  violently  convulsed.  Thus  he  discovered  a 
force  hitherto  unknown,  which  he  called  animal  electricity.  But  Volta, 
another  Italian,  observing  that  the  effects  were  far  greater  when  the  con- 
necting medium  consisted  of  two  different  kinds  of  metals,  inferred  that 
the  principle  of  excitation  existed  in  the  metals,  and  not  in  the  nerves  of 
the  animal.  He  therefore  argued  that  by  their  contact  there  was  devel- 
oped a  small  quantity  of  the  electric  fluid,  which,  being  transmitted 
through  the  organs  of  the  frog,  produced  the  convulsive  movements.  And 


GREAT   JUMPING    BULL-FROG. 


(455) 


456  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

to  this  conclusion  must  be  traced,  among  important  discoveries,  the  in- 
vention of  the  electric  telegraph. 

The  tongue  of  these  animals  'performs  a  leading  part  in  the  capture  of 
the  prey.  Its  structure,  in  the  greater  portion  of  this  group,  is  altogether 
anomalous,  and  its  insertion  is  equally  at  variance  with  the  mode  adopted 
in  the  other  vertebrated  animals.  It  is  very  soft,  fleshy  almost  through- 
out, and  is  not  supported  at  its  base  by  any  bony  structure. 

This  organ  is  provided  with  a  tenacious  sticky  secretion ;  and,  when  it 
touches  the  prey,  the  latter  adheres  so  firmly  to  it  that  it  is  carried 
back  with  the  tongue  into  the  mouth.  There  it  is,  in  most  cases  com- 
pressed, involved  again  in  a  glutinous  sort  of  saliva,  and  almost  instantly 
swallowed.  The  motion  of  throwing  out  and  returning  the  tongue  is 
often  performed  with  a  rapidity  which  the  eye  can  hardly  follow.  The 
muscles,  whose  office  it  is  to  move  the  bones,  cartilages,  and  other  parts 
of  the  mouth,  act  more  especially  upon  the  lower  jaw,  upon  the  base  of 
the  mandible,  and  upon  the  tongue,  which,  after  being  shot  forth,  is  re- 
turned and  swallowed,  as  it  were,  with  the  captured  prey,  and  the  act  of 
deglutition  is  continued  till  the  food  is  lodged  in  the  stomach. 
Going  into  Winter  Quarters. 

The  frog  hybernates,  like  all  our  reptiles,  passing  the  colder  months  of 
the  year  in  a  state  of  torpor,  buried  deep  in  the  mud  at  the  bottom  of 
ponds  or  sluggish  streams.  There  they  congregate  in  multitudes,  all 
huddled  closely  together,  so  as  to  form  almost  a  continuous  mass.  Early 
in  spring  they  re-appear,  and  during  the  month  of  March  the  female 
deposits  her  eggs  in  the  water.  During  summer  the  frog  is  very  active 
and  voracious,  devouring  the  larger  insects,  and  especially  slugs,  which 
are  a  favorite  food.  To  the  gardener  or  cultivator  of  culinary  vegetables 
it,  therefore,  renders  special  service ;  and,  as  Mr.  Bell  observes,  "  this  con- 
sideration ought  surely  to  weigh,  even  with  those  who  are  insensible  to- 
the  appeals  of  humanity,  in  favor  of  this  harmless  and  much  persecuted 
race." 

The  sudden  appearance  of  frogs  and  toads  in  places  where  they  were 
not  previously  seen  is  not  an  uncommon  occurrence.  Violent  rains  have 
accompanied  their  appearance,  and  such  showers  have  been  and  still  are 
believed  by  some  to  be  among  the  phenomena  of  nature. 

"  Naturalists,"  says  Dumeril,  "know  that  the  sudden  appearance  of 
young  frogs  on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  in  places  where  they  did  not 
seem  to  exist  previously,  has  in  all  times  roused  public  attention  and 
curiosity,  the  supposition  being  that  they  had  fallen  from  the  sky.  We 
find,  in  fact,  traces  of  this  belief  in  Aristotle,  in  some  passages  of  Athe- 


MARVELOUS  CREEPING  ANIMALS.  457 

nasus  and  ^Elian,  and  of  the  moderns,  in  Gesner ;  in  many  volumes  of  the 
'  Curious  Things  of  Nature/  in  the  works  of  Ray,  and  those  of  Redi, 
Elaborate  discussions  have  been  entered  into  on  the  subject.  Cardan 
was  vigorously  attacked  by  Scaliger,  for  having  given  credit  to  this  sort 
of  spontaneous  production.  Pison  thought  that  these  toads  did  not  fall 
formed  from  the  skies,  but  that  they  sprang  from  the  animalizing  action 
of  the  rain  on  the  clods  of  fertile  earth.  He  was  ably  answered  by  Len- 

tilius." 

Trying  to  Solve  a  Puzzle. 

Redi,  admitting  the  facts  to  a  certain  degree,  proposed  the  following 
explanation : — "  These  toads  and  frogs  do  not  appear  until  it  has  rained 
for  some  time ;  but  these  animals  had  been  hatched  many  days  previously ; 
or,  rather,  having  undergone  their  complete  transformation,  had  quitted 
the  water  in  which  they  had  been  developed  as  tadpoles.  These  little 
frogs,  then,  lay  covered  and  concealed  in  the  chinks  of  the  earth,  under 
stones  and  clods,  where,  in  consequence  of  their  lying  motionless,  and 
often  also  on  account  of  their  dusky  color,  they  escaped  the  eye."  This 
is,  doubtless,  the  true  state  of  the  case  :  concealed  in  fissures  and  crevices, 
and  exhausted  by  drought,  they  lay  till  the  welcome  rain  restored  them 
to  animation,  and  invited  their  sudden  appearance. 

"  Dr.  W.  Roots,  of  Kingston,"  says  Mr.  Bell,  "  informs  me  that  he  was- 

in  possession  for  several  years  of  a  frog  in  a  perfect  state  of  domestication. 

It  appears  that  the  lower  offices  of  his  house  were  what  is  commonly 

called  underground,  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames,  that  this  little  reptile 

accidentally  appeared  to  his  servants,  occasionally  issuing  from  a  hole  in 

the  skirting  of  the  kitchen;   and  that  during  the  first  year  of  his  sojourn, 

le  constantly  withdrew  upon  their  approach  ;  but  on  their  showing  him 

indness,  and  offering  him  such  food  as  they  thought  he  could  partake 

r,  he  gradually  acquired  habits  of  familiarity  and  friendship,  and  during 

e  following  three  years  he  regularly  came  out  every  day,  and  particu- 

ly  at  the  hour  of  meal-time,  and  partook  of  the  food  which  the  servants 

re  him.     But  one  of  the  most  remarkable  features  in  this  artificial  state 

Existence  was  his  strong  partiality  for  warmth,  as  during  the  winter 

^ns  he  regularly  (and  contrary  to  the  cold-blooded  tendency  of  his 

nre)  came  out  of  his  hole  in  the  evening,  and  directly  made  for  the 

hh,  in  front  of  a  good  kitchen  fire,  where  he  would  continue  to  bask 

ainjoy  himself  till  the  family  retired  to  rest. 

iere  happened  to  be,  at  the  same  time  a  favorite  old  domestic  cat,  and 
a  •  of  intimacy  and  attachment  existed  between  these  incongruous- 
mns;  the  frog  frequently  nestling  under  the  warm  fur  of  the  cat, 


458  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

while  the  cat  appeared  extremely  jealous  of  interrupting  the  comforts  and 
•convenience  of  the  frog.  This  curious  scene  was  often  witnessed  by 
many  besides  the  family." 

Extraordinay  Traits  of  the  Bull-Frog. 

America  has  several  frogs  of  huge  size  and  sonorous  voice,  of  which 
one  is  the  bull-frog.  Its  croaking  sounds  are  like  the  bellowing  of  a  bull, 
and  are  louder  when  uttered  below  the  surface.  This  statement  is, 
probably  overcharged.  Audubon  simply  says,  its  voice  is  louder  than 
that  of  any  other  species,  and  may  be  distintly  heard  at  the  distance  of 
forty  or  fifty  yards.  He  adds  :  It  is  particularly  fond  of  such  small  pure 
streams  of  water  as  are  thickly  shaded  by  overhanging  bushes.  It  sits 
for  hours,  during  the  middle  of  the  day,  basking  hrthe  sun,  near  the  mar- 
gin of  the  water,  to  which  it  betakes  itself  by  a  great  leap,  at  the  least  ap- 
pearance of  danger,  diving  at  once  to  the  bottom,  or  swimming  to  the  op- 
posite side.  In  the  Southern  States  it  is  heard  at  all  seasons,  but  princi- 
pally during  the  spring  and  summer  months.  Its  flesh  is  tender,  white, 
.and  affords  excellent  eating.  The  hind  legs,  however,  are  the  only  parts 
used  as  food.  They  make  excellent  bait  for  the  larger  cat-fish.  Some 
bull-frogs  weigh  as  much  as  half  a  pound.  I  have  generally  used  the 
gun  for  procuring  them,  shooting  with  very  small  shot. 

A  resident  at  Fort  Erie  relates  that  near  the  town  is  a  deep,  muddy 
creek,  with  low  and  marshy  shores,  and  here  the  bull-frogs  are  found  in 
great  numbers  during  the  summer  months.  Standing  at  his  own  door, 
he  could  distinctly  hear  their  sonorous  music  booming  across  the  water, 
although  the  distance  was  over  three  miles. 

Although  naturally  shy  and  timid,  he  succeeded  in  taming  one,  after 
an   intercourse  of  a  couple  of  months.     He  was  then  residing  on  the 
banks  of  a  small  lake,  which  was  well  stocked  with  various  kinds  of  ex- 
cellent fish,  particularly  one  sort— those  known  by  the  name  of  "  salmon 
trout." 

During  the  summer,  he  says,  I  used  frequently  to  angle  in  differen 
parts  of  the  lake  for  them,  and  also  would  place  floating  lines  across  son) 
of  the  convenient  bays  and  inlets.  My  usual  bait  was  a  small  live  fi 
to  procure  which  I  had  to  angle  with  a  small  hook,  baited  with  a  s 
worm,  in  the  shallower  water  near  the  shore.  One  day,  while  I  was  t 
employed,  I  observed  a  large  bull-frog  perched  upon  a  prostrate  tree,  w 
lay  partly  immersed  in  the  water.  Having  caught  a  sun-fish,  just  at 
moment  I  first  observed  the  bull-frog — and  that  sort  of  fish  being1 
least  desirable  kind  of  bait  for  trout-fishing — without  unhooking 
swung  it  as  near  the  frog  as  practicable.  I  saw  that  he  anxiously 


MARVELOUS  CREEPING  ANIMALS.  459 

the  movements  of  the  fish,  and,  after  some  further  attempts,  I  succeeded 
in  placing  it  within  a  few  inches  of  him,  when  he  darted  quickly  upon  it, 
and  had  it  in  his  capacious  mouth  in  an  instant.  I  then  drew  him  gently 
towards  the  small  skiff  in  which  I  was  sitting;  but  as  he  approached  it  he 
struggled  so  violently,  that  he  either  let  go  his  hold  or  accidentally  lost 
it,  for  he  disappeared  in  the  water  for  a  few  seconds,  when  I  observed  his 
green  head  close  along  side  of  his  favorite  resting-place,  and  shortly  after- 
wards he  ventured  quite  out  of  the  water,  and  took  up  his  original 
abode. 

After  this  our  first  interview,  I  found  him  daily  occupying  the  same 
place  ;  and  in  order  to  improve  our  acquaintance,  I  treated  him  regularly 
to  a  sun-fish  breakfast.  When  our  daily  intercourse  had  continued  for 
some  weeks,  I  determined  upon  taking  him  prisoner.  For  this  purpose  I 
baited  a  large  hook  with  a  sun-fish,  which  I  threw  towards  him ;  arid  the 
poor  frog,  unconscious  of  any  harm,  seized  it  with  his  usual  avidity,  when 
I  struck  the  line  somewhat  smartly,  and  found  that  I  had  hooked  him.  I 
then  drew  him  gently  towards  me,  and,  after  some  fruitless  resistance  on 
his  part,  hauled  him  into  my  skiff  He  seemed  dreadfully  alarmed  on 
my  laying  hold  of  him,  in  order  to  relieve  him  of  the  hook  and  fish,  which 
he  had  nearly  swallowed ;  and  having  performed  the  operation  without 
paining  him  more  than  necessary,  and  having  detained  him  for  half  an 
hour,  I  then  permitted  him  to  plunge  into  his  native  element. 
The  Frog  Tamed  and  on  Familiar  Terms. 

I  supposed  that  our  acquaintance  would  probably  end  here,  but  no 
such  thing;  for  on  the  following  morning,  when  I  repaired  to  my  fishing- 
ground,  I  found  him  at  his  wonted  station.  I  fed  him  daily  as  before,  and 
could  perceive  that  he  allowed  me  to  approach  him  much  closer,  without 
exhibiting  the  degree  of  alarm  he  had  done  at  first.  I  one  day  tied  a  fish 
to  the  line  without  any  hook,  and  after  he  had  laid  hold  of  it,  pulled  him 
quietly  into  the  boat,  when  he  struggled  violently,  ejected  the  fish  from 
his  stomach,  leaped  overboard,  and  swam  to  his  place  of  refuge.  Our  in- 
tercourse after  this  became  daily  more  familiar;  so  that,  in  the  lapse  of  a 
few  weeks,  he  would  mount  upon  the  flat  part  of  an  oar,  when  I  held  it 
close  to  him,  and  alight  from  it  in  the  opposite  end  of  the  skiff  from  where 
I  sat.  Thither  I  would  throw  him  a  small  sun-fish  or  two,  which  he 
quickly  disposed  of;  after  which  he  would  jump  overboard,  or  again 
mount  the  flat  part  of  the  oar,  in  order  to  be  handed  back  to  his  resting- 
place. 

Soon  after  this,  he  would  take  his  accustomed  allowance  from  my 
hand  ;  at  last  permitted  me  to  handle  him  gently,  still,  however,  exhibit- 


460  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

ing  some  degree  of  timidity.  After  this,  I  took  him  across  the  lake,  and 
confined  him  in  a  hogshead,  open  at  both  ends,  which  I  placed  near  the 
shore,  where  the  water  was  only  about  a  foot  deep.  In  the  centre  of  the 
hogshead  I  placed  a  stone  for  him  to  perch  upon,  which  arose  just  above 
the  surface  of  the  water.  He  remained  a  few  days  in  this  confinement, 
eating  from  my  hand,  until  one  day  I  found  him  missing,  and  concluded 
he  had  been  devoured  by  minx  or  an  otter.  But  on  examining  the  shore 
for  a  short  distance,  I  discovered  him  perched  on  a  decaying  log,  close  to 
the  water's  edge.  On  calling  him  by  the  name  (Ralph)  to  which  I  had 
lately  accustomed  him,  I  thought  that  he  recognized  my  voice  immedi- 
ately. I  took  him  in  my  hand  without  his  attempting  to  escape. 

Nicely  Caught. 

The  next  morning  he  again  was  missing,  when  I  went  in  search,  and 
found  him  near  the  same  place  as  before.  I  now  determined  to  watch 
his  mode  of  escaping,  for  which  purpose  I  hid  myself  in  the  bushes  close 
by.  I  had  remained  there  but  a  few  minutes  when  I  saw  him  spring 
over  the  upper  edge  of  the  hogshead  into  the  water.  The  fact  was  this, 
that,  from  his  great  muscular  strength  and  agility,  he  was  able,  at  a  single 
effort,  to  leap  fairly  over  the  top  of  the  cask,  which  was  three  feet  per- 
pendicular above  the  top  of  his  supporting  stone.  On  discovering  this,  I 
removed  the  stone,  and  in  its  place  gave  him  a  floating  piece  of  wood  ta 
perch  upon,  which  I  found  to  answer  my  purpose  completely ;  for  upon 
his  making  a  spring,  the  perch  gave  way  under  the  effort ;  he  thereby 
lost  his  balance,  and  all  his  attempts  were  unavailing.  Having  satisfied 
myself  of  the  practicability  of  making  a  domestic  pet  of  a  wild  bull-frog,, 
I  made  a  present  of  Ralph  to  the  daughter  of  a  friend  of  mine,  who 
promised  to  be  kind  to  him,  and  to  have  all  his  wants  cared  for.  But  I 
afterwards  understood  that  the  lake  had  been  visited  by  a  tremendous 
storm,  which  had  overturned  Ralph's  prison-house,  when,  of  course,  he 
escaped;  but  whither,  or  what  became  of  him,  no  one  could  ever  tell. 

A  friend  of  mine,  who  lived  close  to  the  outlet  of  a  small  lake,  within 
a  few  miles  of  the  scene  of  Ralph's  adventures,  used  to  bestow  a  great 
deal  of  care  and  attention  upon  the  rearing  of  young  ducklings ;  but, 
after  all,  had  the  mortification  to  find  his  efforts  fruitless.  The  old  ones 
would  hatch  fine  healthy  broods ;  but  as  soon  as  they  were  strong  enough 
to  waddle  to  a  sedgy  stream  that  issued  from  the  adjoining  lake,  one  or 
two  daily  disappeared,  to  the  great  annoyance  of  my  friend.  Having  suf- 
fered those  continual  depredations  for  two  or  three  seasons,  he  one  day 
witnessed  a  nice  young  duckling  gradually  disappear  under  the  water ; 
but  judge  of  his  surprise  when  he  beheld  a  huge  bull-frog  crawl  out  upon 


MARVELOUS  CREEPING  ANIMALS. 


461 


the  prostrate  trunk  of  a  tree,  with  the  duckling's  feet  still  protruding 


ARMOR-PLATED    FROG. 

from  his  capacious  mouth  !     The  mystery  was  thus  solved  ;   the  bull-frog 
had  swallowed  all  my  friend's  young  ducks. 


462  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  family  of  frogs  pass  most  of  their  time  in  the  water,  being  excel- 
lent swimmers  ;  the  length  of  their  hind  limbs  enables  them  to  make  con- 
siderable leaps  and  thus  travel  long  distances  in  search  of  water.  Some 
species  prefer  moist  localities  and  damp  woods,  where  they  hide  under 
leaves  ;  others  dwell  in  subterranean  hollows^  which  they  dig  on  the  bor- 
ders of  marshes,  coming  forth  at  evening  or  on  rainy  days.  All  the  spe- 
cies, when  adult  are  carnivorous  and  all  are  very  voracious.  Frogs  are 
found  all  over  the  globe. 

The  horned  frog  is  a  true  batrachian,  in  which  the  head  is  more  or  less 
roughened  or  spiny.  It  is  three  times  as  large  as  the  common  frog  and 
has  an  enormous  mouth.  An  iguanian  lizard,  which  in  its  general  aspect 
somewhat  resembles  a  frog,  and  in  its  sluggishness  a  toad,  is  sometimes 
called  a  horn-frog ;  but  it  is  a  true  lizard  and  in  no  respect  a  batrachian. 
The  Mysterious  Salamander. 

This  creature,  inhabiting  Central  Europe  and  the  mountainous  parts  of  the 
south  of  Europe,  is  black,  with  yellow  spots,  and  has  numerous  prominent 
warty  excrescences  on  the  sides,  and  the  tongue  very  large.  The  body  of 
the  salamander  is  largely  covered  with  warty  glands,  which  secrete  a  milky 
fluid,  of  a  glutinous  and  acrid  nature,  like  that  of  the  toad,  which,  if  not 
capable  of  affecting  the  larger  and  more  highly  organized  animals,  appears 
to  be  a  destructive  agent  to  those  of  lesser  power.  Thus,  Laurenti  pro- 
voked two  gray  lizards  to  bite  a  salamander,  which  at  first  attempted  to 
escape  from  them,  but,  being  still  persecuted,  conveyed  some  of  this  fluid 
into  their  mouths.  One  of  the  lizards  died  instantly,  and  the  other  fell  into 
convulsions  for  two  minutes  and  then  expired.  Some  of  this  juice  was 
introduced  into  the  mouth  of  another  lizard  ;  it  became  convulsed,  was 
paralytic  on  the  whole  of  one  side,  and  soon  died. 

Such  is  the  only  foundation  for  the  notion  so  long  cherished  that  the  sala- 
mander was  one  of  the  most  venomous  of  animals.  Nicander  gives  an 
appalling  instance  of  the  symptoms  produced  by  its  bite.  The  Romans 
looked  on  it  with  horror  as  most  destructive,  and  considered  it  as  deadly 
as  hemlock  or  aconite.  Hence  a  proverb  arose  that  he  who  was  bitten  by 
a  salamander  had  need  of  as  many  physicians  as  the  creature  had  spots ; 
while  another  was,  "  If  a  salamander  bites  you,  put  on  your  shroud." 

But  the  chief  absurdity  was  the  belief  that  this  creature  was  incombust- 
ible— that  it  not  only  resisted  the  action  of  fire,  but  extinguished  it,  and, 
when  it  saw  the  flame,  charged  it  as  an  enemy  which  it  knew  well  how  to 
vanquish.  Even  so  late  as  1789,  Pothonier,  the  French  consul  at  Rhodes, 
relates  that,  while  sitting  in  his  chamber  there,  he  heard  a  loud  cry  in  his 
kitchen,  whither  he  ran,  and  found  his  cook  in  a  horrible  fright,  who  in- 


MARVELOUS  CREEPING  ANIMALS.  463 

formed  him  that  he  had  seen  the  devil  in  the  fire.     Pothonier  then  states 


GIANT  SALAMANDER. 

that  he  looked  into  a  bright  fire,  and  there  saw  a  little  animal,  with  open 
mouth  and  palpitating  throat.     He  took  the  tongs,  and  endeavored  to 


464 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


secure  it.  At  his  first  attempt  the  creature,  which,  he  says,  had  been  mo- 
tionless up  to  that  time  two  or  three  minutes,  ran  into  a  corner  of  the 
chimney,  having  lost  the  tip  of  its  tail  in  escaping,  and  buried  itself  in  a 
heap  of  hot  ashes.  In  his  second  attempt  the  consul  was  successful,  drew 
the  animal  out,  which  he  describes  as  a  small  lizard,  plunged  it  into  spirits 
of  wine  and  gave  it  to  Buffon.  Pothonier  was,  doubtless,  strongly  under 
the  influence  of  preconceived  notions. 

A  cloth  said  to  be  made  of  the  skins  of  salamanders  was  declared  to  be 
incombustible ;  but  even  Marco  Polo  was  shrewd  enough  to  observe  that 


ELEPHANTINE    TORTOISE. 

such  fabrics  were  really  made  of  a  mineral  substance  since  well  known  as 
asbestos.  The  old  writers  termed  this  "  salamander's  wool ;"  and  such 
was  probably  the  salamander  cloth  sent  by  the  Tartar  king  to  the  Roman 
pontiff,  in  which  the  so-called  "holy  napkin"  is  preserved. 

The  race  of  giant  tortoises  are  spread  through  the  hotter  and  tem- 
perate parts  of  Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and  America.  These  creatures,  in 
their  natural  state,  lead  a  quiet,  unobtrusive  life;  wandering,  generally, 
but  little  from  the  spot  where  their  existence  commenced.  The  snake 
darts  onwards  swift  as  an  arrow,  the  quick-eyed  lizard  can  scarcely  be 


MARVELOUS  CREEPING  ANIMALS.  465 

seen  as  it  passes ;  but  the  tortoise  creeps  slowly  along,  and,  unable  to 
escape  danger  by  speed,  withdraws  his  head  and  limbs  on  the  approach  of 
an  enemy,  and  trusts  in  his  natural  armor  for  defence.  The  density  of  the 
shell  of  the  land  tortoise  is,  indeed,  very  considerable ;  and  the  former, 
from  its  elevation  and  convexity,  is  capable  of  sustaining,  uninjured,  a 
high  degree  of  pressure,  thus  preserving  the  internal  organs.  The  plates 
of  horn  covering  it  are  often  most  elegantly  marked  with  alternate  raised 
lines  and  furrows,  and,  at  the  same  time,  beautifully  colored. 

Land  tortoises,  though  they  never  enter  the  water,  are  frequently  met 
with  in  the  neighborhood  of  lakes  and  rivers.  Here  vegetation  is  luxu- 
riant, and  the  soil  moist  or  soft — the  latter  circumstance  being  by  no 
means  unimportant ;  as  they  dig  in  the  earth  holes  or  burrows,  in  which, 
during  winter,  in  extra-tropical  latitudes,  they  bury  themselves,  and  remain 
in  a  state  of  torpidity  till  the  return  of  spring.  It  is,  also,  in  holes  which 
they  dig  that  the  females  deposit  their  eggs,  which  are  then  covered  up 
and  left,  the  warmth  of  the  sun  being  sufficient  to  bring  them  to  maturity. 
Neither  the  eggs,  nor  the  young  ones  hatched,  are  objects  of  solicitude  to 
the  parents.  It  is  remarkable  that,  like  young  chickens,  tortoises  have  a 
hard  tubercle  at  the  end  of  the  beak  before  being  hatched,  for  the  pur- 
pose, it  is  fairly  presumed,  of  breaking  their  prison-shell. 

An  Old  Settler. 

Tortoises,  in  common  with  cold-blooded  animals,  whose  circulation  is 
languid,  are  remarkable  for  tenacity  of  life.  They  will  not  only  bear 
serious  injuries  without  death,  but  without  much  apparent  suffering.  In 
ordinary  circumstances  the  duration  of  the  life  of  these  creatures  is  very 
protracted.  We  are  not  sure,  indeed,  of  the  period  at  which,  according 
to  the  laws  of  their  physical  system,  they  cease  to  live  in  their  native 
regions ;  but  we  know  that  even  in  our  uncongenial  climate,  instances  are 
on  record  of  tortoises  attaining  to  what,  compared  with  the  life  of  man  and 
quadrupeds  generally,  may  be  termed  a  very  great  age. 

Murray,  in  his  "  Experimental  Researches,"  in  allusion  to  the  Peter- 
borough tortoise,  gives  us  the  following  interesting  particulars  : — "  From 
a  document  belonging  to  the  archives  of  the  cathedral  called  the  '  Bishop's 
Barn/  it  is  well  ascertained  that  the  tortoise  at  Peterborough  must  have 
been  about  220  years  old.  Bishop  Marsh's  predecessor  in  the  see 
of  Peterborough  had  remembered  it  above  sixty  years,  and  could 
recognize  no  visible  change.  He  was  the  seventh  bishop  who  had 
worn  the  mitre  during  its  sojourn  there.  Its  shell  was  perforated,  in 
order  to  attach  it  to  a  tree,  and  to  limit  its  ravages  among  the  strawberry 
borders." 
30 


466 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


Like  other  oviparous  quadrupeds  the  tortoise  can  subsist  for  an  amaz- 
ing length  of  time  without  food.  They  are  very  tenacious  of  life.  A 
man  named  Redi,  to  prove  the  extreme  vital  tenacity  of  a  tortoise, 
made  a  large  opening  in  the  skull,  and  took  out  all  the  brain,  wash- 
ing out  the  cavity  so  as  not  to  leave  the  smallest  particle,  and  then  with 
the  hole  open,  set  the  animal  at  liberty.  It  marched  off  without  seeming 
to  have  received  the  slightest  injury,  except  closing  its  eyes,  which  it 
never  afterwards  opened.  In  a  short  time  the  hole  closed  and  in  about 
three  days  a  complete  skin  covered  the  wound.  In  this  manner  the  ani- 


THE   TUN-SNAIL. 

mal  lived  without  any  brain  for  six  months,  walking  about  and  moving 
its  limbs  in  the  same  manner  as  it  had  done  previously  to  the  operation. 

Tortoise  shell  is  the  production  of  the  imbricated  turtle,  a  species  which 
is  found  in  the  Asiatic  and  American  seas  and  sometimes  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean. The  shields  of  this  species  are  far  more  strong,  thick  and  clear 
than  those  of  any  other.  They  are  first  steeped  in  boiling  water,  after 
which  they  may  be  moulded  into  almost  any  form. 

The  family  of  tun-snails  is  interesting  for  various  reasons ;  their  shell 
is  round  and  thin.  The  mollusk  has  a  large,  egg-shaped,  thick  foot, 
which  can  be  greatly  expanded  by  admitting  a  large  quantity  of  water. 
The  head  is  flat  and  broad ;  and  they  have  a  large  thick  trunk. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
MONSTROUS  REPTILES  OF  THE  TROPICAL  WORLD. 

The  Crocodile— Power  of  Destruction — The  Tyrant  of  the  Tropical  Seas — Double 
Jaws— Teeth  and  Scales— Egg  of  the  Crocodile— Old  Stories  of  the  East— The 
Crocodile's  Little  Friend— Danger  Signal— A  Harpoon  Thrust — Swift  Swim- 
mer— Deadly  Serpents— A  Cold-Blooded  Bosom  Companion — Eastern  Snake- 
Charmers — Coolness  Saves  a  Man's  Life — Foolhardy  Risk — Curling  Killed — 
Poison  Working  with  Lightning  Rapidity — Venomous  Viper — Dancing  Snakes — 
Fascination  of  Music  for  Serpents — Death  of  a  Notorious  Serpent-Eater — A 
Disgusting  Glutton — Huge  Boa-Constrictor — Blind  Adoration  of  the  Boa — 
Lines  by  Southey— A  Monster  Swallowing  its  Bed— Disgorging  a  Blanket — 
Vast  Size  of  the  Boa— Enormous  Muscular  Power— Fed  to  Death— Tree  Snakes 
with  Magnificent  Colors — The  Slender  Wiiip  Snake — Frightful  Accident  in 
Guinea — Ghastly  Fangs — The  Egg-Eater — Immense  Throat  of  a  Tiny  Creature — 
Serpents  of  Surprising  Beauty — Queer  Popular  Superstitions — The  Red- 
Throated  Lizard— Hideous  Cristatus— The  Curious  Moloch— A  Freak  in  the 
World  of  Reptiles— The  Pipa  Toad  —A  Creature  that  Hatches  Eggs  on  its  Back- 
Description  of  the  Batrachians  — Death  from  a  Toad — Winter's  Sleep  in  a  Bed 
of  Mud. 

F  the  eagle  is  the  king  of  the  air,  the  lion  the  despot  of  the  for- 
est, and  the  whale  the  monarch  of  the  deep,  the  crocodile  has 
for  the  exercise  of  his  undisputed  control  the  shores  of  tropical 
seas  and  rivers.  Living  on  the  confines  of  land  and  water,  this 
formidable  reptile  is  the  scourge  of  those  human  beings  who  are  com- 
pelled to  reside  near  its  haunts,  for  it  surpasses  the  tiger,  lion,  or  eagle  in 
its  power  of  destruction. 

The  teeth  are  implanted  in  a  single  row,  and  continually  maintained 
perfect  by  an  organic  system  which  ensures  their  immediate  reparation ; 
for  each  tooth  is  hollowed  at  the  base  in  such  a  manner  as  to  form  the 
cell  or  sheath  for  its  successor.  The  new  tooth  presses  on  underneath 
the  old  one,  so  that  the  first  is  developing  while  the  second  is  decaying. 
In  some  species  the  front  teeth  of  the  lower  jaw  are  so  long  and  sharp 
that  they  perforate  the  edge  of  the  upper  jaw  and  appear  above  the  muz- 
zle when  the  mouth  is  closed.  Baron  Cuvier  says,  "  The  lower  jaw  being 
continued  behind  the  cranium,  the  upper  one  appears  to  be  movable." 
The  mouth  is  without  lips,  consequently,  whether  walking  or  swimming, 
their  teeth  are  visible. 

This  conformation  gives  the  crocodile  a  terrible  and  alarming  aspect, 

(467) 


468  EARTH,  SEA   AND  SKY. 

increased  by  its  eyes,  which  are  placed  obliquely  and  close  together.  Its 
tail  is  long,  tapering,  and  flat  on  the  sides  like  an  oar;  enabling  it 
to  direct  its  course  through  the  water,  and  swim  with  rapidity.  The 
skin  is  coriaceous,  thick,  and  resistant;  being  covered  with  plates  of 
different  size,  according  to  the  parts  of  the  body  they  protect.  On 
the  skull  and  face  the  skin  adheres  to  the  bone,  and  there  is  no  trace 
of  scales. 

The  scales  which  defend  the  back  and  the  upper  part  of  the  tail  are 
square,  and  form  hard  bands  possessed  of  great  flexibility,  which  prevent 
them  from  breaking.  Down  the  centre  of  the  back  there  is  a  ridge,  which 
adds  to  the  strength  of  their  armor.  Thus,  nature  has  provided  for  the 
safety  of  these  animals  by  covering  them  with  a  cuirass  capable  of  resist- 
ing anything  but  fire-arms.  The  plates  which  cover  the  belly,  neck,  tail, 
and  legs,  are  also  arranged  in  bands,  but  are.  less  hard,  and  not  crested. 

Crocodiles  are  oviparous.  The  females  of  the  Nile  deposit  their  eggs 
where  the  solar  heat  soon  brings  them  to  maturity.  But  in  certain  coun- 
tries, such  as  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cayenne  and  Surinam,  the  eggs  are 
buried  under  a  mound  of  leaves  which  the  alligators  form.  This  under- 
goes a  kind  of  fermentation,  the  result  of  which  is  an  increase  of  temp- 
erature, which  produces  the  desired  result. 

Lac6p£de  describes  an  egg  in  the  Museum  of  Natural  History  in  Paris, 
which  was  laid  by  a  crocodile  fourteen  feet  in  length,  killed  in  Upper 
Egypt.  This  egg  is  only  two  inches  and  a  half  in  length,  and  two  inches 
in  breadth.  It  is  oval  and  whitish.  Its  shell  is  cretaceous  in  substance, 
like  the  eggs  of  birds,  but  not  so  hard.  At  the  time  of  birth  crocodiles 
are  only  about  six  inches  in  length,  but  their  growth  is  very  rapid.  Seiz- 
ing water-fowl  as  they  swim  on  the  surface,  pursuing  fishes  in  the  depths 
of  the  lagoon  or  river,  or  grasping  in  its  jaws  a  large  animal,  as  a  pig  or 
a  dog,  on  .the  bank,  the  crocodile  plunges  beneath  the  water  in  order  to 
drown  its  victim,  and,  were  its  throat  open,  would  suffer  great  inconven- 
ience ;  but  there  is -a  valve  which  prevents  its  occurrence. 
Ancient  Reverence  for  the  Crocodile. 

Strabo  tells  a  strange  story  of  a  crocodile  he  saw  when  he  visited 
Egypt,  about  four  hundred  years  after  Herodotus  was  there.  "  In  this 
district  they  honor  the  crocodile  very  much,  and  they  have  a  sacred  one 
which  lives  by  itself  in  the  lake,  and  is  quite  tame  to  the  priests.  He  is 
called  Suchos,  and  is  fed  with  bread,  and  meat,  and  wine,  which  he  gets 
from  strangers  who  come  to  see  him.  Our  host,  who  was  a  person  of 
importance  in  the  place,  accompanied  us  to  the  lake,  taking  with  him 
from  table  a  small  cake,  some  roasted  meat,  and  a  little  cup  full  of  some 


FAMOUS   EGYPTIAN    CROCODILE. 


(469) 


470  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

sweet  liquor.  We  found  the  crocodile  lying  on  the  margin  of  the  lake. 
The  priests  went  up  to  him,  and  while  some  opened  his  mouth,  another 
crammed  into  it  first  the  cake,  then  the  meat,  and  last  of  all,  poured  the 
drink  down  his  throat.  The  crocodile,  after  this  treat,  jumped  into  the 
lake,  and  swam  over  to  the  other  side." 

According  to  Herodotus,  crocodiles  are  sacred  with  some  of  the 
Egyptians;  but  are  not  so  with  others,  who  treat  them  as  enemies. 
Those  who  dwell  about  Thebes,  and  the  lake  Mceris,  look  on  them  as 
very  sacred  ,  and  they  each  train  up  a  crocodile,  which  is  rendered  quite 
tame.  Into  the  ears  of  these  crocodiles  they  put  crystal  and  gold  ear- 
rings, and  adorn  their  fore  paws  with  bracelets.  They  give  them  ap- 
pointed and  sacred  food,  treating  them  as  well  as  possible  while  alive, 
and  when  dead  they  embalm  and  bury  them  in  the  sacred  vaults.  But 
the  people  who  dwell  about  the  city  Elephantine  eat  them,  not  consider- 
ing them  sacred. 

"  The  crocodile,"  continues  the  historian,  "  is  blind  in  the  water,  but 
very  quick-sighted  on  land;  and  because  it  lives  for  the  most  part  in 
the  water,  its  mouth  is  filled  with  leeches.  All  other  birds  and  beasts 
avoid  him,  but  he  is  at  peace  with  the  trochilus,  because  he  receives 
benefit  from  that  bird ;  for  when  the  crocodile  gets  out  of  the  water  on 
land,  and  then  opens  its  jaws,  which  it  does  most  commonly  toward  the 
west,  the  trochilus  enters  its  mouth  and  swallows  the*  leeches.  The 
crocodile  is  so  well  pleased  with  this  service,  that  it  never  hurts  the- 

trochilus." 

The  Crocodile's  Little  Friend. 

This  singular  story,  related  also  by  Pliny,  is  confirmed  by  a  recent 
and  accomplished  writer,  Mr.  Curzon.  tf  I  will  relate,"  he  says,  "  a  fact 
in  natural  history  which  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  witness,  and  which, 
although  it  was  mentioned  so  long  ago  as  the  times  of  Herodotus,  has 
not,  I  believe,  been  often  observed  since ;  indeed,  I  have  never  met 
with  any  traveller  who  has  himself  seen  such  an  occurrence. 

"  I  had  always  a  strong  predilection  for  crocodile-shooting,  and  had 
destroyed  several  of  these  dragons  of  the  waters.  On  one  occasion  I 
saw,  a  long  way  off,  a  large  one,  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  long,  lying  asleep 
under  a  perpendicular  bank,  about  ten  feet  high,  on  the  margin  of  the 
river.  I  stopped  the  boat  at  some  distance,  and,  noting  the  place  as 
well  as  I  could,  I  took  a  circuit  inland,  and  came  down  cautiously  to 
the  top  of  the  bank,  whence,  with  a  heavy  rifle,  I  made  sure  of  my  ugly 
game.  I  had  already  cut  off  his  head  in  my  imagination,  and  was  con- 
sidering whether  it  should  be  stuffed  with  its  mouth  open  or  shut.  I 


MONSTROUS  REPTILES  OF  THE  TROPICAL  WORLD.  471 

peeped  over  the  bank :  there  he  was,  within  ten  feet  of  the  sight  of  the 
rifle.  I  was  on  the  point  of  firing  at  his  eye,  when  I  observed  that  he 
was  attended  by  a  bird  called  a  zic-zac.  It  is  of  the  plover  species,  of  a 
grayish  color,  and  as  large  as  a  pigeon. 

"  The  bird  was  walking  up  and  down  close  to  the  crocodile's  nose.  I 
suppose  I  moved,  for  suddenly  it  saw  me,  and  instead  of  flying  away,  as 
any  respectable  bird  would  have  done,  he  jumped  up  about  a  foot  from 
the  ground,  screamed  '  Zic-zac !  zic-zac ! '  with  all  the  powers  of  his 
voice,  and  dashed  himself  against  the  crocodile's  face  two  or  three  times. 
The  great  beast  started  up,  and,  immediately  spying  his  danger,  made  a 
jump  into  the  air,  and,  dashing  into  the  water  with  a  splash  which  cov- 
ered me  with  mud,  he  disappeared. 

The  zic-zac,  to  my  increased  admiration — proud,  apparently,  of  having 
saved  his  friend — remained  walking  up  and  down,  uttering  his  cry,  as  I 
thought,  with  an  exulting  voice,  and  standing  every  now  and  then  on 
the  tips  of  his  toes  in  a  conceited  manner,  which  made  me  justly  angry 
with  his  impertinence.  After  having  waited  in  vain  for  some  time,  to 
see  whether  the  crocodile  would  come  out  again,  I  got  up  from  the  bank 
where  I  was  lying,  threw  a  clod  of  earth  at  the  zic-zac,  and  came  back  to 
the  boat,  feeling  some  consolation  for  the  loss  of  my  game  in  having  wit- 
nessed a  circumstance,  the  truth  of  which  has  been  disputed  by  several 
writers  on  natural  history." 

Carious  Danger  Signal. 

It  is  also  worthy  of  remark  that  Hamet,  the  intelligent  attendant  on 
the  hippopotamus,  when  brought  to  England,  said  he  knew  the  bird, 
which  he  described  pretty  accurately.  A  naturalist  took  him  down  to 
the  museum  in  the  Zoological  Gardens,  when  he  at  once  pointed  out  a 
spur-winged  dotterell,  or  plover,  as  the  bird  he  meant.  This  species,  it 
appears,  is  constantly  found  in  the  places  where  the  crocodiles  land,  and 
runs  about  hunting  for  insects  when  the  crocodiles  are  lying  asleep.  The 
appearance  of  the  hunter  immediately  excites  a  noisy  note  from  the  plover; 
the  crocodile  wakes,  and  the  natives  believe  that  the  bird  is  the  croco- 
dile's friend  and  watchman.  The  natives  of  Dongola  call  it  by  a  name 
which  means  the  cousin  or  niece  of  the  crocodile. 

The  structure  of  the  crocodiles  renders  it  difficult  for  them  to  bend 
their  bodies  sideways  ;  whence  the  notion  of  throwing  them  out,  when  in 
pursuit,  by  doubling  back.  There  is  a  story  of  an  Englishman  running 
before  a  large  alligator,which  came  out  of  the  lake  Nicaragua,  and  was 
gaining  on  him  fast.  He  would  have  been  soon  overtaken,  had  not  some 
Spaniards  called  him  to  run  in  a  circle,  and  baffle  it  by  compelling  it  to 


472  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

resort  to  the  laborious  operation  of  turning  should  it  be  bent  on  contin- 
uing the  pursuit. 

The  crocodile  is  caught  at  the  present  day  in  Dongola  for  the  sake  of 
the  flesh,  which  is  regarded  as  a  delicacy.  The  most  favorable  season 
is  the  winter,  when  the  animal  usually  sleeps  on  sandbanks,  enjoying  the 
warmth  of  the  sun ;  or  the  spring,  after  the  pairing  time,  when  the  female 
regularly  watches  the  sand  island  where  she  has  buried  her  eggs ;  and 
on  the  south  side  of  it — that  is,  to  the  leeward — the  huntsman,  there- 
fore, digs  a  hole  in  the  sand,  throwing  up  the  earth  to  the  side  he  ex- 
pects the  crocodile  to  take. 

The  Crocodile  Stabbed  to  Death. 

In  this  hole  he  conceals  himself,  and,  should  the  crocodile  fail  to  ob- 
serve him,  it  comes  to  the  accustomed  spot,  and  soon  falls  asleep.  The 
huntsman  then  darts  his  harpoon  with  all  his  force  at  the  animal ;  for,  in 
order  that  the  stroke  may  be  successful,  the  iron  ought  to  penetrate  to  the 
depths  of  four  inches  at  the  least,  for  the  barb  to  be  fixed  fast.  The 
crocodile,  on  being  wounded,  rushes  into  the  water,  and  the  huntsman 
retreats  to  a  canoe,  with  which  a  companion  hastens  to  his  assistance ;  a 
piece  of  wood  attached  to  the  harpoon  by  a  long  cord  swims  on  the 
water,  and  shows  the  direction  in  which  the  crocodile  is  moving.  The 
huntsmen,  pulling  by  this  rope,  drag  the  crocodile  to  the  surface  of  the 
water,  where  it  is  pierced  by  a  second  harpoon. 

The  iron  part  of  the  harpoon  is  a  span  long,  and  formed  towards  the 
point  like  a  penknife,  being  sharp  at  the  end  and  on  the  edge.  Beyond 
this  edge  there  is  a  strong  barb,  while  on  the  back  of  the  blade  a  piece 
projects,  to  which  the  rope  is  fastened.  This  iron  head  is  affixed  to  a 
shaft  of  wood,  eight  feet  in  length.  The  skill  of  the  harpooner  consists  in 
giving  the  weapon  sufficient  impulse  to  pierce  through  the  coat  of  mail 
which  protects  the  crocodile.  When  the  crocodile  is  struck,  it  lashes 
violently  with  its  tail,  and  endeavors  to  bite  the  rope  asunder.  To  pre- 
vent this,  the  rope  is  made  of  about  thirty  separate  thin  lines,  not  twisted, 
but  simply  placed  together,  and  bound  at  intervals  of  every  two  feet.  The 
thin  lines  get  between  the  teeth,  or  become  entangled  round  them. 
It  frequently  happens  that  the  harpoons,  by  the  pulling  of  the  men,  break 
out  of  the  animal's  body,  and  it  escapes. 

"  If  I  had  not  seen  the  fact  with  my  own  eyes,"  says  Kiippell,  "  I  could 
hardly  have  believed  that  two  men  could  draw  out  of  the  water  a  croco- 
dile fourteen  feet  long,  fasten  his  muzzle,  tie  his  legs  over  his  back,  and 
finally  dispatch  him,  by  plunging  a  sharp  instrument  into  his  neck,  so  as 
to  divide  the  spinal  chord." 


MONSTROUS  REPTILES  OF  THE  TROPICAL  WORLD.  473 

In  some  of  the  rivers  of  Africa  the  negroes  are  bold  enough,  and,  in- 
deed, skilful  enough,  to  combat  the  crocodile  in  his  own  element,  and, 
armed  only  with  a  sharp  dagger,  dive  beneath  him,  and  plunge  the 
weapon  in  his  body.  It  often  happens,  however,  that  the  combat  is  fatal 
to  the  man,  and  frequently  his  only  chance  to  escape  is  to  force  his 
dagger,  or,  if  this  be  lost,  his  thumbs,  into  the  animal's  eyes  with  all  his 
might,  so  as  to  produce  great  pain  and  blindness. 
An  Arrow  in  the  Water. 

In  the  water  the  crocodile  seems  to  enjoy  its  whole  strength  with  greater 
advantage,  than  on  land.  Notwithstanding  its  size  and  apparent  clumsi- 
ness, it  moves  about  in  the  water  with  considerable  agility.  Although  the 
great  length  of  its  body  prevents  it  from  turning  suddenly  round,  it 
swims  forward  with  great  velocity  when  about  to  seize  its  prey.  On  land 
its  motions  are  more  embarrassed  and  it  is  consequently  there  a  less 
dangerous  enemy  than  in  the  water. 

On  hot  days  great  numbers  of  these  animals  lie  basking  on  the  banks  of 
rivers,  and  as  soon  as  they  observe  any  one  approaching  they  plunge  into 
the  water. 

The  young  of  the  crocodile  are  produced  from  eggs — deposited  in  the 
sand  and  hatched  by  the  heat  of  the  sun.  The  female  is  said  to  be 
extremely  cautious  in  depositing  them  unobserved.  The  general  number 
of  eggs  is  from  eighty  to  a  hundred.  They  are  not  larger  than^those  of  a 
goose  and  are  covered  with  a  tough  white  skin.  She  carefully  fills  up  the 
hole  before  she  leaves  them.  They  are  hatched  in  about  thirty  days. 
The  young  ones,  on  emerging  into  the  air,  immediately  run  into  the  water, 
where  multitudes  of  them  are  devoured  by  fish  and  even  by  larger  animals 
of  their  own  species.  The  ichneumon  and  the  vultures  seem  peculiarity 
appointed  to  destroy  the  eggs  and  so  abridge  the  enormous  fecundity  of 

the  crocodile. 

The  Deadly  Race  of  Serpents. 

It  is  in  this  class  of  animals  that  we  find  the  most  terrible  of  all  creatures ; 
more  potent  than  the  roused  lion,  the  enraged  elephant,  the  deadly  shark, 
or  the  mailed  alligator.  In  the  whole  range  of  animal  existence,  there  is 
none  that  can  compare  with  the  venomous  snakes  for  the  deadly  fatality 
of  their  enmity ;  the  lightning  stroke  of  their  poisonous  fangs  is  the  uner- 
ring signal  of  a  swift  dissolution,  preceded  by  torture  the  most  horrible. 
The  bite  of  the  rattlesnake  has  been  known  to  produce  death  in  two  min- 
utes. Even  where  the  consummation  is  not  so  fearfully  rapid,  its  delay  is 
but  a  brief  prolongation  of  the  intense  suffering. 

The  terrible  symptoms  are  thus  described : — a  sharp  pain  in  the  part, 


474  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

which  becomes  swollen,  shining,  hot,  red ;  then  livid,  cold,  and  insensible.. 
The  pain  and  inflammation  spread,  and  become  more  intense  ;  fierce  shoot- 
ing pains  are  felt  in  other  parts,  and  a  burning  fire  pervades  the  whole 
body.  The  eyes  begin  to  water  abundantly,  then  come  swoonings,  cold 
sweats,  and  sharp  pains  in  the  loins.  The  skin  becomes  deadly  pale  or 
deep  yellow,  while  a  black  watery  blood  runs  from  the  wound,  which 
changes  to  a  yellowish  matter.  Violent  headache  succeeds,  and  giddiness, 
faintness,  and  overwhelming  terrors,  burning  thirst,  gushing  discharges  of 
blood  from  the  orifices  of  the  body,  convulsive  hiccoughs,  and  death. 
A  Cobra's  Poisonous  Venom. 

Buckland  has  described  the  awful  effects  of  a  dose  of  poison  received 
from  the  cobra-di-capello  in  his  own  person.  Fortunately  it  was  a  most 
minute  dose,  or  we  should  not  have  received  the  account.  A  rat  which 
had  been  struck  by  the  serpent,  Buckland  skinned  after  its  death.  He 
scraped  the  interior  of  the  skin  with  his  finger-nail,  forgetting  that  he  had 
an  hour  before  been  cleaning  his  nails  with  his  penknife.  In  so  doing,  he 
had  slightly  separated  the  nail  from  the  quick,  and  into  this  little  crack  the 
poison  had  penetrated.  Though  the  orifice  was  so  small  as  to  have  been 
unnoticed,  and  though  the  venom  was  not  received  direct  from  the  serpent, 
but  had  been  diffused  through  the  system  of  the  rat,  the  life  of  the  opera- 
tor was  almost  sacrificed. 

In  India,  where  the  species  is  common,  its  propensity  to  haunt  houses 
frequently  brings  it  under  notice,  and  many  accidents  occur.  It  seems, 
however,  on  some  occasions  to  be  placably  disposed,  if  not  assaulted ;  and 
some  singular  escapes  are  on  record,  of  persons  who  have  had  pres- 
ence of  mind  enough  to  let  it  alone.  One  is  told  of  an  officer  who,  having 
some  repairs  done  to  his  bungalow,  was  lying  on  a  mattress  in  the  veranda, 
reading,  nearly  undressed.  Perhaps  his  book  was  of  a  soporific  tendency, 
for  he  dropped  asleep,  and  awaked  with  a  chilly  sensation  about  his  breast. 
Opening  his  eyes,  he  beheld,  to  his  horror,  a  large  cobra  coiled  up  on  his 
bosom,  within  his  open  shirt. 

He  saw,  in  a  moment,  that  to  disturb  the  creature  would  be  highly 
perilous,  almost  certainly  fatal,  and  that  it  was  at  present  doing  no  harm, 
and  apparently  intending  none.  With  great  coolness  therefore  he  lay 
perfectly  still,  gazing  on  the  bronzed  and  glittering  scales  of  the  intruder. 
After  a  period  which  seemed  to  him  an  age,  one  of  the  workmen  ap- 
proached the  veranda,  and  Nine  snake  at  his  footsteps  left  his  warm  berth, 
and  was  gliding  off,  when  the  servants  at  the  cry  of  the  artisan  rushed  out 
and  destroyed  it. 

In  October,  1852,  Gurling,  one  of  the  keepers  of  the  reptiles  in  the  Lon- 


(475) 


476  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

•don  Zoological  Gardens,  was  bitten  by  a  cobra-di-capello,  and  died.  The 
circumstances  of  the  case  are  worthy  of  record.  Curling  left  his  home, 
in  company  with  another  keeper,  on  the  evening  before,  and  they  spent 
the  night  at  a  leave-taking  party  of  a  friend  going  to  Australia.  On 
returning  to  their  duties,  they  had  a  quartern  of  gin  at  a  public-house, 
another  afterwards,  and  again  another  at  eight  o'clock.  The  gin  laden 
blood  circulated  through  the  brain ;  and  reason,  prudence,  and  the  plain- 
est sense  of  imminent  hazard,  were  alike  overpowered. 

During  the  previous  year,  there  had  been  an  exhibition  of  Egyptian 
snake-charmers,  but  they  had  performed  with  cobras  deprived  of  their 
poison-fangs.  But  the  impression  made  on  Curling's  mind  coming  upper- 
most when  he  entered  the  reptile-house,  he  determined  to  emulate  the 
Egyptians  with  the  serpents  as  they  were.  A  newly-arrived  Morocco 
poison-snake  was  first  taken  out  of  its  cage,  grasped  by  its  middle, 
flourished  aloft,  and  thrown  like  a  lasso  about  his  neck  ;  when,  happily  for 
Curling,  it  was  not  aroused  so  as  to  bite.  An  assistant-keeper,  who 
appeared  to  enter  the  room  at  this  crisis,  entreated  him,  "for  God's  sake, 
to  put  back  the  snake  !  "  but  the  infatuated  man  replied,  "  I  am  inspired," 
and  laughed  at  the  warning. 

Deadly  Poison  Doing  Swift  Work. 

Having  replaced  the  Morocco  venom-snake  in  its  cage,  Curling  cried, 
"  Now  for  the  cobra !  "  and,  lifting  up  the  glass  front  of  the  cage,  removed 
the  one  as  he  had  done  the  other.  The  cobra  was  somewhat  torpid,  from 
the  cold  of  the  preceding  night,  and  the  man  placed  it  in  his  bosom.  It 
then  revived  and  glided  downward  round  his  wrist,  its  head  emerging 
from  beneath  the  back  part  of  his  waistcoat.  The  man  grasped  the  cobra 
by  the  body,  about  a  foot  from  the  head,  with  one  hand,  drew  it  out, 
seized  it  lower  down  with  the  other  hand,  and  was  in  the  act  of  flourish- 
ing it  aloft,  as  he  had  done  the  other  snake,  when,  as  he  held  it  up  in  front 
of  his  face,  the  cobra,  suddenly  expanding  its  hood,  struck  him  like  light- 
ning between  the  eyes,  plunging  its  poison  -fangs  into  the  skin  of  one  side 
of  the  bridge  of  the  nose,  and  scratching  the  opposite  side  with  the  teeth 
of  the  lower  jaw. 

The  man  was  staggered  by  the  blow ;  the  blood  streamed  down  his 
face.  He  called  for  help,  and  his  companion  fled ;  but  how  long  he  was 
away  he  could  not  tell  the  coroner's  inquest,  "  being,"  as  he  said,  "  in  a 
maze." 

When  assistance  arrived,  Curling  was  found  seated  in  a  chair,  having 
restored  the  cobra  to  its  cage,  and  closed  down  the  front  glass.  1  Je  was 
still  sensible  and  collected  when  placed  in  the  cab  that  conveyed  him  to 


MONSTROUS  REPTILES  OF  THE  TROPICAL  WORLD.  47T 

the  hospital,  but  expressed,  in  already  palsied  speech,  his  full  conviction 
of  speedy  death. 

On  reaching  the  hospital  he  appeared  almost,  if  not  quite,  unconscious, 
and  unable  to  support  his  head.  His  face  was  livid,  and  his  respiration 
very  imperfect.  He  moved  himself  uneasily,  pointed  to  his  throat,  and 
moaned.  The  power  of  utterance  was  the  first  lost ;  then  that  of  vision  ; 
and,  lastly,  that  of  hearing.  The  pulse  gradually  sank,  the  extremities 
became  cold  and  torpid,  and  he  died  without  a  convulsion  or  a  struggle, 
about  an  hour  after  receiving  the  wound.  The  heart's  action  was  renewed 
by  mechanical  inflation  of  the  lungs,  and  artificial  respiration,  which  at 
one  time  raised  the  pulse  to  seventy-five  beats  in  a  minute,  was  kept  ur> 
half  an  hour  after  the  natural  breathing  had  ceased,  and  when  the  nervous 
system  was  dead.  Galvanism  was  tried,  but  it  had  no  effect. 
Strange  Incantations  of  Snake-Charmers. 

The  trade  of  serpent-charming  is  very  ancient,  and  at  an  early  date 
Africa  was  the  chief  theatre  of  those  who  practised  it,  and  were  called 
psylli.  Pliny  says  serpents  were  frightened  away  by  the  mere  smell 
of  these  psylli ;  and  informs  us  that  they  came  out  into  Italy  to  show 
their  feats,  and  even  brought  scorpions  with  them.  They  are  still  to  be 
found  exercising  their  craft  all  over  Asia. 

Egypt  is,  probably,  still  their  principal  abode.  A  traveller  states  that 
he  has  met  with  many  persons  among  the  more  intelligent  of  the  Egyp- 
tians who  condemn  these  modern  psylli  as  imposters,  but  no  one  who 
has  been  able  to  account  for  the  most  common  and  interesting  of  their 
performances. 

The  most  famous  snake-charmers,  he  says,  are  durweeshees,  or  Moham- 
medan monks.  The  charmer  professes  to  discover,  without  ocular  per- 
ception (but  perhaps  he  does  so  by  a  peculiar  smell),  whether  there  be 
any  serpents  in  a  house,  and  if  there  be  to  attract  them  to  him,  as  the 
fowler,  by  the  fascinations  of  his  voice,  allures  the  bird  into  the  net. 
They  have  been  known  to  do  this  in  broad  daylight,  and  when  stripped 
naked. 

The  performer  assumes  an  air  of  mystery,  strikes  the  walls  with  a  short 
palm-stick,  whistles,  makes  a  clucking  noise  with  his  tongue,  and  spita 
upon  the  ground;  and  generally  says,  "  I  adjure  you,  by  God,  if  ye  be 
above,  or  if  ye  be  below,  that  ye  come  forth ;  I  adjure  you  by  the  great 
name,  if  ye  be  obedient,  come  forth ;  if  ye  be  disobedient,  die  !  die !  die ! " 
The  serpent  is  generally  dislodged  by  his  stick  from  a  fissure  in  the  wall, 
or  drops  from  the  ceiling  of  the  room. 

It  is  sometimes  suspected  that  a  servant  carries  the  reptile.     The  most 


478  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

-expert  charmers  do  not  take  with  them  venomous  serpents  until  they 
have  extracted  their  worst  teeth.  Many  of  them,  like  Pliny's  psylli,  carry 
scorpions  in  their  caps,  next  to  their  shaven  crowns ;  the  sting,  perhaps, 
having  been  blunted. 

On  the  prophet's  birthday  the  durweeshes  perform  some  of  their  great- 
est wonders.  Many  live  serpents  were  eaten  during  the  traveller's  visit. 
Whenever  a  devotee  did  this,  he  was,  or  affected  to  be,  excited  to  do  so 
by  a  kind  of  frenzy.  He  pressed  very  hard,  with  the  end  of  his  thumb, 
upon  the  reptile's  back,  as  he  grasped  it,  at  a  point  about  two  inches  from 
the  head ;  and  all  that  he  ate  of  it  was  the  head  and  the  part  between  it 
and  the  point  where  his  thumb  pressed,  of  which  he  made  three  or 
four  mouthfuls,  and  threw  away  the  rest. 

Death  of  the  Famous  "El-feel." 

Serpents  are  not,  however,  always  handled  with  impunity,  even  by 
these  people.  A  few  years  ago  a  durweesh,  who  was  called  "  El-feel,"  or 
the  elephant,  from  his  bulky  and  muscular  form,  and  great  strength,  and 
who  "was  the  most  famous  serpent-eater  of  his  time,  having  a  desire  to 
rear  an  enormous  serpent  which  his  boy  had  brought  him,  with  others 
collected  in  the  desert,  put  this  one  into  a  basket,  and  to  weaken  it  kept 
it  for  several  days  without  food.  He  then  put  his  hand  into  the  basket 
to  take  it  out,  for  the  purpose  of  extracting  its  teeth,  but  it  immediately 
bit  his  thumb.  He  called  out  for  help ;  but  there  were  only  women  in 
the  house,  and  they  feared  to  come  to  him,  so  that  many  minutes  elapsed 
before  he  could  obtain  assistance.  He  died  in  a  few  hours. 

The  serpents  on  which  the  charmers  of  Egypt  and  India  exercise  their 
art  are  chiefly  cobras,  which  are  best  adapted  for  the  display  of  their 
powers.  The  air  of  mystery  thrown  over  their  operations  had  led  many 
to  withhold  from  them  all  credit.  But  that  snakes  maybe  brought  under 
the  influence  of  music  appears  to  be  beyond  dispute. 

On  this  point  a  gentleman,  then  of  high  station  in  the  East  India  Com- 
pany's service,  made  the  following  statement :  "  One  morning,  as  I  sat  at 
breakfast,  I  heard  a  loud  noise  and  shouting  amongst  my  palanquin- 
bearers.  On  inquiry,  I  found  that  they  had  seen  a  large  hooded  snake 
(cobra-di-capello),  and  were  trying  to  kill  it.  I  immediately  went  out,  and 
saw  the  snake  climbing  up  a  very  high  green  mound,  whence  it  escaped 
into  an  old  wall  of  an  ancient  fortification.  The  men  were  armed  with 
their  sticks,  which  they  always  carried  in  their  hands,  and  had  attempted 
in  vain  to  kill  the  reptile,  which  had  eluded  their  pursuit ;  in  its  hole  it 
had  coiled  itself  up  secure,  whilst  we  could  see  its  bright  eyes  shining. 
I  had  often  desired  to  ascertain  the  truth  of  the  report,  as  to  the  effect  of 


MONSTROUS  REPTILES  OF  THE  TROPICAL  WORLD.  479 

music  on  snakes ;  I  therefore  inquired  for  a  snake-catcher.  I  was  told 
there  was  no  person  of  the  kind  in  the  village ;  but  after  a  little  inquiry,  I 
heard  there  was  one  in  the  village  distant  three  miles.  I  accordingly  sent 
for  him,  keeping  strict  watch  over  the  snake,  which  never  attempted  to 
escape  whilst  we,  its  enemies,  were  in  sight.  About  an  hour  elapsed, 
when  my  messenger  returned,  bringing  a  snake-catcher. 
Snake  Dancing  to  Music. 

"  This  man  wore  no  covering  on  his  head,  nor  any  on  his  person,  ex- 
cepting a  small  piece  of  cloth  round  his  loins.  He  had  in  his  hands  two 
baskets,  one  containing  tame  snakes,  one  empty.  These,  and  his  musical 
pipe,  were  the  only  things  he  had  with  him.  I  made  the  snake-catcher 
leave  his  two  baskets  on  the  ground  at  some  distance,  while  he  ascended 
the  mound  with  his  pipe  alone.  He  began  to  play ;  at  the  sound  of 
music,  the  snake  came  gradually  and  slowly  out  of  its  hole.  When  it 
was  entirely  within  reach,  the  snake-catcher  seized  it  dexterously  by  the 
tail,  and  held  it  thus  at  arm's  length ;  whilst  the  snake,  enraged,  darted 
its  head  in  all  directions,  but  in  vain ;  thus  suspended,  it  has  not  the 
power  to  round  itself,  so  as  to  seize  hold  of  its  tormentor. 

"  It  exhausted  itself  in  vain  exertions,  when  the  snake-catcher  descended 
the  bank,  dropped  it  into  the  empty  basket,  and  closed  the  lid.  He  then 
began  to  play,  and  after  a  short  time,  raised  the  lid  of  the  basket ;  the 
snake  darted  about  wildly,  and  attempted  to  escape ;  the  lid  was  shut 
down  again  quickly,  the  music  always  playing.  This  was  repeated  two 
or  three  times ;  and  in  a  very  short  interval,  the  lid  being  raised,  the 
snake  sat  on  its  tail,  opened  its  hood,  and  danced  as  quietly  as  the  tame 
snakes  in  the  other  basket,  nor  did  it  again  attempt  an  escape.  This, 
having  witnessed  with  my  own  eyes,  I  can  assert  as  a  fact." 

The  Common  Viper. 

The  venom  of  the  viper,  in  our  country  at  least,  is  not  by  any  means 
so  virulent  as  that  of  the  serpent  scourges  in  hotter  regions.  In  the  case 
of  a  bite,  ammonia  or  hartshorn  given  internally,  and  fomentations  ap- 
plied to  the  part,  to  be  gently  rubbed  afterwards  with  oil,  are  the  reme- 
dies usually  employed.  The  instances  are  very  rare  in  which  the  bite 
proves  fatal ;  and  such  instances  generally  occur  in  hot  weather. 

The  viper  varies  constantly  as  to  color ;  the  ground  color  is  mostly 
olive,  sometimes  deep  brown,  sometimes  yellowish  brown,  and  sometimes 
brick  red.  It  is  commonly  asserted  that  the  viper  brings  forth  its  young 
alive.  This  statement  is  both  true  and  false.  The  young  are  produced, 
like  those  of  all  other  serpents  and  lizards,  by  means  of  an  egg ;  but 
the  membrane  which  surrounds  the  young  is  broken  at  the  moment  of 


480 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


birth,  so  that  they  can  uncoil  themselves  at  once.  These,  though  but  a 
few  inches  in  length,  crawl  about,  and  are  as  fierce  as  the  parent,  throw- 
ing themselves,  when  molested,  into  an  attitude  of  defense  and  hissing 


THE    VENOMOUS    VIPER. 

with  anger.     It  is  from  this  circumstance  that  the  name  viper  is  derived  ; 
being  formed  from  two  Latin  words,  vivus,  "alive,"  and  pario,  "to  bring 


MONSTROUS  REPTILES  OF  THE  TROPICAL  WORLD.  481 

forth."  In  many  places  it  is  called  "  adder,"  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  nedrey 
meaning  lower,  from  its  creeping  position.  This  term  is,  of  course, 
equally  applicable  to  all  serpents,  and  has,  in  fact,  been  so  applied. 

"  Several  intelligent  folks,"  says  White  of  Selborne,  "  assure  me,  that 
they  have  seen  the  viper  open  her  mouth  to  admit  her  helpless  young 
down  her  -throat,  on  sudden  surprises,  just  as  the  female  opossum  does 
her  brood  into  the  pouch,  upon  the  like  emergencies ;  yet  the  London 
viper-catchers  insist  on  it  that  no  such  thing  ever  happens."  We  are  dis- 
posed to  think  that  they  are  right ;  at  all  events,  there  seems  to  be  no 
fact  adduced  by  any  naturalist  to  sustain  the  contrary  statement. 
Swallowing  Too  Much. 

Mice,  lizards,  and  nestling  birds  are  the  food  of  this  species.  "  I  have 
in  my  possession,"  says  Bell,  "  a  specimen  of  a  small  viper  in  a  dying 
state,  in  the  act  of  attempting  to  swallow  a  mouse,  which  was  too  large 
for  it,  the  skin  of  the  neck  being  so  distended  as  to  have  burst  in  several 
places."  In  another  instance,  a  viper  was  found  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Lausanne  which  had  seized  a  common  lizard  of  full  size,  and  swallowed 
it.  The  viper  was  a  young  one,  and  the  lizard  nearly  as  long  as  itself. 
It  also  appeared  to  have  been  very  strong,  and  to  have  retained  its  vitality 
long  after  it  descended  into  the  stomach  of  its  devourer.  The  consequence 
was,  that  it  scraped  with  its  little  nails,  until  it  made  a  hole  through  the 
side  of  the  viper,  and  the  fore  leg  was  completely  protruded.  The 
specimen  is  preserved  in  the  museum  at  Lausanne. 

The  sesping,  called  in  England  the  aspic,  is  produced  in  Sweden.  It  is 
a  small  reptile,  seldom  exceeding  six  inches  long,  but  more  virulent,  it  is 
said,  than  the  common  viper,  of  which  some  naturalists  regard  it,  and 
perhaps  correctly,  as  a  mere  variety.  Acrell  states  that  Linnaeus  saw  a 
woman  perish  in  consequence  of  the  bite  of  one,  notwithstanding  every 
assistance.  The  effects  of  the  bite  are  followed  by  intense  anguish  and 
vomiting,  the  tongue  swells  and  stiffens,  the  limb  becomes  inflamed,  cold- 
ness supervenes,  and  occasionally  death  ensues. 

The  viper,  or  apheh,  is  referred  to  in  Scripture,  as  an  emblem  of  malig- 
nity and  mischief.  This  is  not,  however,  our  common  species,  but  one 
much  more  dangerous.  It  may  be  the  one  considered  by  Latreille  the 
aspic  of  the  ancients,  or  a  larger  species,  which  is  extremely  venomous, 
and  found  in  the  country  bordering  the  Euphrates. 

The  Terrible  Boa-Constrictor. 

There  are  four  species  of  "  boa,"  all  of  which  have  been  described  as  the 
boa-constrictor ;  and   it  is  always  difficult  to  identify  any  particular  spe- 
cies of  serpent  referred  to  by  travellers,  on  account  of  the  loose  manner  in 
31 


482 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


which  the  name  is  generally  employed.  The  boa-constrictor  is  remark- 
able for  the  beauty  of  its  markings.  A  broad  chain,  consisting  alternately 
of  large  blackish  and  somewhat  hexagonal  marks,  and  of  pale  oval  dashes,, 
extends  along  the  back.  These  gigantic  snakes  frequent  the  marshes, 
and  luxuriant  margins  of  the  rivers,  and  fresh-wdter  lakes  of  intertropical 


RAVENOUS    BOA-CONSTRICTOR    SWALLOWING    A    FOWL. 

America,  and  reign  the  terror  of  man  and  beast.  They  can  climb,  swim,  and 
dart  along  the  ground  ;  and  hence  there  is  no  safety  for  the  deer  in  its  swift- 
ness or  the  monkey  among  the  branches,  or  the  large  fish  in  the  waters. 

To  these  varied  powers,  combined  with  a  nature  daring,  ferocious,  and 
bloodthirsty,  the  ancient  Mexicans  rendered  religious  veneration.     Their 


MONSTROUS  REPTILES  OF  THE  TROPICAL  WORLD.  483 

supreme  divinity  was  represented  with  a  snake  in  his   hand,  or  coiled 
round  him  and  his  altar. 

On  a  blue  throne,  with  four  huge  silver  snakes, 

As  if  the  keepers  of  the  sanctuary, 

Circled  with  stretching  neck  and  fangs  displayed, 

Mexitli  vatae  ;  another  grown  snake 

Belted  with  scales  of  gold  his  monster  bulk. 

To  adopt  the  words  of  Lacepede,  in  reference  to  the  boa,  "  This  great 
power,  this  indomitable  force,  its  gigantic  length,  the  lustre  of  its  scales, 
the  beauty  of 'its  colors,  have  inspired  a  sort  of  admiration,  mingled  with 
affright,  in  the  minds  of  most  people  in  a  savage  condition ;  and,  as  all 
that  produces  terror  and  admiration,  every  creature  that  appears  to  be 
endowed  with  a  great  superiority  over  other  beings,  hardly  fails  to  create 
in  minds  little  enlightened  the  idea  of  a  supernatural  agent,  it  was  not 
without  religious  fear  that  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  Mexico  regarded  this 
serpent.  Whether  they  supposed  that  an  enormous  mass,  executing 
movements  so  rapid,  could  not  be  stirred  but  by  a  divine  inspiration,  or 
that  they  only  regarded  the  animal  as  a  minister  of  the  omnipotence  of 
the  God  of  heaven,  it  became  the  object  of  their  worship. 

Making-  a  Divinity  of  tlie  Boa-Constricto?. 

"  They  gave  it  the  title  of 'emperor',  in  order  to  designate  the  preemi- 
nence of  its  endowments ;  and,  having  adopted  it  as  the  object  of  their 
adoration,  they  devoted  to  it  their  particular  attention.  None  of  its  move- 
ments, speaking  in  a  general  sense,  escaped  them  ;  none  of  its  actions 
were  to  them  matters  of  indifference.  As  its  protracted  hiss  caught  their 
ear,  they  listened  with  religious  trembling,  for  they  deemed  that  these 
sounds,  these  signs  of  the  various  passions,  or  feelings  of  a  being,  which 
they  regarded  as  supernatural,  must  be  connected  with  their  destiny. 

"  It  has  happened,  that  these  hissings  have  been  much  stronger,  and 
more  frequent  on  the  approach  of  violent  tempests,  pestilential  diseases, 
cruel  wars,  or  other  public  calamities.  Indeed,  it  is  frequently  the  case 
that  epidemic  maladies  are  often  preceded  by  a  violent  heat,  an  extreme 
dryness,  a  peculiar  state  of  the  atmosphere,  a  highly  electrical  condition 
of  the  air,  by  which  the  snakes  would  be  greatl)  excited,  and  led  to  utter 
hissings  louder  than  usual ;  however,  this  maybe,  the  hissings  of  the  boa, 
the  'divine boa',  were  regarded  as  forewarnings  of  impending  evils,  and 
listened  to  with  the  utmost  consternation." 

A  fearful  picture  of  the  blind  and  impious  adoration  paid  to  the  fero- 
cious boa,  often  tamed  by  the  priests,  for  the  purpose  of  overawing  the 
multitude,  is  finely  drawn  by  Southey,  in  his  poem  of  "  Madoc :  " — 


484  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Forth  from  the  dark  recesses  of  the  cave 

The  serpent  came  ;  the  Hoamen  at  the  sight 

Shouted  ;  and  they  who  held  the  priest,  appall'd, 

Relaxed  their  hold.     On  came  the  mighty  snake, 

And  twin'd  in  many  a  wreath  round  Neolin, 

Darting  aright,  aleft,  his  sinuous  neck, 

With  searching  eye,  and  lifted  jaw,  and  tongue 

Quivering,  and  hiss  as  of  a  heavy  shower 

Upon  the  summer  woods.     The  Britons  stood 

Astounded  at  the  powerful  reptile's  bulk, 

And  that  strange  sight.     His  girth  was  as  of  man, 

But  easily  could  he  have  overtopp'd 

Goliath's  helmed  head,  or  that  huge  king 

Of  Basan,  hugest  of  the  Anakim  : 

What  then,"  was  human  strength,  if  once  involved 

Within  those  dreadful  coils  !     The  multitude 

Fell  prone  and  worshipp'd. 

Stedman,  in  his  expedition  to  Surinam,  had  an  adventure  with  one  of 
these  boas,  which  shows  their  vast  power  and  activity.  On  leaving  his 
boat,  he  had  scarcely  proceeded  above  twenty  yards  through  mud  and 
water,  when  he  discovered  a  huge  snake  rolled  up  under  the  fallen  leaves 
and  rubbish  of  the  trees;  and  so  well  was  the  animal  covered,  that  it  was 
several  minutes  before  he  distinctly  perceived  the  head  of  the  monster, 
which  was  distant  from  him  only  about  sixteen  feet.  It  was  rapidly  vi- 
brating its  forked  tongue,  and  its  eyes,  from  their  uncommon  brightness, 
glittered  like  sparks  of  fire.  He  raised  his  gun,  and  fired ;  but  missing 
the  head,  the  ball  went  through  the  body. 

In  a  moment  the  animal  struck  round,  lashing  the  ground  with  such 
force  as  to  cut  away  all  the  underwood  as  if  with  a  scythe,  while  the  mud 
and  dirt  flew  in  all  directions.  Following  up  the  attack,  Stedman,  who  at 
first  retreated,  now  ventured  on,  and  found  the  snake  at  a  short  distance 
from  the  former  station,  quietly  lying  among  fallen  leaves,  rotten  boughs, 
and  moss,  which  concealed  all  but  the  head.  He  fired  again  ;  the  animal 
was  again  wounded,  and  violently  flounced  about,  throwing  a  shower  ot 
mud  and  dirt  around.  At  the  third  fire,  the  animal  was  shot  through  the 
head,  and  soon  expired.  The  length  of  this  snake,  which  the  negroes 
declared  to  be  young,  was  upwards  of  twenty-two  feet ;  and  its  thickness 
that  of  a  boy  about  twelve  years  old. 

Swallowing-  a  Bed. 

One  of  the  boas  of  the  London  Zoological  Gardens  once  swallowed  his 
bed,  to-wit,  a  large  railway  blanket  wrapper,  instead  of  two  rabbits,  which 
had  been  left  him  for  his  supper ;  when  the  problem  propounded  was  the 
life  or  death  of  the  reptile.  Thirty-six  days  after,  however,  he  evaded 


MONSTROUS  REPTILES  OF  THE  TROPICAL  WORLD.  485 

the  catastrophe  by  beginning  to  disgorge  the  blanket.  A  watchman, 
going  his  nightly  rounds,  caught  him  in  the  act ;  he  presently  called 
another  watchman  to  his  side,  and  entering  the  cage  they  assisted  the 
boa,  both  of  them  giving  a  slow,  careful  pull  at  one  end ;  and  thus  he 
completed  his  task. 

The  wrapper  was  about  five  feet  wide  and  six  feet  long  ;  it  proved  to  be 
entire,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  small  holes  and  rents,  and  an  appear- 
ance of  rottenness  in  two  or  three  places.  The  colors  were  nearly  all 
discharged,  so  that  the  fabric  was  of  a  dingy,  slaty  gray. 

After  disgorging  the  blanket,  the  boa  ate  nothing  during  a  whole  week> 
but  resumed  his  usual  habits,  by  drinking  a  large  quantity  of  water.  This 
is  said  not  to  have  been  the  first  time  such  a  feat  has  been  performed  in 
the  Gardens ;  and  a  serpent  is  even  stated  to  have  remained  the  victor  of 
his  blanket. 

The  boas  are  the  largest  of  serpents,  and  though  without  venom,  their 
enormous  muscular  power  enables  them  to  crush  between  their  folds  large 
animals,  which  they  first  lubricate  with  saliva  and  then  swallow  whole 
by  their  enormously  dilatable  jaws  and  gullet.  They  never  attack  but 
from  necessity,  always  engage  «with  open  courage  and  conquer  only  by 
superior  strength.  Three  species  are  found  in  Asia;  the  rest  are  confined 
to  the  warmer '  parts  of  America.  The  great  boa,  the  largest  of  all  the 
serpent  tribe,  is  frequently  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  in  length  and  of  pro- 
portionable thickness.  Their  rapacity  is  often  their  own  punishment ;  for 
whenever  they  have  gorged  themselves  by  trying  to  swallow  their  prey 
entire,  they  become  torpid  and  may  be  approached  and  destroyed  with 
safety.  They  at  that  time  seek  for  some  retreat,  where  they  may  lurk  for 
several  days  and  digest  their  meal  in  safety.  The  least  effort  then  will 
destroy  them ;  they  scarcely  can  make  any  resistance ;  and  equally  un- 
qualified for  flight  or  opposition,  they  are  easily  assailed. 
Beautiful  Tree-Snakes. 

There  are  many  serpents  of  very  slender  form,  which,  while  living 
more  or  less  on  the  land,  frequently  ascend  trees,  especially  in  pursuit  of 
their  prey.  They  are  generally  nimble,  harmless,  and  beautiful  species. 

The  whole  of  the  serpents  composing  these  genera  live  in  woods,  en- 
twining themselves  among  the  branches  of  trees,  and  gliding  with  great 
rapidity  and  elegance  from  one  to  another.  These  habits,  combined  with 
the  graceful  slenderness  of  their  form,  the  beautiful  metallic  reflection 
from  the  surface  in  some  species,  and  the  bright  and  changeable  hues  in 
others,  place  them  among  the  most  interesting  of  the  serpent  tribe. 
Their  food  consists  of  large  insects,  young  birds,  and  so  forth,  which  the 


486 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


extraordinary  size  of  the  head,  and  width  of  the  gape,  and  the  great  dil- 
atability  of  the  neck  and  body,  enable  them  to  swallow,  notwithstanding 


TREE-SNAKE      DEVOURING    ITS    PREY. 

the  small  size  of  these  parts  in  a  state  of  rest,  undisturbed  by  hunger. 
When  the  skin  is  distended  either  by  food  or  during  inspiration,  the 


MONSTROUS  REPTILES  OF  THE  TROPICAL  WORLD.  487 

scales  are  separated  from  each  other,  and  the  skin,  which  is  of  a  different 
color,  becomes  visible  in  the  interstices,  producing  a  curious  reticulated 
appearance.  Notwithstanding  the  poisonous  mark  was  affixed  by  Lin- 
naeus to  the  only  species  known  to  him,  it  is  well  ascertained  that  they 
are  all  of  them  perfectly  harmless;  and  it  is  asserted  of  some  species  that 
the  children  are  in  the  habit  of  taming  and  playing  with  them,  twining 
them  round  their  necks  and  arms,  and  that  the  snakes  appear  pleased  at 
being  thus  caressed. 

The  variety  of  whip-snakes  are  distinguished  for  their  thin,  slender 
body,  which  enables  them  to  wind  themselves  around  the  branches  of 
trees  and  lay  in  wait  for  their  prey.  They  are  only  at  home  on  trees. 
On  the  ground  they  are  slow  and  clumsy  in  their  motion.  They  are  noc- 
turnal animals  and  therefore  very  dangerous  to  all  small  vertebrates  which 
happen  to  visit  a  tree,  which  they  have  chosen  as  their  habitation.  They 
feed  on  birds,  lizards  and  frogs,  and  are  said  to  be  very  voracious.  The 
whip-snake  of  Ceylon  has  a  very  pointed  mouth,  for  what  purpose  is  not 
explained  yet  to  the  satisfaction  of  scientists. 

Poisonous  Tenants  of  Forest  and  Plain. 

Many  of  the  snakes  of  South  America  are  highly  venomous.  One  of 
these  is  called,  from  its  prowess  and  power,  the  bush-master.  Frightful 
accidents  occur  in  the  forests  of  Guiana  by  this  terrible  species.  Sullivan 
gives  us  the  following :  his  host,  a  few  days  before,  had  sent  a  negro  to 
open  some  sluices  on  his  estate;  but.  as  he  did  not  return,  the  master, 
thinking  he  had  run  away,  sent  another  negro  to  look  after  him  ;  this 
negro  went  to  the  place  directed,  and  found  the  man  quite  dead,  and 
swollen  up  to  a  hideous  size.  He  was  bitten  in  two  places,  and  death 
must  have  been  instantaneous,  as  he  was  not  more  than  three  feet  from 
the  sluice.  They  supposed  that  it  must  have  been  a  bush-master  that 
had  killed  him. 

The  couni-couchi,  or  bush-master,  is  the  most  dreaded  of  all  the  South 
American  snakes,  and,  as  his  name  implies,  he  roams  absolute  master  of 
the  forest.  They  will  not  fly  from  man,  like  all  other  snakes,  but  will 
even  pursue  and  attack  him.  They  are  fat,  clumsy-looking  snakes,  about 
four  feet  long,  and  nearly  as  thick  as  a  man's  arm ;  their  mouth  is  unnatu- 
rally large,  and  their  fangs  are  from  one  to  three  inches  in  length.  They 
strike  with  immense  force ;  and  a  gentleman  who  had  examined  a  man 
after  having  been  struck  in  the  thigh  and  died,  told  the  narrator  that  the 
wound  was  as  if  two  four-inch  nails  had  been  driven  into  the  flesh. 

As  the  poison  oozes  out  from  the  extremity  of  the  fang,  any  hope  of 
being  cured  after  a  bite  is  small,  as  it  is  evident  that  no  external  applica- 


488  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

tion  could  have  any  immediate  effect  on  a  poison  deposited  an  inch  and  a 
half  or  two  inches  below  the  surface ;  the  instantaneousness  of  the  death 
depends  upon  whether  any  large  artery  is  wounded  or  not. 
Serpents  of  Astonishing-  Beauty. 

Many  serpents  are  remarkable  for  their  great  beauty  of  coloring,  or  for 
the  pattern  of  their  markings ;  but  on  account  of  the  poisonous  property 
so  many  possess,  the  whole  order  is  popularly  regarded  with  horror  and 
apprehension,  and  the  most  foolish  tales  are  current  respecting  various 
species  of  them.  Thus  many  people  suppose  that  there  are  snakes  which 
rob  cows  of  their  milk ;  and  the  skeleton  of  a  child  being  found  in  the 
same  hollow  with  a  number  of  harmless  snakes  it  was  concluded,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  that  the  serpents  must  have  both  killed  the  child  and 
stripped  off  its  flesh,  a  thing  which  no  snake  could  possibly  do.  People 
are  prone  to  exaggerate,  and  commonly  evince  a  fondness  for  the  marvel- 
ous, which  induce  those  of  hot  countries  more  especially  to  declare  every 
snake  met  with  to  be  the  most  venomous  one  in  their  country ;  and  thus 
travellers  often  come  away  with  exceedingly  erroneous  impressions  on  the 
subject. 

The  Indian  region  surpasses  every  other  part  of  the  globe  in  the  num- 
ber and  variety  of  its  serpents ;  and  almost  every  investigation  of  a  limited 
but  previously  unexplored  district,  is  tolerably  sure  to  add  largely  to  our 
previous  knowledge  of  them.  What,  however,  the  late  Sir  Emerson  Ten- 
nent  asserts  of  those  inhabiting  Ceylon  is  equally  applicable  to  other  parts 
of  the  Indian  region.  During  my  residence  in  Ceylon,  he  remarks,  I 
never  heard  of  the  death  of  a  European  which  was  caused  by  the  bite  of 
a  snake ;  and  in  the  returns  of  coroner's  inquests  made  officially  to  my 
department,  such  accidents  to  the  natives  appear  chiefly  to  have  happened 
at  night,  when  the  reptiles,  having  been  surprised  or  trodden  on,  inflicted 
the  wound  in  self-defence.  For  these  reasons  the  Cingalese,  when  obliged 
to  leave  their  houses  in  the  dark,  carry  a  stick  with  a  loose  ring,  the  noise 
of  which,  as  they  strike  it  on  the  ground,  is  sufficient  to  warn  the  snakes 

to  leave  their  path. 

Foolish  Popular  Superstitions. 

In  some  parts  of  the  vast  Indian  region  the  natives  regard  the  harmless 
chameleon  as  venomous ;  in  other  parts  various  geckos  or  other  lizards. 
In  Bengal  there  is  a  current  notion  regarding  a  terrifically  poisonous 
lizard,  which  is  termed  the  bis-cobra,  but  which  has  no  existence  except 
in  the  imagination  of  the  natives,  who  bring  the  young  of  the  monitors 
and  occasionally  other  well-known  lizards  as  specimens  of  the  object  of 
their  dread.  Again,  the  little  burrowing  snakes  which,  superficially,  have 


MONSTROUS  REPTILES  OF  THE  TROPICAL  WORLD.  4891 

much  the  appearance  of  earth-worms,  are  there  popularly  regarded  as 
highly  poisonous,  though  not  only  are  they  harmless,  but  physically 
incapable  of  wounding  the  human  skin.  Strangers  who  are  little  versed 
in  zoology  are  commonly  led  astray  by  such  errors  on  the  part  of  natives 
of  those  countries,  and,  unfortunately,  there  is  a  number  of  stock  vernac- 
ular names  which  are  applied  to  very  different  species  in  different  local- 
ities. 

Thus  Europeans  in  India  are  familiar  with  the  appellation  "  carpet 
snake,"  as  denoting  a  very  deadly  reptile,  but  nobody  can  there  point  out 
what  the  carpet  snake  really  is ;  and  the  one  most  generally  supposed  to 
bear  that  name  is  a  small  innocuous  snake,  which  is  common  about 
human  dwellings.  In  the  Australian  colony  of  Victoria,  however,  the 
appellation  of  carpet  snake  is  bestowed  upon  a  terribly  venomous  species,, 
while  in  the  neighboring  colony  of  New  South  Wales,  a  harmless  and 
even  useful  creature  is  habitually  known  as  the  carpet  snake. 

With  regard  to  the  poison  of  venomous  snakes,  attention  has  lately 
been  directed  to  the  virtue  of  ammonia,  as  already  stated.  This  should  be 
administered  internally,  mixed  with  alcoholic  spirit  and  water,  in  repeated 
doses ;  and  it  should  also  be  injected  into  a  vein — about  one  drachm  of 
the  liquor  ammonia  of  the  shops  being  mixed  with  two  or  three  times 
that  quantity  of  water.  The  patient  should  be  kept  moving  as  much  as 
possible,  and  the  effects  of  a  galvanic  battery  should  also  be  tried  in  cases 
where  animation  is  nearly  or  quite  suspended.  By  these  means  it  is 
asserted  that  quite  recently  some  very  remarkable  cures  have  been  effected 
in  Australia. 

The  serpents  have  many  enemies  among  mammalia,  such  as  the  well 
known  mungoose,  also  swine,  and  various  ruminating  quadrupeds  as 
deer  and  goats.  In  the  bird  class,  the  famous  serpent-eater,  or  secretary- 
bird  of  South  Africa,  is  one  of  their  chief  destroyers ;  and  there  are  var- 
ious other  snake-devouring  birds  of  prey,  besides  the  great  African 
ground  hornbill — even  the  peafowl,  sundry  storks,  and  other  waders,  sel- 
dom fail  to  attack  them  when  opportunity  offers.  Comparatively  large 
birds  of  the  kingfisher  family  prey  chiefly  upon  snakes  and  lizards  in 
Australia ;  and  of  reptiles,  besides  those  snakes  which  prey  upon  others, 
the  monitor  lizards  frequently  seize  and  devour  them. 
Monstrous  Eg-g-  Eater. 

The  enormous  swallowing  power  of  snakes  is  vividly  illustrated  in  a 
very  small  snake,  the  opposite  extreme  from  the  huge  creatures  we  have 
been  considering,  the  so-called  egg-eater  of  South  Africa,  a  little  fellow 
not  more  than  a  foot  long,  of  which  we  give  nearly  a  life-size  illustra- 


(490) 


MONSTROUS  REPTILES  OF  THE  TROPICAL  WORLD.  491 

tion.  With  jaws  not  more  than  an  inch  apart  when  wide  open,  it  will 
swallow  an  ordinary  hen's  egg  without  breaking  it.  If  such  be  the  capac- 
ity of  a  snake  not  more  than  twelve  inches  long,  what  must  be  the  great 
gulp  of  one  thirty  feet  long  and  of  proportionate  thickness  ? 

It  may  seem  an  incredible  statement  to  many  persons  that  any  reptile 
possesses  beauty,  yet  among  these  crawling  creatures,  disgusting  in  many 
instances,  there  are  forms  and  colors  unrivalled,  or  at  least  unexcelled,  in 
any  other  part  of  creation.  There  is,  for  instance,  what  is  called  the  red- 
throated  lizard. 

This  beautiful  reptile  is  a  native  of  the  West  India  Islands.  Its  color  is 
green,  more  or  less  tinged  with  blue.  There  is  no  dorsal  crest;  the  tail 
is  large,  strong,  and  slightly  depressed  at  its  base — its  remainder  being 
slender,  and  slightly  compressed  ;  a  minute  dentated  ridge  runs  along  its 
upper  surface.  The  scales  on  the  back  and  sides  are  very  small,  some- 
what oval  and  granular,  and  of  equal  size.  Those  on  the  under  parts  are 
smooth,  and  overlay  each  other.  When  irritated,  the  throat  swells,  and 
becomes  as  red  as  a  cherry. 

"  Some  years  since,"  says  Mr.  Bell,  "  I  had  two  living  specimens  of  the 
beautiful  little  green  creature  of  the  West  Indies.  I  was  in  the  habit  of 
feeding  them  with  flies,  and  other  insects  ;  and  having  one  day  placed  in 
the  cage  with  them  a  very  large  garden  spider  one  of  the  lizards  darted  at 
it,  but  only  seized  it  by  the  leg.  The  spider  instantly  ran  round  the  crea- 
ture's mouth,  weaving  a  very  thick  web  round  both  the  jaws,  and  then  gave 
it  a  severe  bite  on  the  lip,  just  as  this  spider  usually  does  with  any  large 
insect  which  it  has  taken.  The  lizard  was  greatly  distressed,  and  I  re- 
moved the  spider,  and  rubbed  off  the  web,  the  confinement  of  which  ap- 
peared to  give  it  great  annoyance ;  but  in  a  few  days  it  died,  though  pre- 
viously in  as  perfect  health  as  its  companion,  which  lived  for  a  long  time 
afterwards." 

In  contrast  with  this  is  an  ugly  creature  which  deserves  notice. 

The  Cristatus. 

In  that  group  of  islands  called  the  Galapagos,  near  the  Equator,  in  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  this  lizard  abounds,  and  the  species  is  found  there  in  great 
numbers.  It  selects  a  rocky  shore  for  its  place  of  resort,  and  appears 
never  to  be  found  far  inland.  Specimens  four  feet  in  length  have  been 
discovered ;  the  usual  length,  however,  is  about  three  feet.  In  rare  in- 
stances its  weight  reaches  twenty  pounds.  The  appearance  of  the  cristatus 
is  very  repulsive.  It  is  a  hideous-looking  creature,  very  sluggish  in  its 
movements.  Its  color  is  a  dirty  black,  and  it  lacks  those  rich  tints  which 
•distinguish  many  of  the  lizard  tribes.  Some  travelers  report  having  seen 


492 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


the  cristatus  one  or  two  hundred  yards  from  shore,  swimming  about,  and 
Captain  Colinett,  in  his  "  Voyages,"  says  he  has  observed  them  going  out 
to  sea  in  shoals.  Considering  the  authority,  full  reliance  can  be  placed 
upon  this  statement. 

This  animal  is  quite  at  home  in  the  water.  It  easily  propels  itself  by 
the  use  of  its  flattened  tail,  holding  its  legs  close  to  the  sides  of  its  body. 
With  rapidity  and  gracefulness  it  thus  moves  about  in  the  shallow  water 
This  lizard  has  been  known  to  remain  beneath  the  surface  an  hour,  yet  to 


THE   MOLOCH.. 

be  quite  active  upon  being  brought  up  and  placed  on  shore.  It  has 
strong  limbs  and  claws,  which  are  well  adapted  for  clambering  over  the 
rough  lava  crusts  found  everywhere  among  the  islands  it  inhabits.  It  is 
nothing  unusual  to  see  a  group  of  half  a  dozen  of  these  hideous  creatures 
stretched  upon  the  rocks,  dozing  in  the  sun. 

The  moloch  is  an  Australian  iguanian  reptile  and  is  the  most  ferocious 
looking  of  the  lizard  tribe,  though  harmless  ;  it  is  as  ugly  as  any  of  the 
representations  of  the  fabled  basilisks  and  dragons.  They  live  in  sandy 
districts  and  sometimes  dig  themselves  into  the  sand,  sleeping  at  night 
and  leaving  their  resting-place  during  the  day,  in  search  of  prey.  They 


MONSTROUS  REPTILES  OF  THE  TROPICAL  WORLD.  493 

principally  feed  on  ants,  but  are  said  to  be  also  herbivorous.     Like  other 
lizards,  they  deposit  their  eggs  in  the  sand. 

A  Hideous  Toad. 

It  is  proper  to  caution  the  reader  against  believing  all  that  has  been 
written  about  the  longevity  of  toads.  Neither  must  implicit  faith  be  given 
to  the  discoveiy  of  the  living  animal  in  the  centre  of  stones.  "  That 
toads,  frogs,  and  newts,  occasionally  issue  from  stones  broken  in  a  quarry 


tti^^&aZfax, 


PIPA    TOAD    HATCHING   EGGS    ON    ITS    BACK. 

or  are  discovered  in  sinking  wells,  and  even  taken  from  coal-strata  at  the 
bottom  of  a  mine,"  is  true  enough  ;  but,  as  Buckland  observes,  "the  evi- 
dence is  never  perfect  to  show  that  these  amphibians  were  entirely  en- 
closed in  a  solid  rock ;  no  examination  is  made  until  the  creature 
is  discovered  by  the  breaking  of  the  mass  in  which  it  was  contained,  and 
then  it  is  too  late  to  ascertain  whether  there  was  any  hole  or  crevice  by 
which  it  might  have  entered." 


494  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

These  considerations  led  Buckland  to  undertake  certain  experiments  to- 
test  the  fact.  He  caused  blocks  of  coarse  oolitic  limestone  and  sandstone 
to  be  prepared  with  cells  of  various  sizes,  in  which  he  enclosed  toads  of 
different  ages.  The  small  toads  enclosed  in  the  sandstone  were  found 
to  die  at  the  end  of  thirteen  months ;  the  same  fate  befell  the  larger  ones 
during  the  second  year ;  they  were  watched  through  the  glass  covers  of 
their  cells,  and  were  never  seen  in  a  state  of  torpor,  but  at  each  successive 
examination  they  had  become  more  meagre,  until  -at  last  they  were  found 
dead.  This  was  probably  too  severe  a  test  for  the  poor  creatures,  the 
glass  cover  implying  a  degree  of  hardness  and  dryness  not  natural  to  half 
amphibious  toads. 

This  animal,  the  common  toad,  is  badly  provided  with  means  of  pro- 
gression, is  timid  and  solitary  in  habits,  and  shuns  the  sight  of  man,  as 
if  it  comprehended  the  repugnance  with  which  it  is  regarded.  It  is,. 
nevertheless,  susceptible  of  education,  and  has  been  tamed.  Pennant,  the 
zoologist,  relates  some  curious  details  respecting  a  poor  toad  which  took 
refuge  under  the  staircase  of  a  house.  It  was  accustomed  to  come  every 
evening  into  a  dining-room  near  the  place  of  its  retreat.  When  it  saw 
the  light  it  allowed  itself  to  be  placed  on  a  table,  where  the  host  furnished 
it  with  worms,  wood-lice,  and  various  insects.  As  no  attempt  was  made 
to  injure  it,  there  were  no  signs  of  irritation  when  it  was  touched,  and  it 
soon  became,  from  its  gentleness,  the  object  of  general  curiosity ;  even 
ladies  came  to  see  this  strange  animal.  The  poor  batrachian  lived  thus 
for  thirty-six  years ;  and  it  would  probably  have  lived  much  longer  had 
not  a  tame  crow,  living  in  the  house,  attacked  it,  and  put  out  one  of  its- 
eyes.  From  that  time  it  languished  and  died. 

Nearly  allied  to  the  common  toads  the  Surinam  toad  holds  its  place, 
Its  physiognomy  is  at  once  disagreeable  and  peculiarly  odd ;  the  head  is 
flat  and  triangular,  a  very  short  neck  separates  it  from  the  trunk,  which  is 
itself  depressed  and  flattened;  its  eyes  are  extremely  small,  of  an  olive, 
more  or  less  bright  color,  dashed  with  small  reddish  spots ;  it  has  no 
tongue.  There  is  only  one  species  of  pipa,  viz. :  the  American  pipa, 
which  inhabits  Guiana  and  several  provinces  of  Brazil.  The  most  re- 
markable feature  in  this  batrachian  is  its  manner  of  reproduction.  It 
is  oviparous;  and  when  the  female  has  laid  her  eggs,  the  male  takes 
them,  and  piles  them  on  her  back.  The  female,  bearing  the  fertilized  ova, 
reaches  the  marshes,  and  there  immerses  herself;  but  the  skin  which  sup- 
ports her  future  progeny  soon  becomes  inflamed,  causing  an  irritation  of 
the  integument,  which  continues  till  all  are  absorbed  into  the  skin.  The 
young  are  rapidly  developed  in  these  dorsal  cells,  and  soon  born. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 
MARVELS   OF   INSECT   LIFE. 

Intelligence  Among  Insects — All  Sorts  of  Insect  Mechanics — Pillaging  Pirates — 
The  Goliath  Beetle — Monstrosities  and  Freaks — "Little  Devils" — Gorgeous 
Coloring  of  Shells  and  Wings — Jewelry  made  of  Insects — Wingless  Butterflies — 
Extraordinary  Changes  Through  Which  Insects  Pass — Metamorphosis  of  the 
Dragon-Fly — Perfection  of  Organization — Wonderful  Handiwork  of  Nature — 
Gnats  More  than  a  Match  for  Men— The  African  Fly— A  Dreaded  Pest— Magnified 
Proboscis  of  a  Common  Fly — Amazing  Rapidity  of  Movement — Insect  Gym- 
nasts and  their  Strength — Ingenious  Mechanisms— Transformation  of  the 
Common  Gnat— Insect  Saws,  Rakes,  and  Chisels  Surpassing  Man's  Finest 
Instruments — Curious  Method  of  Talking — Eyes  Like  Telescopes— Military 
Drill— The  Remarkable  Achievements  of  the  Spider— An  Insect  Better  than  it 
Appears— Slave-Holding  Ants— A  Colony  Saved  by  an  Old  Slave— Insects  that 
Keep  a  Dairy — Ants  and  their  Milch  Cows — Warrior  Termites — Builders  and 
Destroyers  of  Towns. 

O  a  marvelous  delicacy  of  organization  insects  join  a  still  more 
marvelous  intelligence.  The  perfection  of  their  tools  would 
lead  us  to  suppose  them  capable  of  executing  works  of  bound- 
less variety ;  it  is  these  that  Rennie  has  designated  as  the  archi- 
tecture of  insects.  In  fact,  these  minute  creatures  often  rear  construc- 
tions of  an  elegance  and  size  which  we  should  be  far  from  expecting  from 
them.  Among  insects  there  are  evidently  architects,  masons,  upholsterers, 
paper-makers,  joiners,  pasteboard-makers,  and  hydraulic-engineers.  Others 
dislike  work,  and  are  veritable  pirates,  always  engaged  in  war  and  pillage, 
We  find  also  in  this  class  extremes  of  size  and  strength.  One  gigantic 
beetle,  such  as  for  instance  the  Goliath,  may  exceed  the  size  of  the 
straight-beaked  humming-birds,  which  he  would  pitilessly  strangle  in  his 
claws  if  he  caught  them  in  his  path ;  while  another  insect  may  be  so 
small,  so  calculated  to  escape  notice,  that  we  only  discover  it  by  the  aid 
of  a  magnifying-glass. 

The  insect  class  shows  in  every  part  a  harmonious  organization,  which 
at  the  first  glance  distinguishes  it  from  all  others.  Nevertheless,  it  is  per- 
haps the  section  of  the  animal  kingdom  in  which  we  observe  the  greatest 
diversity  of  form ;  some  insects  indeed  display  at  times  such  anomalies 
that  we  can  only  make  them  out  by  their  fundamental  characteristics. 
There  are  even  frequently  extreme  differences  between  the  male  and  the 
female.  Others  possess  such  a  singular  exterior  that  they  exactly  resem- 

(495) 


496  EARTH,  SEA.  AND  SKY. 

ble  leaves  of  trees,  having  the  same  veins  and  coloring ;  when  they  are  at 
rest  we  might  take  them  for  leaves,  and  even  the  greedy  bird  is  deceived 
by  them.  It  is  the  wings  that  are  transformed  into  green  membranes, 
which  give  the  animal  the  appearance  of  an  animated  leaf. 

Some  insects  again  are  remarkable  from  the  strangeness  of  their  aspect, 
the  breasts  ofwhich  are  studded  with  points,  plates,  or  most  fantastic  knobs, 
which  transform  them  into  so  many  monstrosities.  On  looking  at  some 
of  them  one  might  take  them  for  an  insect  masquerade,  a  veritable  sport  of 
nature,  a  collection  of  freaks.  So  much  was  the  old  entomologist  Geoffrey 
struck  with  their  form,  that  he  gave  them  the  name  of  "  little  devils."  One 
cannot  really  conceive  what  purpose  so  many  fantastic  appendages,  so  em- 
barrassing to  their  figure  and  movements,  can  serve  among  these  fragile 
tribes,  for  they  are  all  of  the  smallest  dimensions  ! 

Hues  that  Rival  Gold  and  Sapphire. 

If  anything  in  insects  surpasses  the  diversity  of  forms,  it  is  the  prodigious 
variety  of  coloring.  Their  mantles  gleam  with  the  richest  hues  in  nature. 
Their  sheen  can  only  be  compared  to  that  of  jewels  and  metals.  The  pur- 
est gold  and  silver,  the  sapphire  and  the  emerald,  gleam  on  their  wings  and 
corsages ;  their  tints  mingle  and  encounter,  or  imperceptibly  shade  into 
each  other.  Some  groups  are  remarkable  for  the  richness  of  their  gar- 
ments. One  variety  owes  its  French  name  of  "  millionaires"  to  its  metallic 
lustre;  others  gleam  like  precious  stones,  and  are  used  instead  of  them  in 
India  and  China,  where  they  are  made  into  trinkets  for  women,  such  as 
pins  and  ear-drops. 

As  the  great  Lannaeus  said,  Nature  takes  no  leaps,  and  among  insects 
she  proceeds  as  elsewhere,  by  insensible  transitions.  We  are  accustomed 
to  recognize  a  butterfly  only  by  its  ample  wings  ;  nevertheless  naturalists 
have  discovered  many  species  of  this  order  which  are  wingless.  But  al- 
though we  see  some  individuals  of  this  group  deprived  of  these  organs, 
others  exhibit  the  vestiges  of  them  to  show  the  gradation. 
Singular  Transformations. 

Born  in  one  shape  the  insect  dies  in  another,  and  the  metamorphoses 
which  it  undergoes  are  the  most  important  act  of  its  life,  and  the  most  ex- 
traordinary phenomenon  in  physiology.  Organism,  functions,  all  things 
change  :  the  ugly  caterpillar  is  transformed  into  a  butterfly  gleaming  with 
azure  and  gold,  and  if  this  butterfly  were  restricted  to  the  fresh  leaves  of 
which  it  devoured  such  quantities  in  its  youth,  it  would  die  of  inanition ; 
it  requires  a  more  delicate  nourishment  now  that  it  has  become  adorned 
with  its  brilliant  wings,  and  only  lives  on  the  nectar  of  flowers. 

The  libellula,  or  dragon-fly,  when  it  appears  in  its  last  dress,  assumes 


LIFE    AND    METAMORPHOSIS    OF    THE    DRAGON-FLY.       a. THE    PERFECT 

INSECT.       b. THE    INSECT    CASTING    OFF    ITS   WORN-OUT 

NYMPH'S  SKIN,     c  d. — LARV^:  AND  NYMPHS. 
32  (497) 


498  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

different  habits.  It  has  passed  all  its  life  beneath  the  water  in  the  condi- 
tion of  an  ignoble  larva,  soiled  with  mud  and  filth ;  but  now  that  the  time 
has  come,  it  aspires  to  soar  into  the  air.  Having  mounted  on  some  plant 
or  other,  it  attaches  its  aquatic  garment  to  it,  and  equips  itself  with  bril- 
liant wings  of  gauze  which  bear  it  away.  The  metamorphosis  is  so  radical 
and  its  new  wants  so  imperious,  that  if  we  attempt  to  retain  the  insect  a 
single  minute  longer  in  its  ancient  element  it  will  perish  on  the  spot.  It 
has  lived  till  now  in  shade  and  tainted  water  ;  henceforth  it  can  only 
breathe  the  pure  air  and  in  a  glowing  light. 

The  grown  insect  differs  so  widely  from  the  young,  that  one  cannot  in 
the  least  recognize  the  one  in  the  other.  The  scarabaeus,  or  sacred  beetle, 
with  its  emerald  sheath,  which  was  worshipped  in  ancient  Egypt,  does  not 
in  the  least  resemble  the  hideous  subterranean  worm  which  produces  it ; 
a  singular  metamorphosis,  in  which,  according  to  Goury,  the  nations  on 
the  banks  of  the  Nile  only  beheld  the  symbol  of  the  transmigration  of 

souls. 

Marvels  of  Insect  Organization. 

The  torch  of  anatomy  has  shed  a  flood  of  light  upon  the  organization 
of  the  inferior  animals,  and  the  microscope,  by  allowing,  us  to  pry  into  the 
most  inaccessible  nooks  of  it,  has  unfolded  before  our  eyes  a  horizon  as 
vast  as  it  was  unexpected.  But  it  must  be  admitted,  that  if  the  investiga- 
tion of  infinitely  small  beings  has  acquired  such  an  advanced  degree  of 
certainty,  it  owes  it  to  men  who  have  often  devoted  all  their  lives  to  the 
object.  Lyonet,  of  Germany,  passed  nearly  all  his  life  in  studying  a 
caterpillar  which  gnaws  the  wood  of  the  willow,  and  produced  on  this 
insect  only  one  of  the  most  splendid  monuments  of  human  patience. 

Goedart,  a  Dutch  painter,  spent  twenty  of  his  best  years  in  watching 
the  metamorphoses  of  insects — a  most  interesting  spectacle  for  him  who 
looks  at  it  with  the  eye  of  religion.  Hence,  in  the  midst  of  our  most 
brilliant  parties  (into  which  affliction  will  yet  make  its  way  despite  both 
pomp  and  gold),  he  felt  tempted  to  exclaim,  "  Ah !  let  me  rather  see  a 
butterfly  born.  In  his  puniest  creatures  God  reveals  his  power  and 
majesty;  you,  in  your  splendid  fetes,  often  display  only  your  weakness 
and  misery ! "  Anatomically  and  physiologically  speaking,  the  human 
mechanism  is  very  rude  and  coarse,  compared  to  the  exquisite  delicacy 
revealed  in  the  organism  of  certain  animals. 

In  her  slightest  sketches  nature  knows  how  to  unite  power  to  an  exquis- 
ite fineness  of  mechanism ;  the  first  glance  at  insects  proves  this,  and  thus 
so  soon  as  their  interesting  history  is  displayed  before  us,  we  feel  no  longer 
tempted  to  treat  them  with  the  disdain  that  poets  have  shown.  A  simple 


MARVELS  OF  INSECT  LIFE.  499 

butterfly,  a  single  fly  humbles  the  pride  of  man,  and  despite  of  him  levels 
his  forests,  devours  his  crops,  and  reduces  him  to  despair.  An  insect  of 
this  kind  petrifies  the  countryman  with  terror,  while  its  sting  is  death  to 

him ! 

Man  Conquered  by  Gnats. 

Simple  little  two-winged  flies,  gnats  and  mosquitoes,  the  puny  look  of 
which  would  never  lead  one  to  dread  aggression  from  such  a  quarter,  are 
nevertheless  enemies  of  the  most  inconvenient  kind  to  our  species.  In 
some  countries,  where  they  swarm  by  myriads  on  all  sides,  man  is  sub- 
jected to  their  empire,  and  only  avoids  their  attacks  by  adapting  his  abode 
and  manner  of  living  to  the  emergency.  At  the  time  when  the  mosqui- 
toes are  most  prevalent  in  Senegal,  the  negroes,  notwithstanding  the  con- 
straint of  such  a  kind  of  life,  remain  constantly  enveloped  in  the  midst  of 
thick  smoke.  For  this  purpose  they  set  up  regular  roosts  formed  of 
branches,  and  suspended  above  masses  of  wood  which  burn  perpetually 
beneath  them.  Squatted  on  these  they  receive  their  friends  during  the 
day,  and  at  night,  heated  from  below  and  smoked  on  all  sides,  they  stretch 
themselves  on  them  in  order  to  sleep. 

A  simple  fly  in  Africa  does  still  more ;  it  disputes  the  land  foot  by  foot ; 
there  is  a  struggle  between  it  and  man  as  to  which  shall  have  possession. 
Where  it  lives  it  prevents  him  from  carrying  on  agriculture,  and  limits 
his  explorations ;  he  can  only  become  master  of  the  soil  when  he  has 
exterminated  it.  This  fly,  generally  called  "  tsetse "  by  the  natives,  is 
shaped  like  our  common  species,  and  seems  to  all  appearance  equally 
inoffensive,  but  its  mouth  secretes  a  venom  the  activity  of  which  by  far 
surpasses  that  of  the  most  redoubtable  serpents.  It  only  requires  a  few 
of  its  stings  to  overwhelm  the  strongest  ox ;  and  yet  if  we  attempted  to 
ascertain  the  weight  of  this  deadly  agent  by  means  of  the  most  delicate 
balance,  it  is  so  small  that  we  should  find  the  calculation  impossible. 

The  domestic  fly,  inoffensive  in  our  dwellings,  torments  without  ceasing 
those  who  travel  in  hot  countries.  There  it  is  dreaded  more  than  the 
hyaena  and  jackal,  and  men  can  only  guard  against  it  by  having  a  crowd 
of  slaves  about  them.  In  some  of  the  villages  of  Upper  Egypt  travellers 
have  sometimes  seen  in  their  mother's  arms  children  whose  faces  were 
infested  by  such  compact  legions  of  flies  that  they  looked  like  crawling 
black  masks.  All  were  hard  at  work  with  their  probosces,  the  delicate 
anatomy  of  which  surpasses  everything  one  can  imagine. 

In  the  domain  of  the  infinitely  little  the  physiological  phenomena  as- 
tonish us  no  less  than  the  extreme  slightness  of  the  motive  organs !  A 
single  comparison  will  demonstrate  this.  When  we  communiate  an 


500 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


elevating  movement  to  our  arms,  and  suddenly  bring  them  back  to  the 
body,  a  second  of  time  will  scarcely  suffice  for  the  act;  but,  according  to 
the  experiments  of  Herschel,  some  insects  vibrate  their  wings  several 
hundred  times  in  this  short  period !  Latour  affirms  that  a  gnat  vibrates 
its  wings  500  times  in  a  second. 

Nicholson  goes  still  further;  he  asserts  that  the  vibrations  of  the  wing 
of  the  common  fly  are  as  many  as  600  in  a  second,  since  it  passes  through 

space  at  the  rate  of  six  feet 
in  this  time.  But  this  ob- 
server adds,  that  for  rapid 
flight  we  must  multiply  this 
number  by  six,  which  means 
that  in  a  second,  or  the  time 
we  require  to  execute  a  sin- 
gle movement  of  one  of  our 
members,  the  fly  with  its 
wing  can  perform  3600. 
The  mind  is  stupefied  at 
such  calculations,  and  yet 
they  are  of  unimpeachable 
accuracy  ! 

After  this  we  are  no 
longer  astonished  at  the 
activity  shown  by  some  but- 
terflies, such  as  the  sphinx, 
when  they  rifle  the  flowers 
of  our  gardens.  They  flit 
from  one  to  the  other  with 
the  speed  of  an  arrow,  and, 
like  the  straight-beaked 
humming-bird,  they  hang 
motionless  before  the  co- 
rolla, plunging  their  long 
tongues  to  the  bottom  in 

MAGNIFIED    PROBOSCIS     OF   THE     COMMON     FLY.  orcjer     to     Sip     the     nectar, 

whilst  their  wings  are  agitated  by  movements  which  the  eye  cannot 
follow ! 

The  delicacy  of  these  aerial  oars  is  not  less  remarkable  than  their  move- 
ments. However  gently  .we  take  hold  of  the  wing  of  a  butterfly,  our 
fingers  never  leave  it  without  having  some  particles  adhering,  which  seem 


MARVELS  OF  INSECT  LIFE, 


501 


only  a  fine  dust,  the  source  of  the  magnificent  coloring  of  the  insect.  But 
when  this  dust  is  submitted  to  microscopic  examination,  the  observer  is 
surprised  to  see  that  each  of  these  grains  represents  a  little  flattened  plate, 
lengthened  out  and  of  a  fine  complicated  structure,  which  reflects  the  most 
magical  colors. 

N  otwith  stan  din  g 
their  minuteness 
and  the  delicacy  of 
their  anatomy,  oth- 
er  insects  exhib- 
it a  comparative 
strength  which 
astonishes  us.  Al- 
though it  is  almost 
puerile  to  speak  of 
the  flea,  still  we  may 
take  it  for  an  in- 
stance, as  it  is  un- 
fortunately known 
everywhere.  Fon- 
vielle,  in  his  inxter- 
esting  work  on  the 
"Invisible  World," 
maintains  that  it  can 
raise  itself  from  the 
ground  to  a  height 
equal  to  two  hun- 
dred times  its  stat- 
ure. At  this  rate,  a 
man  would  make 
little  effort  in  jump- 
ping  over  the  Capi- 
tol at  Washington, 
or  the  highest  COMMON  GNAT  AND  ITS  METAMORPHOSES: 
church  spires;  and  NYMPHS  AND  PERFECT  INSECTS. 

a  prison  would  be  an  impossibility  unless  the  walls  were  built  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  height. 

In  the  case  of  insects  inhabiting  the  water,  the  most  admirable  precau- 
tions prevent  the  fluid  from  forcing  its  way  into  the  air  passages.  Some- 
times at  the  entrance  of  the  respiratory  organ  there  is  a  door,  with  five  or 


502  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

six  leaves  of  the  most  ingenious  mechanism,  which  the  animal  opens  or 
shuts  at  will.  It  only  opens  them  when  it  comes  to  the  surface  of  a  pool 
to  breathe ;  when  it  plunges  into  the  depths  the  leaves  of  this  little  air-door 
are  closely  shut,  and  the  pneumatic  channels  are  efficaciously  defended 
against  the  invasion  of  the  liquid,  which  would  disturb  the  organization. 
This  is  seen  in  the  larva  of  the  common  gnat,  which  swarms  in  our  stag- 
nant waters. 

In  the  larger  animals  the  respiratory  function  is  performed  by  the  aid 
of  a  distinct,  restricted  apparatus,  confined  to  one  region  of  the  body.  In 
the  insects  it  has  a  much  larger  field  of  action.  The  air  diffuses  itself 
everywhere,  and  after  having  overflowed  the  internal  organs  by  means  of 
particular  vessels,  which  are  easily  distinguished  by  their  pearly  tint,  it 
reaches  the  extreme  terminations  of  the  feet  and  attennse.  For  this 
purpose  these  are  provided  with  a  most  remarkable  structure.  They  are 
composed  of  fine  layers,  rolled  in,  like  the  metallic  thread  in  an  elastic 
brace.  This  arrangement  serves  to  keep  their  walls  separated,  and  to 
facilitate  the  free  circulation  of  air  through  their  imperceptible  canals. 
Machinery  for  Breathing. 

Every  person  must  have  seen,  and  with  some  disgust  too,  a  white  larva 
with  a  long  tail,  which  lives  in  the  filthy  stagnant  waters  of  our  courts  and 
roads,  and  which  is  vulgarly  called  the  maggot.  The  extraordinary  tail 
to  which  the  animal  owes  its  name  is  an  organ  of  respiration.  It  contains 
two  vessels  which  disseminate  the  air  through  all  the  body  of  this  fly-larva, 
for  such  it  is.  These  two  aerial  canals  are  enveloped  by  tubes  of  a  differ- 
ent calibre,  which  fit  one  into  another  and  move  exactly  like  the  tubes  of 
a  telescope. 

This  worm,  not  having  any  swimming  organ,  possesses  in  this  ingenious 
arrangement  a  means  of  constantly  opening  the  orifice  of  its  breathing  ap- 
paratus at  the  surface  of  the  water,  whatever  may  be  its  level.  If  the  liq- 
uid sink  in  the  puddle  which  it  inhabits,  all  the  tubes  enter  one  another 
like  those  of  a  telescope  and  the  aerial  tubes  wind  inside  them.  If,  on  the 
contrary,  a  violent  shower  should  make  the  water  rise  above  its  bounds, 
they  are  all  projected  outwards,  being  drawn  out  as  far  as  possible  so  that 
their  orifices  still  reach  the  surface. 

The  final  intention  of  nature  is  so  manifest  in  this  circumstance,  that  if 
we,  in  imitation  of  Reaumur,  plunge  one  of  these  larvae  into  a  glass  con- 
taining only  a  little  water,  and  the  quantity  of  this  be  gradually  augment- 
ed, the  insect's  tail  lengthens  in  proportion  and  even  acquires  an  extraordi- 
nary size,  in  order,  without  quitting  the  spot,  to  serve  the  wants  of  respir- 
ation and  open  out  on  the  surface  of  the  fluid. 


MARVELS  OF  INSECT  LIFE.  503 

How  rugged  and  coarse  the  works  of  man  appear  by  the  side  of  those 
of  nature !  Compare  the  instruments  which  the  insect  uses  for  its  work 
with  those  which  we  employ.  Behold  its  saws,  its  rakes,  its  brushes,  its 
chisels ;  compare  them  with  ours,  and  you  will  at  once  admit  that  all  you 
know  how  to  fabricate  is  only  very  inferior  to  what  it  possesses.  The 
scalpel  of  the  anatomist  seems  to  have  an  edge  of  delicate  workmanship ; 
its  polish  attracts  us ;  examine  it  with  the  microscope,  and  you  are  sur- 
prised to  see  it  transformed  into  a  coarse  saw-blade.  It  is  the  same  with 
the  point  of  a  needle ;  it  becomes  an  imperfect  awl.  Scrutinize  the  scythes, 
the  darts,  or  the  rake  of  an  insect,  and  everything  there  reveals  the  power 
of  the  Architect  of  so  many  marvels.  The  claw  of  the  lion  is  immensely 
less  complicated  than  that  of  the  spider ! 

Talking:  by  Touch. 

In  the  creatures  which  we  are  now  studying  the  tactile  faculty  acquires 
a  marvelous  development ;  it  supplies  the  want  of  a  language ;  the  ants 
talk  to  each  other  by  touch.  One  could  not  believe  this  if  a  careful  ob- 
server had  not  demonstrated  it,  and  yet  the  fact  is  so  certain  that  any  one 
can  at  any  time  verify  it.  When  two  of  these  intelligent  insects  meet  in 
their  career,  we  see  that  they  touch  each  other  differently  with  their  an- 
tennae, and  that  after  doing  this  they  seem  to  form  some  fresh  resolution, 
inconsequence  of  this  tactile  communication. 

The  following  experiment,  undertaken  by  Huber,  gives  incontestable 
evidence  in  favor  of  the  fact.  Having  thrown  a  colony  of  ants  into  a 
closed  and  darkened  chamber,  he  remarked  that  first  they  all  scattered 
in  disorder ;  but  he  soon  noticed  that  if  an  individual  in  the  course  of  his 
peregrinations  discovered  an  outlet,  he  returned  to  the  midst  of  the 
others ;  of  these  he  touched  a  certain  number,  and  after  this  mimic  com- 
munication the  whole  population  assembled  in  regular  lines,  which 
marched  out  under  one  common  thought — that  of  freedom  regained. 

Telescopic  Eyes. 

In  all  the  large  animals  there  are  but  two  eyes ;  in  this  respect  the 
smallest  insect  is  infinitely  better  provided  than  they  are.  The  ant,  the 
visual  apparatus  of  which  is  one  of  the  least  perfect,  possesses  fifty.  The 
common  fly  has  4000,  and  in  certain  butterflies  many  thousands  have  been 
counted.  Each  of  these  organs,  too,  presents,  in  microscopic  proportions, 
the  greatest  part  of  the  structures  which  help  to  form  the  globe  of  our 
eye.  Closely  packed  together,  these  eyes  make  up  for  their  immobility 
by  their  bulk,  and  this  is  so  great  that  in  some  flies  it  almost  covers  the 
head,  and  even  constitutes  a  fourth  part  of  the  weight  of  the  body. 

This   powerful   optic  apparatus   exhibits   some   curious   modifications 


MARVELS  OF  INSECT  LIFE.  505 

which  reveal  the  habits  of  insects.  Those  which  seek  their  prey  by  night 
have  their  eyes  more  deeply  set,  in  order  better  to  absorb  the  least  lumin- 
ous rays.  In  the  flesh-eating  insects  they  are  larger.  In  some  aquatic 
species  the  head  is  furnished  with  several  pairs,  some  directed  upwards, 
others  downward,  in  such  a  way,  that  while  swimming  on  the  surface  of 
the  water  the  animal  can  see  at  the  same  time  the  fish  which  menaces  it 
from  the  depths,  and  the  bird  which  is  about  to  swoop  down  upon  it. 
From  the  former  it  escapes  by  flight,  and  from  the  latter  by  diving. 
Military  Movements  of  Caterpillars. 

Some  insects,  when  they  remove  from  their  dwellings,  observe  a  degree 
of  order  which  is  very  remarkable.  One  species  has  become  celebrated 
on  account  of  the  law  which  its  larvae  constantly  follow  during  their  per- 
egrinations. When  the  troop  issues  from  the  lair  or  sack  in  which  the 
whole  family  have  been  sheltered  in  a  mass,  one  caterpillar  marches  at  the 
head ;  then  come  two ;  after  that  three  ;  next  four  abreast,  the  squadrons 
always  augmenting  and  marching  regularly  one  after  the  other.  Their 
files,  which  sometimes  stretch  out  for  a  length  of  thirty  to  forty  feet,  in 
this  way  make  numerous  windings  over  the  downs  and  roads,  imitating 
the  order  of  a  procession  in  movement.  This  has  procured  for  the  but- 
terfly which  gives  birth  to  this  dangerous  cohort  the  name  of  "  proces- 
sionary  bombyx."  When  they  are  encountered,  it  is  necessary  to  let 
them  alone,  for  neither  man  nor  animal  can  disturb  their  march,  or  even 
approach  them  without  being  severely  punished  for  it.  The  hairs  which 
cover  these  caterpillars  become  detached  during  their  evolutions,  and 
float  all  about  the  army ;  it  is  extremely  dangerous  to  inhale  them,  for  so 
soon  as  any  enter  the  lungs,  an  obstinate  and  distressing  cough  ensues. 

Insect  Weavers. 

Although  Minerva,  in  her  jealousy,  broke  the  loom  of  Arachne,  even 
though  'transformed  into  a  spider,  the  obscure  rival  of  the  goddess  never- 
theless executes  wonderful  tasks.  Some  spiders  are  remarkable  for  the 
perfection  of  their  weaving  ;  in  others  the  arrangement  reveals  the  most 
astute  intelligence.  In  the  former  category  may  be  placed  the  regularly 
circular  nets  which  the  spiders  of  our  gardens  stretch  from  branch  to 
branch ;  in  the  other  the  webs  of  the  species  which  invade  our  dwellings. 

These  latter,  usually  built  in  the  corners  of  the  walls,  exhibit  a  horizon- 
tal net  soiled  with  dust,  which  is  in  a  sense  only  the  basement  floor  of  the 
carniverous  insect's  structure,  for  it  is  in  the  threads  irregularly  crossed 
above  this  that  the  prey  gets  entangled  and  lost.  But  the  most  ingenious 
part  of  this  destructive  engine  is  the  lair  in  which  the  hunter  lies  ensconced. 
It  is  a  veritable  circular  tunnel,  with  a  double  outlet  and  serving  a  double 


506 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


purpose :  one  outlet  is  horizontal  and  opens  upon  the  web  ;  the  other  is 
vertical  and  gives  passage  below.  It  is  from  the  former  that  the  spider 
launches  itself  upon  its  prey ;  the  other  fills  the  office  of  a  trap-door. 

The  spider  takes  the  greatest  care  never  to  leave  on  its  web  the  car- 
casses from  which  it  has  sucked  the  blood  ;  such  a  charnel-house  would 
alarm  its  living  prey.  So  soon  as  a  fly  has  been  immolated,  the  insect 
seizes  it,  drags  it  to  its  tunnel,  and  ejects  it  by  the  lower  opening.  Thus 


THE   VORACIOUS   CHICKEN-SPIDER. 

when  we  look  at  the  part  of  the  floor  below,  we  are  astonished  at  the 
numbers  that  have  fallen  victims  to  the  sanguinary  spider.  Sometimes 
also  this  hidden  exit  serves  for  it  to  escape  by  when  menaced  by  some 
serious  danger.  But  this  is  a  very  rare  case ;  its  special  use,  its  exclusive 
purpose,  is  to  receive  the  debris  of  the  spider's  repasts ;  a  fact  not  noticed 
by  any  observer  until  a  comparatively  recent  date. 

The  disgust  inspired  by  the  spider  is  not  well  founded.     No  insect  pos- 
sesses more  intelligence  or  a  more  wonderful   structure ;  the   ugliness  of 


MARVELS  OF  INSECT  LIFE.  507 

the  ingenious  Arachnis  is  forgotten  so  soon  as  we  look  at  it  without  pre- 
judice. The  danger  which  alarms  some  persons  is  not  well  founded.  It 
is  true  there  are  spiders  the  bite  of  which  is  as  formidable  as  that  of  our 
vipers,  but  they  only  inhabit  tropical  countries.  The  spider  found  in  cel- 
lars is  the  only  one  the  bite  of  which  can  be  considered  as  attended  with 
danger,  and  the  results  of  its  bite,  although  some  cases  are  related  in 
which  it  has  been  fatal,  are  limited  to  a  sharp  pain  and  some  swelling  and 
inflammation.  The  notorious  tarantula  itself,  when  more  closely  stud- 
ied, loses  its  strange  prestige ;  its  bite  has  ceased  to  produce  the  furious 
dancing  mania  so  much  spoken  about,  even  in  medical  works. 

Some  well-known  spiders,  which  are  almost  as  large  as  the  fist,  some- 
times fasten  on  chickens  and  pigeons,  seizing  them  by  the  throat  and 
killing  them  instantaneously,  drinking  their  blood  at  the  same  time. 
Hence  in  Columbia,  where  these  disagreeable  guests  are  common 
enough,  they  are  called  chicken-spiders. 

Slave-Holding-  Insects. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  there  are  insect  tribes  which  bring  others 
into  subjection  and  lord  it  over  their  fellows,  as  if  they  were  human  be- 
ings. This  is  true  of  one  species  of  ants.  The  ingenious  Huber  wanted 
to  see  how  far  the  dependence  of  the  two  social  classes  went,  and  soon 
perceived  that  the  chiefs,  left  to  themselves,  were  absolutely  unable  to 
provide  for  their  wants  even  in  the  midst  of  abundance.  This  naturalist 
having  inclosed  thirty  Amazons  with  a  plentiful  provision  of  food,  but 
without  any  slaves,  saw  that  they  fell  into  a  state  of  profound  apathy, 
although  he  placed  the  larvae  and  nymphs  alongside  of  them  in  order  to 
stimulate  them  to  work.  All  occupation  ceased  immediately,  and  the 
recluses  would  every  one  have  died  of  hunger  rather  than  eat  alone. 
Many  had  already  succumbed,  when  it  entered  the  head  of  the  Genevese 
savant  to  furnish  them  with  a  slave.  She  was  scarcely  introduced  among 
the  dead  and  dying  when  she  was  at  work,  giving  food  to  the  survivors, 
lavishing  her  care  upon  the  young  larvae,  and  constructing  shelter  for 
them.  She  saved  the  colony.  Nothing  can  be  more  incredible  than 
these  facts,  and  yet  they  have  been  verified  with  the  most  scrupulous 
care. 

But  the  extraordinary  customs  of  these  ants  differ  somewhat  accord- 
ing to  the  localities  which  they  inhabit,  and  the  number  of  slaves  which 
the  nest  contains.  In  Switzerland  Huber  observed  that  the  slaves  gen- 
erally work  at  the  construction  of  the  dwelling  inhabited  by  the  tribe, 
and  that,  like  vigilant  gatekeepers,  they  open  the  outlets  at  daybreak, 
and  carefullv  close  them  when  evening  or  a  storm  of  rain  comes  on. 


508 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


All  kinds  of  ants  do  not  so  easily  adapt  themselves  to  slavery.  There 
are  some  very  small  ones,  such  as  the  yellow  ant,  which  set  the  Amazons 
at  defiance,  and  although  much  weaker,  frighten  them  by  their  mien  : 
courage  supplies  the  want  of  strength.  Hence  the  blood-red  ant,  which 
is  one  of  the  most  thorough-going  slave-makers  we  are  acquainted  with, 

never  attempts  to 
plunder  the  dwell- 
ing of  the  yellow 
ant,  which  fights 
with  fury  to  defend 
its  home,  its  family 
and  its  liberty. 
This  is  so  con- 
stantly the  case 
that  one  naturalist, 
to  his  great  sur- 
prise, found  a  little 
tribe  of  this  valiant 
species  under  a 
stone  close  to  a 
nest  of  slave-mak- 
ers. They  knew 
how  to  make  them- 
selves respected 
there,  and  even 
frightened  the  oth- 
ers by  their  war- 
like attitude. 

The  slave-mak- 
ing tribes  are  not 
occupied  solely 
with  the  capture  of 
slaves;  they  fre- 
quently spread  out 
over  plants  in  order 
to  carry  off  the 
aphides.  These  are  their  cattle,  their  milch-cows,  their  goats ;  people 
would  never  have  thought  that  ants  were  a  pastoral  race.  They  are  ex- 
tremely fond  of  a  sweet  liquor  which  distils  from  two  little  teats  which 
the  aphis  carries  at  the  extremity  of  its  back.  We  often  find  them 


ANT   ABOUT   TO    MILK   APHIDES. 


MARVELS  OF  INSECT  LIFE.  509 

scattered  over  the  surface  of  vegetables  sucking  this  fluid  from  indi- 
viduals by  turns  as  they  encounter  them.  At  other  times,  accompanied 
by  their  slaves,  they  carry  off  the  aphides,  and  imprison  them  in  their 
dwelling,  in  order  to  milk  them  at  leisure,  and  there  they  are  nourished 
exactly  like  stalled  animals. 

Huber  discovered  that  the  ants  are  so  greedy  after  this  sweet  liquor, 
that  to  procure  it  more  conveniently  they  make  covered  ways  which 
lead  from  their  nests  to  the  plants  inhabited  by  these  miniature  cows. 
Sometimes  they  carry  their  foresight  even  to  a  more  incredible  extent. 
In  order  to  reap  a  richer  harvest  from  the  aphides,  they  leave  them  on 
the  plants  which  they  habitually  feed  upon,  and  with  finely-tem- 
pered earth  build  them  a  species  of  little  stables  in  which  they  imprison 
them. 

Architects  and  Destroyers  of  Towns. 

If  we  transport  ourselves  to  tropical  regions,  where  nature,  more  vig- 
orous, multiplies  on  every  side  the  sources  of  life,  we  see  insects  disputing 
with  man  for  every  foot  of  possession.  They  make  a  regular  war  of  it, 
invading  his  plantations  or  his  dwelling — a  savage  pitiless  war — which 
must  at  times  be  decided  by  the  cannon.  This  is  the  case  with  the  war- 
rior-ant in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  which  has  attrac- 
ted the  attention  of  every  traveller  by  its  extraordinary  buildings,  and  the 
havoc  it  makes. 

These  termites,  or  white  ants,  as  they  are  frequently  though  wrongly 
called,  live  in  republics  composed  of  different  sorts  of  individuals :  the 
males,  which  have  wings ;  and  the  workmen,  soldiers,  and  queens,  which 
have  none.  The  workmen  are  only  occupied  in  constructing  buildings. 
The  mission  of  the  soldiers  is  to  defend  the  colony  and  maintain  order. 
Lastly  come  the  females,  true  queens,  worshipped  by  the  whole  popula- 
tion which  look  to  them  for  the  continuance  of  their  race.  They  are  only 
monstrous  egg-sacks ;  regular  egg-laying  machines  of  the  most  astonish- 
ing fecundity. 

The  dimensions  and  solidity  of  the  nests  of  the  warrior  termites,  com- 
pared to  the  weakness  of  the  insect,  have  always  excited  the  astonishment 
of  travellers.  They  are  sometimes  twenty  feet  in  height.  Their  pyramidal 
form  gives  them  the  look  of  a  colossal  sugar-loaf  enlarged  at  the  base,  the 
flanks  of  which  are  roughened  by  little  accessory  hillocks.  When  one 
traverses  a  part  where  the  colonies  of  termites  abound,  one  might  take 
them  at  a  distance  for  an  Indian  village.  The  walls  of  these  dwellings 
are  so  solid,  that  the  wild  cattle  climb  upon  them  without  crushing  them 
when  they  place  themselves  there  as  sentinels ;  and  the  interior  contains 


510  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

chambers  so  large,  that  a  dozen  men  can  find  shelter  in  some  of  them ; 
the  hunters  place  themselves  in  them  to  lie  in  wait  for  wild  animals. 
Man's  Architecture  Outdone. 

Besides  these  extraordinary  chambers,  we  find  also  in  this  kind  of  social- 
republic  city  long  galleries,  of  the  calibre  of  our  large  cannon,  and  which 
extend  as  much  as  three  or  four  feet  into  the  ground.  The  monuments 
of  which  we  are  proud  are  trifling  matters  compared  to  those  built  by 
these  fragile  insects.  The  nests  of  the  termites  are  often  500  times  as 
long  as  their  bodies,  and  it  has  therefore  been  calculated,  that  if  we  gave 
our  houses  a  proportional  height,  they  would  be  four  or  five  times  as  high 
as  the  pyramids  of  Egypt. 

Other  termites,  instead  of  constructing  these  astonishing  abodes,  occupy 
themselves  mischievously  in  attacking  those  of  men,  and  invade  them 
sometimes  from  the  roof  to  the  foundation ;  everything  then  goes  to  ruin, 
house  and  furniture  alike.  These  insidious  depredators  make  their  way 
silently  underground,  and  tunnel  long  galleries,  by  means  of  which  they 
all  at  once  invade  the  dwellings.  Then  they  penetrate  into  all  the  timber- 
work,  and  totally  destroy  the  interior  of  it,  only  leaving  a  surface  as  thin 
as  a  wafer.  Nothing  reveals  their  hidden  havoc  to  the  eye ;  we  see  our 
house,  we  believe  in  its  real  existence,  while  we  possess  only  a  phantom 
of  it — a  house  of  cards  which  falls  at  the  first  shake.  Smeathfnan,  who 
has  left  us  such  an  interesting  history  of  these  creatures,  relates  that  they 
sometimes  destroy  large  towns,  which  have  been  deserted  by  their  inhab- 
itants. 

A  lady  resident  says  that  in  the  districts  of  Africa  where  she  lived,  the 
termites  only  take  a  very  short  time  to  devour  an  entire  dwelling.  A 
staircase  of  very  fair  size  is  eaten  in  a  fortnight ;  tables,  arm-chairs,  and 
chairs  in  much  less.  Often  at  Sierra  Leone,  on  returning  to  one's  house 
after  a  short  absence,  only  the  ghost  of  the  furniture  is  to  be  found.  The 
exterior  still  possesses  all  its  freshness,  but  the  substance  is  gone,  and 
every  piece  that  is  hollowed  out  falls  to  powder  beneath  the  hand  of  any 
one  who  touches  it,  or  under  the  weight  of  any  one  who  sits  down  upon  it. 
Nests  Laid  Out  with  Streets  and  Canals. 

Instead  of  the  conical  domes  ornamented  with  little  bell-towers,  grouped 
together  in  villages  in  the  middle  of  the  plains,  some  species  of  this  group, 
such  as  the  tree-termite,  prefer  to  suspend  their  nests  amid  the  large 
branches  of  the  strongest  trees.  These  aerial  masses,  mingling  with  the 
foliage  of  the  trees,  are  very  striking,  for  some  of  them  are  larger  than 
our  hogsheads.  The  nests,  which  are  extremely  porous,  present  inside  an 
inextricable  labyrinth  of  tortuous  canals ;  they  are  formed  of  a  matrix  or 


(511) 


512  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

compact  paste  composed  of  fine  particles  of  wood,  gum,  and  juices  of 
plants. 

For  some  years  past  two  species  of  this  kind  have  been  established  in 
France,  and  have  caused  very  serious  havoc.  The  devouring  cohorts  of 
the  light-shunning  termite  have  invaded  several  towns,  where  their 
fangs  have  completely  undermined  a  number  of  houses  which  have 
fallen  in.  Atone  time  these  hateful  depredators  set  to  work  to  gnaw 
the  prefecture  of  La  Rochelle  and  the  archives,  without  any  person  sus- 
pecting it ;  wainscotting,  pasteboard,  papers,  were  all  annihilated  with- 
out any  external  sign  of  this  havoc  appearing.  At  present  the  papers 
of  the  bureaux  are  only  preserved  by  keeping  them  in  zinc  boxes.  At 
.another  place  the  termites,  having  gnawed  away  the  props  of  a  dining- 
room  without  its  being  perceived,  the  flooring  collapsed  during  a  party, 
.and  the  entertainer  and  his  guests  sank  through. 

In  tropical  regions  there  are  ants  of  other  species  which  are  not  less  to 
be  dreaded  than  the  devouring  termites.  They  do  not  annihilate 
houses,  but  they  invade  the  fields  and  build  there  enormous  nests  which 
look  like  so  many  little  mountains  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  high.  They 
multiply  to  such  an  extent  in  certain  plantations,  that  the  colonist  is 
obliged  to  abandon  them.  Sometimes,  however,  he  resists  the  invaders, 
declares  a  war  of  extermination  against  them,  and  fires  their  dwellings 
by  the  aid  of  some  combustible  materials.  Sometimes  artillery  charged 
with  grape-shot  is  employed  to  overthrow  the  lofty  ramparts  of  these 
ants,  and  scatter  both  the  ruins  and  the  architects. 

Thus  is  man  obliged  to  attack  an  insect  with  the  cannon.  Sometimes 
he  resorts  to  the  mine,  a  step  he  is  compelled  to  take  against  certain 
winged  ants  in  the  tropical  countries,  which  sink  their  nests  twenty-five 
feet  in  the  ground,  and  these  are  so  compact  that  they  can  only  be  torn 
up  by  the  aid  of  powder,  and  by  overturning  alj  the  earth  round  about 
them.  Miiller  relates  that  in  Brazil,  entire  provinces  on  the  banks  of 
the  Parana  have  been  in  this  way  transformed  almost  into  deserts. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
MUSEUM  OF  REMARKABLE  INSECTS. 

Anatomy  of  Insects  Superior  to  that  of  Man — Curiously  Formed  Eggs — Lifiing  the 
Lid  and  Stepping  Out — Not  Taking  the  Trouble  to  be  Born — Eggs  Exquisitely 
Decorated— Sexless  Insects— Flying  Lamps— Insects  Illuminating  Dwellings- 
Brilliant  Appearances — Beetles— The  Sacred  Beetle  of  Egypt — Insect  Under- 
taker—Death Watch— Droll  Superstition — Hercules  Beetle — Six  Years'  Impris- 
onment— The  House  Cricket — Poet's  Address — Ship  Saved  by  a  Cricket — How 
the  Chirping  is  Done — Wings  Without  Flight— The  Spider's  Web — Ingenious 
Mechanism— Water  Spider— How  Air  is  Obtained— A  Complete  Diving  Bell- 
Rapacious  Bird  Spider — Females  Practicing  Cannibalism  on  their  Husbands — 
Children  Devouring  Mothers — Thread  of  Myriads  of  Fibres — The  Great  Moth 
Family — Death's-Head  Moth — Fungus  Growing  on  an  Insect's  Head — Ravagers 
of  the  Forest— Visit  to  the  Woods— Whirlwind  of  Fire— Waging  Organized 
War  on  Moths — Incalculable  Destruction  by  Mites — Stenographers,  Carpenters, 
Joiners,  Carvers  among  Insects— Wood- Boring  Goat  Moth— Making  a  Place  for 
Eggs — The  Historic  Locust— Ravages  in  the  West — Flights  of  Devastation — 
Where  Locusts  Come  From — Devouring  One  Another— Rapid  Growth  of 
Young— Orchestra  of  Strange  Instruments — Return  after  Seventeen  Years — No 
Forgetfulness — Ephemera— Creatures  of  a  Day  Described — Bees  and  their  Re- 
markable Habits — Insect  Intelligence. 

UR  heart,  the  structure  of  which  is  so  admired  and  so  admira- 
ble, is  nevertheless  only  a  very  coarse  forcing-pump  compared 
with  that  of  an  insect.  All  the  apparatus  of  the  central  organ 
of  circulation  is  limited  to  two  large  openings,  each  furnished 
with  two  valves  or  valvelets,  intended  to  prevent  the  reflux  of  the  blood ; 
but  if,  by  the  aid  of  the  solar  microscope,  we  project  all  the  transparent 
body  of  an  insect  upon  a  huge  screen,  one  is  astonished  at  the  magnificent 
spectacle  offered  by  the  movement  of  the  blood. 

The  heart  is  represented  by  a  long  vessel  which  occupies  all  the  back 
of  the  animal,  and  into  which  the  circulating  fluid  precipitates  itself  by 
eight  or  ten  lateral  openings,  like  small  streams  converging  towards  a 
more  impetuous  current.  Enough  valves  rise  and  fall  to  allow  entrance 
to  the  fluid  and  hinder  its  return.  In  the  interior  of  this  lengthened  heart 
larger  valvules,  to  the  number  of  six  or  eight,  are  folded  back  against  the 
wall  to  let  the  blood  pass  forward,  and  re-open  directly  afterwards,  during 
each  contraction,  in  order  to  prevent  its  flowing  backwards.  Vessels 
arranged  in  loops  are  distributed  to  all  the  members. 

33  (518) 


514  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  course  of  the  blood  in  the  colossal  insect  seen  upon  the  screen 
resembles  so  many  little  streams  bearing  globules  more  or  less  heaped 
up ;  this  is  proved  by  the  strictest  evidence,  and  yet  who  would  believe 
that  Cuvier  and  his  school  would  never  credit  this  phenomenon  ?  Instead 
of  looking,  which  was  so  easy,  they  preferred  to  deny  the  circulation  in 
the  insect,  and  to  regard  its  wonderful  heart  as  a  simple  secreting  vessel 
shaken  by  contractile  shocks.  It  is  thus  that  physiological  science 
advances ;  a  hundred  battles  are  requisite  to  make  men  admit  the  most 
easily  verified  truth. 

This  extraordinary  construction  extends  even  to  the  eggs  of  insects. 
There  are  some,  the  extremity  of  which  is  surmounted  by  a  crown  of 
points  ;  others  exactly  represent  a  delicate  miniature  saucepan,  the  young 
inhabitant  of  which,  in  order  to  be  born,  has  only  to  lift  up  the  lid. 

The  egg  of  the  louse,  which  disgusts  us  so  much,  presents  this  curious 
structure,  but  in  addition  its  opening  is  embellished  by  a  little  projecting 
rim,  and  a  groove  into  which  the  edge  of  the  cover  enters  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  close  it  air-tight.  A  still  more  ingenious  mechanism  is  seen  in 
some  of  the  wood-bugs.  The  young  insect  does  not  even  require  to  lift 
the  lid ;  there  is  within  a  regular  spring  on  which  this  office  devolves ; 
at  the  moment  of  birth  he  has  only  to  emerge,  and  one  may  say  with 
justice  of  him,  that  he  does  not  even  take  the  trouble  to  be  born. 
Eggs  Painted  and  Delicately  Engraved. 

The  surface  of  these  eggs  is  often  remarkable  on  account  of  the  exqui- 
site fineness  of  its  entwined  ornamenting.  Some  are  covered  with  large 
ribs  which  extend  from  one  end  to  the  other ;  others  display  only  fine 
lines  artistically  engraved ;  others  again  have  the  surface  covered  with  a 
mesh  of  lace.  For  them  nature  has  exhausted  the  riches  of  her  palette  ; 
they  are  dyed  with  the  sweetest  or  the  most  glittering  tints  of  blue,  green, 
and  red;  some  absolutely  resemble  mother-of-pearl,  and  there  are  some 
that  one  might  take  for  so  many  charming  little  pearls. 

The  sexuality  itself  of  insects  offers  some  curious  particulars.  There 
are  not  only  males  and  females  among  them,  but  some  of  their  republics 
have,  in  addition,  individuals  absolutely  deprived  of  sex ;  these  are  the 
neuters,  which  alone  work  and  constitute  the  element  of  their  prosperity 
and  power.  Some  are  true  workmen,  others  valiant  soldiers.  But  these 
individuals,  which  we  recognize  by  their  form  or  their  particular  weapons, 
are  in  truth  only  aborted  females ;  the  bees  themselves  know  this  perfectly. 

To  all  these  marvels  of  insect  life  we  must  yet  add  the  inexplicable 
phenomenon  of  the  dazzling  light  which  they  project  into  the  midst  of 
darkness,  which  sometimes  in  their  flight  furrows  the  air  with  long 


MUSEUM  OF  REMARKABLE  INSECTS.  515 

streams  of  fire,  and  sometimes  peacefully  illuminates  the  foliage  on  which 
they  repose. 

Every  person  knows  the  glow-worm  which  in  the  autumn  gives  our 
green  turf  the  appearance  of  a  starry  heaven.  But  in  South  America 
there  are  phosphorescent  insects  of  far  superior  splendor.  The  great 
lantern-fly  can  supply  the  place  of  a  lamp  with  the  bright  light  with  which 
its  monstrous  head  gleams.  A  female  traveller  relates  that  at  Surinam 
she  sometimes  read  the  newspapers  by  the  aid  of  a  single  one  of  these 

flying  lamps. 

Living-  Lamps  in  Dwellings. 

In  the  Antilles  the  phosphorescence  of  these  insects  is  even  made 
daily  use  of;  they  employ  there  a  luminous  beetle  the  corslet  of  which 
becomes  dazzling  in  the 'gloom.  In  Cuba  the  women  often  inclose  sev- 
eral of  them  in  little  cages  of  glass  or  wood,  which  they  hang  up  in  their 
rooms,  and  this  living  lustre  throws  out  sufficient  light  to  serve  to  work 
by.  Travellers  there  also,  in  a  difficult  road,  light  their  path  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  night  by  attaching  one  of  these  beetles  to  each  of  their  feet. 
The  ,creoles  sometimes  set  them  in  the  curls  of  the  hair,  where,  like 
resplendent  jewels,  they  give  a  most  fairy-like  aspect  to  their  heads.  The 
negresses  at  their  nocturnal  dances  scatter  these  brilliant  insects  over  the 
robes  of  lace  which  nature  provides  for  them,  all  woven  from  the  bark  of 
the  lagetto.  In  their  rapid  and  lascivious  movements  they  seem  envel- 
oped in  a  robe  of  fire.  It  is  the  conflagration  of  Dejanira  without  the 
horror. 

The  perfect  female  of  a  beetle,  destitute  of  wings  and  elytra,  with  which 
the  male  fly  is  furnished,  kindles  her  light,  which  issues  from  the  last  three 
segments  of  her  body,  and  is  of  a  beautiful  sulphur  color,  and  always  puts 
it  out  between  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock,  shining  no  more  for  the  rest  of 
the  night. 

A  very  extensive  group  of  beetles  is  known  by  about  2,000  species  in 
the  collections  of  naturalists.  They  are  distinuished  from  others  by  pe- 
culiarities of  the  antennae,  which  terminate  in  a  large  club  or  knob,  and 
this  also  varies  considerably  in  form.  To  this  genus  belongs  the  sacred 
beetle  of  the  Egyptians.  It  is  about  one  inch  long,  or  rather  more,  and 
of  a  black  color.  It  is  met  with  not  only  in  Egypt,  but  in  the  south  of 
France,  Spain,  and  Italy,  and  seems  to  be  diffused  all  over  Africa,  as  far 
south  as  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  The  ancient  Egyptians  held  that  it  was 
sacred  to  the  sun ;  and,  regarding  it  as  typical  of  that  luminary,  which  is 
the  source  of  light,  heat,  and  all  abundance,  looked  upon  it  as  the  em- 
.blem  of  fertility  in  general.  Representations  of  it  are  frequent  among 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

their  hieroglyphics,  and  sculptured  images  of  it  are  found  on  their  rings,  neck- 
laces, and  other  ornaments.     It  was  even  embalmed  with  them  after  death.. 

A  laborious  task  is  performed  by  an  insect  by  no  means  uncommon  in 
some  localities  called  the  burying  beetle.  Gleditsch,  a  foreign  naturalist,, 
had  often  remarked  that  dead  moles,  when  laid  upon  the  ground,  and 
especially  if  upon  loose  earth,  were  almost  sure  to  disappear  in  the  course 
of  two  or  three  days,  and  often  of  twelve  hours.  To  ascertain  the  cause 
he  placed  a  mole  on  one  of  the  beds  of  his  garden.  It  had  disappeared 
by  the  third  morning ;  and  on  digging  where  it  had  been  laid,  he  found 
it  buried  to  the  depth  of  three  inches,  and  under  it  four  beetles,  which 
seemed  to  be  the  agents  in  this  singular  interment.  Not  perceiving  any- 
thing particular  in  the  mole,  he  buried  it  again  ;  and  on  examining  it  at 
the  end  of  six  days,  he  found  it  swarmed  with  the  offspring  of  the  bee- 
tles, which  he  naturally  concluded  had  buried  the  carcass  for  food  to  sup- 
ply their  future  young. 

A  Beetle  that  is  an  "Undertaker. 

To  place  this  beyond  doubt,  he  continued  his  experiment,  and  in  fifty 
days  four  beetles  had  buried,  in  a  small  space  of  earth,  four  frogs,  three 
small  birds,  two  fishes,  one  mole,  and  two  grasshoppers,  besides  the  en- 
trails of  a  fish,  and  two  morsels  of  the  lungs  of  an  ox,  all  evidently 
intended  for  the  same  purpose. 

The  superstitious  fancy  of  the  death-watch  has  arisen  from  the  sounds 
emitted  by  one  species  of  beetles.  A  recent  writer  remarks :  "  All  that 
has  been  related  of  the  heroic  constancy  of  the  American  savages  when 
taken  and  tortured  by  their  enemies,  scarcely  comes  up  to  that  which 
these  little  creatures  exhibit.  You  may  maim  them,  pull  them  limb  from 
limb,  roast  them  alive  over  a  slow  fire,  but  you  will  not  gain  your  end  : 
not  a  joint  will  .they  move,  nor  show  by  the  least  symptom  that  they  suf- 
fer pain.  Do  not  think,  however,  that  I  have  tried  these  experiments 
upon  them  myself,  or  that  I  recommend  you  to  do  the  same."  One  spe- 
cies was  observed  by  Latreille  to  produce  the  sound  called  the  "  death- 
tick,"  by  striking  its  jaws  upon  wood.  On  this  occasion  it  was  immedi- 
ately answered  from  within  by  a  precisely  similar  sound. 

The  stag  beetles  are  chiefly  found  in  rotten  and  decayed  wood  and 
under  the  bark  of  trees,  where  they  remain  concealed  during  the  day,  flying 
about  and  feeding  on  the  leaves  only  in  the  evening.  The  month  of  July 
is  the  time,  during  which  they  are  principally  seen.  The  males  have  great 
strength  in  their  mandibles,  or  jaws,  with  which  they  are  able  to  pinch  quite 
severely.  Stag  beetles  may  be  kept  alive  for  a  considerable  time,  if  supplied 
with  the  fresh  leaves  of  oak  or  willow  or  with  sweetened  water.  Frequently 


EUROPEAN    CHIRPING    CRICKET. 


(517) 


518  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY, 

several  of  their  heads  are  found  near  together  and  alive,  while  the  trunks- 
and  abdomens  are  nowhere  to  be  seen.  This  must  be  the  result  of  severe 
battles,  which  at  times  take  place  among  these,  the  fiercest  of  the  insect 
tribe.  They  do  not  fly  until  most  of  the  birds  have  retired  to  rest. 

The  females  deposit  their  eggs  in  worm-eaten  or  decayed  trees.  The 
larvae,  which  are  round  and  whitish  with  rust-colored  head  and  legs,  are 
nourished  under  the  bark.  In  this  state  they  pass  six  years.  When  about 
to  undergo  their  change  into  a  chrysalis,  each  insect  forms  a  hard  and 
solid  ball  of  the  form  of  an  egg.  When  the  perfect  insect  issues  forth,  it 
is  at  first  quite  soft.  The  largest  of  this  family  is  the  hercules  beetle.  It 
is  a  native  of  tropical  America. 

The  Common  House-Cricket. 

This  insect  is  found  throughout  the  temperate  zone ;  it  frequents  houses,. 
and  prefers  the  vicinity  of  fires.  The  address  of  the  poet  to  this  creature 

is  very  pleasing : 

Little  inmate,  full  of  mirth, 
Chirping  on  my  kitchen  hearth, 
Wheresoe'er  be  thine  abode, 
Always  harbinger  of  good, 
Pay  me  for  thy  warm  retreat, 
With  a  song  more  soft  and  sweet ; 
In  return  thou  shalt  receive 
Such  a  strain  as  I  can  give. 
Thus  thy  praise  shall  be  express' d 
Inoffensive,  welcome  guest ! 
While  the  rat  is  on  the  scout, 
And  the  mouse  with  curious  snout, 
With  what  vermin  else  infest 
Every  dish,  and  spoil  the  best ; 
Frisking  thus  before  the  fire, 
Thou  hast  all  thy  heart's  desire. 
Though  in  voice  and  shape  they  be 
Form'd  as  if  akin  to  thee, 
Thou  surpasses!,  happier  far, 
Happiest  grasshoppers  that  are  ; 
Theirs  is  but  a  summer's  song, 
Thine  endures  the  winter  long, 
Unimpaired,  and  shrill,  and  clear, 
Melody  throughout  the  year. 

The  celebrated  naturalists,  Linnaeus  and  Bonnet,  were  disposed  to  con<- 
sider  insects  as  deaf;  but  the  knowledge  of  Shakespeare  was  more  accu- 
rate when  he  made  Mamilius  say : 

I  will  tell  it  softly, 

Yon  crickets  shall  not  hear  it. 


MUSEUM  OF  REMARKABLE  INSECTS.  519 

As  soon  as  it  becomes  dark,  the  chirping  of  crickets  increases,  and  they 
come  running  forth,  often  in  great  numbers,  from  the  size  of  a  flea  to  that 
of  their  full  stature.  The  instrument  on  which  the  male  plays  consists  of 
strong,  rough  strings  in  the  wing-cases,  by  the  friction  of  which  against 
each  other  a  sound  is  produced  and  communicated  to  the  membranes 
stretched  between  them,  in  the  same  way  that  the  finger  produces  vibra- 
tions on  a  tambourine,  which  are  diffused  over  its  surface. 

To  most  people,  the  chirp  of  the  cricket  conveys  to  the  mind  the  idea 
of  a  perfectly  happy  being.  Thus,  to  the  Prince's  question,  "  Shall  we  be 
merry  ?  "  Poins  answers,  "As  merry  as  crickets."  The  learned  Scaliger 
took  such  a  fancy  to  their  song,  that  he  was  accustomed  to  keep  them  in 
a  box  in  his  study.  Osbeck  states  that  the  Spaniards  confine  some  insects 
of  an  allied  genus,  in  cages,  for  the  sake  of  their  song,  and  in  some  parts 
of  Africa,  it  is  said,  the  common  house-crickets  are  kept  and  fed  in  a  kind 
of  iron  oven,  and  sold  to  the  natives,  who  like  their  chirp,  and  consider  it 
a  great  soporific. 

A  Cricket  Saves  a  Vessel  from  Shipwreck. 

On  one  occasion,  according  to  Southey,  the  song  of  an  insect  of  this 
genus  was  the  means  of  saving  a  vessel  from  shipwreck.  The  incident 
occurred  in  the  voyage  of  Cabeza  de  Vara  towards  Brazil.  When  they 
had  crossed  the  line,  the  state  of  the  water  was  inquired  into,  and  it  was 
found  that  of  a  hundred  casks  there  remained  but  three,  to  supply  four 
hundred  men  and  thirty  horses.  Upon  this,  the  captain  gave  orders  to 
make  the  nearest  land.  Three  days  they  stood  towards  it.  A  soldier, 
who  set  out  in  ill-health,  had  brought  a  grille,  or  ground  cricket,  with 
him  from  Cadiz,  thinking  to  be  amused  by  the  insect's  voice ;  but  it  had 
been  silent  the  whole  way,  to  his  no  little  disappointment.  Now,  on  the 
fourth  morning,  the  grillo  began  to  sing  its  shrill  rattle,  scenting,  as  was 
immediately  supposed,  the  land.  Such  was  the  miserable  watch  that  had 
been  kept,  that  upon  looking  out  at  the  warning,  they  perceived  high 
rocks  within  bow-shot,  against  which,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  insect, 
they  must  inevitably  have  been  lost.  They  had  just  time  to  drop  anchor. 
From  hence  they  coasted  along,  the  grillo  singing  every  night,  as  if  it 
had  been  on  shore,  till  they  reached  the  island  of  St.  Catalina. 

Like  many  noisy  persons,  crickets  like  to  hear  nobody  louder  than 
themselves.  Ledelius  relates  that  a  woman,  who  had  tried  in  vain  every 
method  she  could  think  of  to  banish  them  from  her  house,  at  last  got  rid 
of  them  by  the  noise  made  by  drums  and  trumpets,  which  she  had  pro- 
cured to  entertain  her  guests  at  a  wedding.  They  instantly  forsook  the 
house,  and  she  heard  of  them  no  more. 


520 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


Brunelli,  an  Italian  naturalist,  kept  several  field-crickets  in  a  chamber. 
They  continued  their  crinking  song  through  the  whole  day,  but  the 
moment  they  heard  a  knock  at  the  door  they  were  silent.  He  sub- 
sequently invented  a  method  of  imitating  their  sounds,  and  when  he  did 
so  outside  the  door,  at  first  a  few  would  venture  on  a  soft  whisper,  and 
by-and-by,  the  whole  party  burst  out  in  chorus  to  answer  him ;  but  on 
repeating  the  rap  at  the  door,  they  instantly  stopped  again,  as  if  alarmed. 
He  likewise  confined  a  male  in  one  side  of  his  garden,  while  he  put  a 
female  in  the  other  at  liberty,  which  began  to  leap  as  soon  as  she  heard 
the  crink  of  the  male,  and  immediately  came  to  him — an  experiment  which 
Brunelli  frequently  repeated  with  the  same  result. 

The  common  house-cricket  of  Europe  is  about  an  inch  long,  of  a  yel- 
lowish or  clay  color  mixed  with  brown;  it  dwells  in  the  cracks  of  walls 
and  floors  and  in  the  vicinity  of  warm  places,  where  it  remains  during  the 
day,  coming  forth  at  night  in  search  of  food.  It  is  a  most  indefatigable 
musician  commencing  its  tune  at  twilight  and  keeping  it  up  till  day-light. 
This  tune  is  produced  by  rubbing  the  hard  internal  border  of  one  wing 
cover  against  a  horny  ridge  on  the  under  surface  of  the  other. 

There  are  several  species  of  crickets  in  America.  Though  these  in- 
sects are  furnished  with  long  legs  behind  and  brawny  thighs  adapted  for 
leaping,  yet,  when  driven  from  their  holes,  they  show  no  activity,  but 
crawl  along  in  so  lifeless  a  manner,  as  easily  to  be  caught;  and  though 
they  are  provided  with  a  curious  apparatus  of  wings,  they  never  exert 
them  even  when  there  seems  to  be  the  greatest  occasion  for  it. 
Amazing-  Mechanism  of  the  Spider's  Web. 

Slight  and  even  simple  as  the  threads  of  the  spider  may  appear,  they 
are  not  so  in  reality ;  and  this  forms  one  of  the  many  examples  in  which  the 
eye  of  the  naturalist  discovers  some  concealed  elegance  or  complex  mech- 
anism, which,  though  daily  visible,  is  concealed  from  those 
Who  walk  through  nature  with  their  half-shut  eyes. 

It  has  been  incontestably  shown  that  a  spider's  thread,  even  spun  by  the 
smallest  species,  and  when  so  fine  that  it  is  almost  imperceptible  to  our 
senses,  is  not,  as  we  suppose,  a  single  line.  A  spider  has  a  spinneret, 
showing  several  little  projections,  each  of  which  contains  a  great  many 
tubes,  so  thbl  &  space  often  no  larger  than  the  pointed  end  of  a  pin  has 
one  thousand  of  them. 

From  each  of  these  tubes,  consisting  of  two  pieces,  the  last  of  which 
has  an  exceedingly  fine  point,  an  amazingly  slender  thread  proceeds, 
which  immediately  after  unites  with  all  the  other  threads,  so  that  one  only 
may  be  formed.  Thus,  from  each  spinner  there  issues  a  compound 


MUSEUM  OF  REMARKABLE  INSECTS.  521 

thread,  and  these  fine  threads,  at  about  a  tenth  of  an  inch  from  the  point 
of  the  spinners,  again  unite  and  form  the  cordage  of  the  spider's  web,  each 
of  which  is  composed  of  hundreds  of  fibres. 

Looking  into  a  large  glass  globe,  filled  with  water,  in  which  are  im- 
merged  several  portions  of  aquatic  vegetables,  some  floating  on  the  sur- 
face and  some  lying  at  the  bottom,  there  may  sometimes  be  seen  amongst 
the  blades  of  grass  and  bits  of  reed,  a  sort  of  purse,  closely  resembling 
in  shape  and  size  a  pigeon's  egg,  but  pierced  transversely  through  the 
middle.  It  is  filled  with  air,  and  perfectly  closed,  except  in  its  lower  part, 
where  there  is  an  aperture  just  sufficient  for  the  ingress  and  egress  of  a 
very  small  spider.  A  strong  and  semi-transparent  substance,  resembling 
white  gauze,  forms  the  texture  of  the  bell,  firmly  moored  and  anchored  to 
the  submerged  plants  by  threads  and  cables,  which  hinder  it  from  mount- 
ing to  the  surface. 

Watch  the  lady  of  the  mansion  coming  out  of  her  retreat.  Her  length 
is  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch,  her  body  is  brown,  and  upon  the  upper 
part  of  the  back  is  drawn  a  dark  patch,  having  four  little  dots  on  its 
centre.  This  spider  lives  under  water,  and  yet  requires  air  to  breathe. 
Her  Maker  has  taught  her  how  to  solve  a  problem  which  would  have 
baffled  the  genius  of  Newton. 

An  Insect  Diving  Bell  Supplied  with  Air. 

She  swims  on  her  back,  and  her  abdomen  is  enveloped  in  a  bubble  of 
air,  which,  reflecting  the  prismatic  colors,  looks  like  transparent  mother- 
of-pearl.  She  then  rises  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  elevates  above 
it  the  lower  portion  of  her  body.  Once  on  the  surface,  she  breathes 
strongly,  inhales  as  much  air  as  she  possibly  can  ;  then  she  gets  beneath 
the  water,  and  gives  out  gently  the  liquid  particles  with  which  her  lungs 
are  gorged  to  excess.  The  long,  silky,  clammy  threads  which  cover  her 
retain  in  its  place  around  her  the  bubble  with  which  she  is  surrounded. 
This  done,  she  dives  with  precaution,  and  carries  into  her  nest  a  provision 
of  air,  to  replace  what  she  had  consumed. 

When  once  ensconced  in  her  nest,  she  lies  in  ambush,  with  her  cunning 
little  head  lowered,  watching  for  any  prey  that  may  chance  to  pass.  Woe 
to  the  tiny  worm  that  wriggles  on  the  stalk  near  her  den !  She  darts  for- 
ward, seizes  him,  and  bears  him  off  to  her  bed  of  impermeable  gauze. 
Curious,  indeed,  is  that  little  dwelling.  While  it  was  in  process  of  making, 
it  was  naturally  filled  with  water ;  but  when  once  the  work  was  ended,  it 
became  necessary  to  expel  the  water,  and  replace  it  by  atmospheric  air. 
To  attain  this  end  the  spider  had  to  make  more  than  a  hundred  trips  to 
the  surface.  Each  bubble  that  she  introduced  mounted  towards  the  top 


522 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


by  its  specific  lightness,  displacing  an  equal  quantity  of  water,  which  was 
forced  out  through  the  orifice  below,  until  the  bell  contained  nothing  but 
air. 

Numerous  and  various  are  the  mason  spiders  ;  but  the  one  remarkable 
species  is  found  in  the  south  of  France.  She  usually  selects  for  her  nest 
a  place  bare  of  grass,  sloping  in  such  a  manner  as  to  carry  off  the  water, 
and  of  a  firm  soil,  without  rocks  or  small  stones.  She  digs  a  nest  a  foot 

or  two  in  depth, 
1  and  of  a  diameter 
equal  through- 
out, sufficient  to 
admit  of  her 
easily  passing. 
She  lines  this 
with  a  tapestry 
gp  of  silk,  glued  to 
the  walls.  The 
door,  which  is 
circular,  is  con- 
structed of  many 
layers  of  earth 
kneaded  and 
bound  together 
with  silk.  Ex- 
ternally, it  is  flat 
and  rough,  cor- 
responding to 
the  earth  around 
the  entrance,  for 
the  purpose,  no 
doubt,  of  con- 
THE  MASON  SPIDER.  cealment ;  on  the 

inside  it  is  convex,  and  tapestried  thickly  with  a  web  of  fine  silk. 

The  threads  of  this  door-tapestry  are  prolonged,  and  strongly  attached 
to  the  upper  side  of  the  entrance,  forming  an  excellent  hinge,  which, 
when  pushed  open  by  the  spider,  shuts  again  by  its  own  weight,  without 
the  aid  of  spring  hinges.  When  the  spider  is  at  home,  and  her  door 
forcibly  opened,  she  pulls  it  strongly  inwards,  and  even  when  half  opened 
often  snatches  it  out  of  the  hand;  but,  when  she  is  foiled  in  this,  she  re- 
treats to  the  bottom  of  her  nest,  as  the  last  resource. 


MUSEUM  OF  REMARKABLE  INSECTS.  523 

Spiders  are  found  in  every  habitable  portion  of  the  globe,  but  are  largest 
in  warm  climates.  The  males  and  females  live  separately  and  the  latter 
are  most  frequently  seen  and  are  the  larger.  All  are  carnivorous,  devour- 
ing living  prey,  sucking  the  juices  and  sometimes  swallowing  the  frag- 
ments. The  females  are  generally  ready  to  attack  and  feed  on  the  males,, 
even  in  the  reproducing  season,  and  both  sexes  are  fond  of  fighting,  the 
vanquished  being  devoured.  They  are  very  cleanly  and  spend  much  time 
in  cleaning  their  limbs  from  dirt  by  the  toothed  combs  and  brushes  on  the 
mandibles.  In  making  their  webs,  they  accommodate  themselves  to  cir- 
cumstances, displaying  great  perseverance,  ingenuity  and  almost  intelli- 
gence. 

They  carefully  guard  their  eggs,  sometimes  carrying  about  with  them, 
the  silken  bag,  which  contains  them,  and  are  affectionate  to  their  young, 
which  in  some  cases  devour  their  mother.  They  descend  by  their  silken 
threads — head  downward,  but  climb  up  on  them  head  upward,  rolling  them 
into  a  bundle  during  the  ascent.  The  thread  cannot  be  used  the1  second 
time  for  the  same  purpose.  The  genus  mygale  contains  the  largest  of  the 
spiders.  The  crab — or  bird-spider  of  South  America — is  about  three  inches 
long.  Its  body  is  very  hairy  and  blackish.  It  is  very  powerful,  jumping 
upon  and  killing  small  birds,  and  spins  no  web. 

The  Great  Motli  Tribes. 

Like  the  owl,  which  so  much  resembles  many  of  them  in  style  of  plum- 
age, the  moths  generally  remain  concealed  in  their  retreats  during  the  day, 
quietly  reposing  till  the  growing  darkness  calls  them  forth  to  visit  the 
dewy  flowers,  and  revel  in  the  enjoyment  of  existence,  till  the  dawning 
day  drives  them  to  their  wonted  lurking-places. 

This  law  of  nocturnal  life  has,  however,  its  exceptions,  for  we  find  one 
family  to  consist  of  species  which  are  active  only  on  the  approach  of  even- 
ing or  early  in  the  morning,  a  few  being  as  diurnal  as  the  butterfly,  and 
flitting  in  broad  day  from  flower  to  flower  in  quest  of  honeyed  food.  This 
is  the  family  of  the  sphinxes,  or  hawk-moths. 

These  insects  are  remarkable  for  their  size,  and  the  extent  of  their 
wings,  which  are  extremely  vigorous,  and  well  adapted  for  rapid  flight. 
Their  name  of  hawk-moth  was  derived  from  the  resemblance  of  their  pro- 
gression through  the  air  to  that  of  a  hawk ;  but  it  is  greater  ta 
that  of  some  of  the  humming-birds.  The  remarkable  attitude  often  as- 
sumed by  the  caterpillars,  resembling  that  of  the  fabulous  sphinx  of  the 
ancients,  suggested  to  Linnaeus  the  scientific  term  by  which  they  are 
still  denominated. 

The  death's  head  hawk-moth  appears  to  be  distributed  over  England,. 


GREEDY    BIRD-SPIDER   DEVOURING    ITS  VICTIM. 


(524) 


MUSEUM  OF  REMARKABLE  INSECTS.  525 

and  Europe  generally.  Its  thorax,  so  singularly  bearing  the  figure  of  a 
human  skull,  has  rendered  it  an  object  of  terror  to  the  superstitious.  It 
varies  from  four  to  five  inches  in  the  expanse  of  its  wings.  The  upper 
pair  are  brown,  varied  with  black ;  the  disk  is  marked  with  undulating 
lines  of  black  patches,  and  powdered  with  white;  the  hind  wings  are  dull 
orange. 

One  of  the  most  puzzling  sounds  to  the  inquirer  is  that  of  the  death's- 
head  moth,  when  it  is  caught  and  kept  a  prisoner.  Sometimes  it  is  like 
that  of  a  mouse,  but  much  more  piteous.  Reaumur,  after  mentioning 
many  experiments,  concludes  with  the  conviction  that  "  in  the  more  mi- 
nute part  of  nature's  works  there  is  always  something  which  we  cannot 
explain."  He  thought  it  most  probable  that  the  cry  came  from  the  head, 
perhaps  from  the  mouth,  or  rather  from  the  tongue,  and  it  might  be  by 
the  friction  of  the  feelers  against  the  tongue;  for  when  he  unfolded  the 
spiral  tongue  with  a  pin,  the  cry  ceased,  but  it  was  renewed  the  instant  it 
was  coiled  up  again  between  the  feelers.  He  then  prevented  the  palpi 
from  touching  the  tongue,  which  also  stopped  the  sound,  and  when  only 
one  was  permitted  to  touch  it,  the  sound  was  much  more  feeble. 
The  Animal  with  a  Vegetable  Head. 

That  there  are  more  things  in  heaven  and  earth  than  are  dreamed  of  in 
our  philosophy,  is  abundantly  proven  by  a  study  of  natural  history.  We 
come  upon  surprises  the  further  we  pursue  our  investigations.  Who 
would  have  believed,  without  the  actual  demonstration  of  the  fact,  that 
there  could  be  a  union  between  a  living  moth,  an  insect,  and  a  vegetable 
growth  ? 

A  fungus  is  known  which  never  grows  except  on  the  bodies  of  dead 
spiders ;  another  only  appears  on  the  surface  of  horses'  hoofs  in  a  state  of 
putrefaction.  One  little  parasite  of  the  same  family,  the  isaria  of  the 
sphynx,  has  hitherto  only  been  observed  on  certain  nocturnal  moths. 
Still  more  curious  facts  are  known ;  for  instance,  that  of  a  fungus  never 
found  only  on  the  neck  of  a  caterpillar  of  tropical  countries.  It  is  always 
solitary  on  this,  and  of  enormous  size  in  proportion,  being  often  four  or 
five  inches  high.  Another  species  of  fungus  is  an  outgrowth  from  the 
head  of  the  New  Zealand  moth  in  its  larvae  state,  as  represented  in  our 
engraving,  which  conveys  an  accurate  idea  of  one  of  the  most  astounding 
discoveries  in  the  insect  world. 

Ra  vag-crs  of  Forests. 

In  considering  those  creatures  which  work  fearful  destruction  on  veg- 
etable life,  we  naturally  expect  to  see  animals  on  the  stage,  the  bulk  of 
which  must  be  in  proportion  to  their  formidable  powers  of  devastation, 


(526)       NEW   ZEALAND   MOTH,  WITH    FUNGUS   PLUME. 


MUSEUM  OF  REMARKABLE  INSECTS.  527 

but  it  is  quite  the  contrary.  It  is  not  the  auroch  with  its  shaggy  mane, 
nor  the  powerful  stag,  nor  the  wild  boar  that  ravages  or  destroys  our 
forests,  but  tiny  insects  which  slaughter  its  aged  trees. 

If,  when  the  warm  breath  of  spring  drives  away  the  rigor  of  winter 
and  renews  life  in  the  fields,  we  enter  one  of  the  great  coniferous  woods 
of  the  continent  of  Europe,  we  are  astonished  at  the  tumult  and  activity 
which  prevail  in  lieu  of  the  silence  we  went  there  to  seek.  Everything 
is  in  movement. 

Groups  of  woodmen,  foresters,  and  overseers  move  about  by  hundreds, 
and  stretch  away  like  columns  of  skirmishers ;  it  is  a  complete  army  in 
the  field,  which  opens  out  wherever  there  is  a  large  space,  and  of  which 
the  wings  are  sometimes  lost  in  the  windings  of  the  roads,  or  hidden  by 
the  projection  of  some  hillock.  This  mass  of  men  always  moves  in  order, 
distributed  in  troops  commanded  by  experienced  leaders.  They  are  all 
provided  with  long  weapons,  which  at  a  distance  might  be  taken  for 
lances. 

Elsewhere,  again,  we  find  a  lengthy  train  of  pioneers  regularly  posted, 
and  vanishing  in  the  distance,  all  animated  with  feverish  activity,  are  hol- 
lowing out  the  soil,  and  making,  for  many  leagues,  long  trenches  which 
follow  the  roads  and  serve  to  isolate  the  different  districts  of  the  forest 
from  one  another. 

Forests  Wrapped  in  Glaring-  Flames. 

Or  if  the  excursion  be  made  by  night,  another  spectacle  awaits  us. 
The  whole  forest  seems  to  be  on  fire.  In  every  part  are  burning  great 
trees,  erect  and  isolated,  like  huge  threatening  torches,  the  flame  of  which 
rises  to  the  clouds  and  casts  a  baleful  glare  on  all  around.  A  few  for- 
esters, standing  in  silence,  contemplate  the  progress  of  the  conflagration, 
and  watch  its  ravages.  Lastly,  at  other  times,  as  a  final  resource,  the  en- 
tire forest  is  given  up  a  prey  to  the  flames,  and  whirlwinds  of  fire,  men- 
acing and  dreadful,  spread  on  every  side  ;  a  woody  region,  formerly  so 
fertile,  is  entirely  devoured  by  fire  and  only  an  immense  mountain  of  char- 
coal remains  of  all  this  mass  of  wealth. 

We  ask  against  what  formidable  enemy  such  an  army  of  men  has  been 
launched !  Who  are  they  going  to  attack  with  their  rods  which  they 
brandish  on  all  sides?  What  redoubtable  aggressors  are  the  others 
attempting  to  stay  the  march  of,  with  the  long  trenches  they  are  scooping 
out  ?  Why  these  frightful  fires  in  the  middle  of  the  night  ?  Why  this 
general  conflagration  ? 

This  formidable  enemy  is  at  times  only  a  single  insect,  but  it  menaces 
•everything  with  its  destructive  tooth,  and  men  prefer  decimating  the  for- 


528  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

est  to  losing  it  entirely.  One  is  really  stupefied  at  seeing  so  many  and 
such  energetic  efforts  directed  solely  against  the  progeny  of  a  simple  but- 
terfly, but  its  caterpillars  sometimes  multiply  to  such  an  extent  that  it  is 
necessary  to  exterminate  them  utterly  in  order  to  preserve  the  forest  from 
ruin.  In  one  part  the  woodmen  and  their  families,  who  are  called  out 
en  masse,  are  only  occupied  in  crushing  this  deadly  race  upon  the  trees. 
In  another  the  others  are  cutting  off  the  infected  districts  by  ditches,  in 
order  to  check  the  invasion  of  the  caterpillars,  which,  when  they  have 
devoured  everything  in  one  place,  proceed  in  immense  bands  to  invade 
the  healthy  localities. 

But  in  spite  of  so  much  labor,  man  is  sometimes  vanquished  by  the  in- 
sect, and  there  only  remains  one  extreme  resource — that  of  setting  fire  to 
the  forest  and  burning  the  invaders.  All  this  war  of  extinction,  of  which 
we  have  just  given  a  succinct  account,  is  only  directed  against  a  small 
number  of  our  enemies,  as  for  the  most  part  they  are  able  to  evade  the 
empire  of  the  argiculturist,  and  their  formidable  army  defies  our  weak- 
ness. 

War  Declared  Against  a  Moth. 

These  great  works  are  particularly  undertaken  against  certain  night- 
moths,  for  they  are  simple  phalaenae,  which  are  to  be  classed  among  the 
most  destructive  ravagers  of  the  forests.  They  are  attacked  in  their 
three  different  phases ;  their  caterpillars  are  crushed  as  they  climb  the 
trees. 

When  after  devouring  a  complete  section  of  the  wood,  they  pour 
forth  in  serried  columns  to  attack  a  sound  part,  they  fall  into  trenches 
hollowed  out  by  the  pioneers,  and  when  they  fill  these,  they  are  stifled  in 
a  heap  by  covering  them  over  with  earth.  The  great  fires  lighted  at 
night  are  directed  against  nocturnal  moths.  The  glare  attracts  them, 
and  they  are  soon  scorched  by  the  flame  in  consequence  of  going  too 
near  it. 

The  pine  bombyx  enjoys  the  sad  prerogative  of  being  placed  in  the 
front  rank  of  the  enemies  of  our  forests.  It  is  the  most  hurtful  insect  to 
the  tree  of  which  it  bears  the  name.  It  especially  attacks  wood  from 
sixty  to  eighty  years  old,  and  many  examples  are  known  of  forests  at 
this  age  being  totally  destroyed  by  these  caterpillars,  which  the  German 
wood-growers  call  pine  spinners,  on  account  of  the  numerous  cocoons 
with  which  they  cover  the  leaves  of  this  tree. 

The  foresters  equally  dread  another  moth,  commonly  called  the  monk 
or  nun,  on  account  of  its  robe  being  laced  with  black  and  white  like  that 
of  certain  devotees.  It  is  all  the  more  fatal  because  its  caterpillar  attacks 


(529) 


530  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

not  only  the  coniferous  forests,  but  in  addition  all  forest  trees,  such  as  the 
birch,  oak  and  beech.  Its  butterflies  are  met  with  in  autumn,  and  some- 
times in  such  abundance  that  at  a  distance  one  might  take  them  for  snow- 
flakes  drifting  about.  The  regular  exterminations  of  which  we  have  pre- 
viously spoken,  are  also  directed  against  this  monk  bombyx. 
Havoc  by  Tiny  Creatures. 

Among  the  butterflies,  the  progeny  of  which  devastates  our  woods,  it 
is  necessary  to  mention  also  the  pine-eating  species.  Its  caterpillars, 
which  sometimes  multiply  in  an  extraordinary  way,  make  great  havoc  in 
the  pine  forests.  They  are  particularly  to  be  dreaded,  because  they  show 
themselves  very  early,  and  devour  the  young  shoots.  They  are  met  with 
the  same  means  .as  the  others ;  their  invasion  is  checked  by  trenches,  and 
in  some  places  by  herds  of  pigs  which  eat  them  in  heaps.  For  this  pur- 
pose the  pigs  are  sent  to  the  forests  towards  the  month  of  August,  a  time 
at  which  they  seize  the  caterpillars  as  they  descend  from  the  trees  in  or- 
der to  hybernate  under  the  moss  or  earth 

Other  insects,  in  lieu  of  attacking  stems  or  leaves,  attach  themselves  to 
the  buds.  One  of  them  produces  great  havoc  by  gnawing  those  of  the 
pine.  Its  caterpillar,  which  is  very  small,  being  introduced  beneath  the 
scales  of  the  bud,  gnaws  a  part  of  it  in  such  a  way  that  the  stalk,  warped 
at  the  very  core,  loses  its  straightness,  twists,  and  becomes  deformed. 
We  can  see  from  a  distance  when  these  artisans  have  assailed  a  part  of  a 
wood,  by  the  strange  aspect  which  the  tops  of  the  trees  present.  All  the 
terminal  buds  are  more  or  less  contorted,  instead  of  possessing  their  nor- 
mal direction.  It  is  to  this  result  that  the  species  owes  its  name  of  pine- 
twister,  by  which  the  foresters  generally  designate  it. 

Some  destroyers,  instead  of  this  openly  declared  war,  operate  silently 
and  in  the  shade ;  these  are  concealed  enemies,  which  nothing  can  track, 
and  we  do  not  suspect  their  presence  till  they  have  slain  their  victim, 
Some  live  on  wood  and  hollow  out  ample  tortuous  galleries  in  it,  which 
very  speedily  modify  the  organism  of  the  tree  so  profoundly,  that  the 
strongest  succumb  to  it.  Others  work  between  the  bark  and  the  sap- 
wood,  using  up  materials  that  offer  less  resistance  to  their  teeth. 
Insect  Typographers  and  Stenographers. 

In  the  former  category  must  be  placed  the  cossi,  those  enthusiastic  car- 
penters. Another,  again,  is  the  oak  bombyx,  the  caterpillar  of  which  is 
accustomed  to  follow  a  straightforward  track  in  the  centre  of  the  young 
boughs  in  our  forest  trees. 

In  the  second  category  may  be  ranked  the  numerous  legion  of  typo- 
graphers and  stenographers,  so  called  from  the  character  of  the  chisel- 


MUSEUM  OF  REMARKABLE  INSECTS.  531 

lings  with  which  they  so  deplorably  ornament  the  surface  of  wood.  Each 
species  invariably  draws  the  same  design,  so  that  we  can  always  dis- 
cover the  workman  by  his  work  without  seeing  what  enemy  we  have  to 
deal  with. 

Almost  all  these  laborers  are  of  very  small  size.  Their  teeth,  with 
deadly  quickness,  cut  numerous  galleries  between  the  wood  and  the 
bark,  invading  both  parts  at  the  same  time.  These  tiny  ravagers  are 
often  not  more  than  about  the  sixth  of  an  inch  long,  and  hence  as  their 
bodies  are  slender  in  proportion,  they  only  require  a  very  narrow  trench 
to  promenade  in  at  their  ease.  Nevertheless,  as  each  insect  procreates 
to  a  great  extent,  the  number  of  galleries  hollowed  out  by  a  single 
family  sometimes  covers  a  large  part  of  the  surface  of  a  tree,  and  if  the 
species  multiplies  round  about  it,  the  result  of  its  work  is  to  detach  the 
entire  bark,  which  falls  to  dust. 

The  attentive  observations  of  foresters  have  shown  that  nearly  always 
a  pair  of  typographers  enter  the  tree  together  by  perforating  the  bark, 
and  this  first  task  accomplished,  they  hollow  out  at  this  spot  a  central 
gallery,  which  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  a  nuptial  chamber  for  the 
two  spouses.  Here,  resolved  to  make  their  lives  as  agreeable  as  possi- 
ble, they  pierce  for  this  purpose  two  to  four  holes  in  the  bark,  which 
are  simply  ventilators,  intended  to  air  the  little  chamber,  and  possibly 
also  to  light  the  windings. 

Of  all  these  wood-cutters,  the  typographer  bostrichus  is  regarded  as 
the  most  dangerous.  It  ravages  the  forests  of  fir-trees  in  such  a  manner, 
that  often  not  a  single  tree  escapes  its  attacks.  It  is  doubtless  in  order 
to  give  an  idea  of  the  extent  of  its  depredations,  that  naturalists  have 
bestowed  on  such  a  little  insect  the  alarming  name  of  the  "  great  pine- 
gnawer." 

Each  product  has  its  enemy.  Supposing  our  apples  and  plums  are 
gnawed  and  injured  by  worms,  still  their 'soft  tissue  quite  admits  of  such 
mischief  being  done ;  but  fruits  so  hard  and  well  protected  as  those  of  the 
pines  seem  as  if  they  ought  to  be  safe  from  such  attacks,  though  this  is 

certainly  not  the  case. 

Insect  Carpenters. 

The  name  of  joiners  is  given  to  those  legions  of  insects  which,  with 
their  powerful  mandibles,  cut  and  divide  wood,  either  to  nourish  them- 
selves with,  or  to  construct  little  rooms  furnished  with  partitions,  and 
destined  to  receive  their  offspring. 

In  the  first  category  is  found  the  larva  of  the  goat-moth,  a  night-moth 
which  sometimes  reaches  a  length  of  four  or  five  inches,  and  is  thicker 


WOOD-BORING    GOAT-MOTH. 


(532) 


MUSEUM  OF  REMARKABLE  INSECTS. 


533 


than  the  finger.  It  gnaws  the  inside  of  great  trees,  and  scoops  out  in 
their  trunks  large  and  long  tortuous  galleries,  which  sometimes  suffice  to 
kill  them.  We  see  that  it  works  all  the  more  zealously  because  its  labor 
is  to  satisfy  a  want ;  it  lives  on  wood. 

When  several  of  these  powerful  caterpillars  attack  an  elm  at  the  same 
time  it  sinks  very  rapidly.  This  insect  has  sometimes  been  seen  to  utterly 
destroy  large  avenues  of  lofty  trees ;  hence  the  name  of  wood-destroying 
cossus  has  been  given  to  it. 

We  find  artisans  endowed  with  a  very  different  kind  of  ingenuity,  in  a 
certain  tribe  of  bees 
called  carpenter-bees, 
on  account  of  their 
great  skill  in  working 
wood.  They  live  prin- 
cipally in  tropical 
countries.  One  kind, 
however,  inliabits  our 
latitudes;  it  has  the 
look  of  a  great  hum- 
ble-bee of  the  most 
beautiful  blue  color, 
and  is  known  by  the 
name  of  the  carpenter- 
bee.  Impelled  merely 
by  maternal  instinct, 
its  work,  which  con- 
sists of  as  many  little 
chambers  as  it  lays 
eggs,  is  a  masterpiece 
of  skill  and  foresight.  It  is  generally  beams  that  this  bee  attacks.  It 
cuts  in  them,  lengthwise,  canals  which  are  a  dozen  inches  deep  and  more 
than  a  third  of  an  inch  wide. 

When  one  of  these  great  excavations  has  attained  its  entire  length,  the 
artisan  occupies  itself  in  sheltering  its  offspring  in  it.  For  this  purpose 
it  divides  the  groove  into  as  many  little  chambers  as  it  is  about  to  deposit 
eggs.  Each  of  these  chambers  receives  one  egg  only,  and  before  closing 
it  hermetically  the  bee  stores  up  a  mass  of  honey  and  pollen  which  will 
suffice  for  all  the  wants  of  the  larva  that  is  to  be  born  there.  After  this 
the  skillful  carpenter,  by  means  of  finely-rasped  wood  agglutinated  with 
its  saliva,  constructs  a  slender  partition  which  separates  each  one  from 


CARPENTER    BEE    AND    ITS    LITTLE    CHAMBERS. 


534  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

that  next  to  it.  In  the  long  excavation  which  it  has  hollowed  out  the 
insect  thus  forms  a  dozen  little  cellules,  which  are  stuffed  with  alimen- 
tary pap. 

When  the  little  creature  is  born,  it  finds  itself  sufficiently  restricted  as 
to  space,  but  in  proportion  as  its  food  diminishes,  its  movements  become 
more  free.  The  aliment  has  been  wisely  proportioned  to  its  wants;  the 
life  of  the  larva  terminates  at  the  moment  when  famine  is  about  to 
set  in.  The  chrysalis  rests  imprisoned  in  its  little  chamber,  but  when 
the  fly  has  thrown  off  its  coverings,  air  and  light  are  absolutely 
requisite  for  it.  It  then  gnaws  the  partitions  which  intercept  its  way, 
and  launches  itself  into  the  atmosphere,  soon  in  its  turn  to  com- 
mence labors  similar  to  those  its  mother  executed.  Such  is  its 

destiny. 

The  Migrating  Locust. 

The  Orient  and  all  the  south  of  Asia  as  well  as  the  west  of  the  United 
States  are  subject  to  being  ravaged  by  the  migratory  locust.  Their  dev- 
astations are  most  extraordinary.  Their  hosts  obscure  the  sun  and  every 
trace  of  vegetation  disappears  in  their  track.  Locusts  have  committed 
considerable  ravages  in  America;  most  of  the  devastation  popularly 
attributed  to  grasshoppers  really  belongs  to  locusts  and  most  often  to  the 
red-legged  species.  They  have  proved  especially  destructive  to  the  grass 
of  salt  meadows,  clover,  corn  and  vegetables,  until  arrested  by  the  early 
frosts. 

The  Rocky  Mountain  locust  is  popularly  known  as  the  grasshopper. 
During  1873-74-75  the  insect  attracted  unusual  attention  and  in  the  un- 
precedented amount  of  injury,  which  it  entailed  on  the  farmer  of  the 
West,  it  proved  a  national  calamity.  It  has  been  estimated,  that  $50,000, 
ooo  would  not  cover  the  loss  occasioned  to  the  country  by  its  ravages 
during  these  three  years.  It  is  doubtful,  whether  in  their  native  home 
the  insects  show  a  tendency  to  migrate,  except  when  forced  by  necessity. 
They  are  sluggish  in  the  cooler  parts  of  the  day  and  fly  principally  be- 
tween the  hours  of  10  A.  M.  and  4  P.  M.,  and  then  only,  when  the  wind  is 
in  the  direction  they  wish  to  go.  Their  life  is  limited  by  the  spring  and 
autumn  frosts  and  all  that  hatch  in  the  spring  perish  at  the  approach  of 
winter,  soon  after  the  eggs  are  laid. 

The  grasshoppers  travel  in  immense  swarms,  not  in  any  particular  direc- 
tion, but  in  search  of  food.  They  walk  and  hop  alternately,  moving  at 
the  rate  of  about  three  yards  a  minute.  As  they  grow  older,  their  num- 
bers are  continually  reduced,  not  only  by  attacks  of  enemies  and  by  cli- 
matic influences,  but  by  devouring  one  another. 


GREAT    SWARM    OF    MIGRATORY    LOCUSTS. 


536  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  first  day  of  their  appearance  their  numbers  are  comparatively  few, 
the  second  they  come  by  myriads ;  and  yet  a  day  or  two  might  pass  be- 
fore they  reached  their  full  number.  At  early  morning  the  insect,  in  the 
pupa  state,  may  be  observed  issuing  from  the  earth  in  every  direction,  by 
the  help  of  a  set  of  strongly-barbed  claws  on  the  fore-legs.  Its  color  is 
then  of  a  uniform  dull  brown,  and  it  strongly  resembles  the  perfect  insect 
in  form,  excepting  the  absence  of  wings,  ornament,  and  antennae.  The  first 
impulse  of  the  imperfect  insect,  on  detaching  itself  from  its  grave,  is  to 
ascend  a  few  inches,  or  even  feet,  up  the  trunk  of  trees,  at  the  foot  of  which 
their  holes  appear  in  the  greatest  number,  or  upon  the  rail  fences,  which 
are  soon  thickly  spread  with  them.  In  these  positions  they  straightway 
fix  themselves  firmly  by  their  barbed  claws. 

Half  an  hour's  observation  will  then  show  you  the  next  change  which 
is  to  be  undergone.  A  split  takes  place  upon  the  shell,  down  from  the 
back  of  the  head  to  the  commencement  of  the  rings  of  the  abdomen,  and 
the  labor  of  self-extrication  follows.  With  many  a  throe  and  many  a  strain, 
you  see  the  tail  and  hind  legs  appear  through  the  rent ;  then  the  wings 
extricate  themselves  painfully  from  a  little  case  in  the  outer  shell,  in  which 
they  lay  exquisitely  folded  up,  but  do  not  yet  unfurl  themselves ;  and  lastly, 
the  head,  with  its  antennae,  disengages  itself,  and  you  behold  before  you 
the  new-born  insect  freed  from  its  prison.  The  slough  is  not  disengaged, 
but  remains  firmly  fixed  in  the  fibres  of  the  wood  ;  and  the  insect,  languidly 
crawling  a  few  inches,  remains,  as  it  were,  in  a  daze  of  wonder  and  aston- 
ishment 

All  this  passes  before  the  sun  has  gained  his  full  strength.  As  the 
day  advances,  the  colors  of  the  insect  become  more  lively  ;  the  wings  at- 
tain their  full  strength,  and  the  body  dries,  and  is  braced  up  for  its  future 
little  life  of  activity  and  enjoyment. 

The  Music  Begins. 

Between  ten  and  eleven  the  newly  risen  tribes  begin  to  tune  their  in- 
struments ;  you  become  conscious  of  a  sound,  filling  the  air  far  and 
wide,  different  from  the  ordinary  ones  which  may  meet  your  ear.  A 
low  distinct  hum  salutes  you,  turn  where  you  will.  It  may  be  compared 
to  the  simmering  of  an  enormous  caldron;  it  swells,  imperceptibly 
changes  its  character,  and  becomes  fuller  and  sharper ;  thousands  seem 
to  join,  and  by  an  hour  after  mid-day,  the  whole  country  far  and  wide 
rings  with  the  unwonted  sound.  The  insects  are  now  seen  lodged  in  or 
flying  about  the  foliage  above  ;  a  few  hours  having  been  thus  sufficient 
to  give  them  full  strength  and  activity,  and  bring  them  into  full  voice. 

The  pretty  insect,  for  it  is  truly  such,  with  its  dark  body,  red  eyes,  and 


MUSEUM  OF  REMARKABLE  INSECTS.  53T 

its  glassy  wings  interlaced  by  bright  yellow  fibres,  enjoys  but  a  little 
week ;  and  that  merry  harping  which  pervades  creation  from  sunrise  to 
sundown,  for  the  time  of  its  continuance,  is  but  of  some  six  days'  dura- 
tion. Like  all  those  of  its  tribe,  the  sound  produced  is  not  a  voice,  but 
a  strong  vibration  of  musical  chords  produced  by  the  action  of  internal 
muscles  upon  a  species  of  lyre  or  elastic  membrane,  covered  with  net- 
work, and  situated  under  the  wings. 

During  the  whole  period  of  their  existence,  the  closest  attention  does  not 
/detect  their  eating  anything;  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  trifling  injury 
received  by  the  trees,  consequent  upon  the  process  observed  by  the  female 
in  laying  her  eggs,  they  are  perfectly  innoxious.  The  end  for  which  they 
seem  to  be  sent  to  the  upper  day  is  purely  confined  to  the  propagation  of 
their  species.  A  few  days  after  their  first  appearance,  the  female  begins  to 
lay  her  eggs.  When  her  time  comes,  she  selects  one  of  the  outermost 
twigs  of  the  forest  trees  or  shrubs,  and  sets  to  work  and  makes  a  series  of 
longitudinal  jagged  incisions  in  the  tender  bark  and  wood.  In  each  of  these 
she  lays  a  row  of  tiny  eggs,  and  then  goes  to  work  again. 

Sudden  Resurrection  After  Seventeen  Years. 

Having  deposited  to  her  hearts's  content,  she  crawls  up  the  twig  a  few 
inches  yet  farther  from  the  termination,  and  placing  herself  in  a  fitting  po- 
sition, makes  two  or  three  perpendicular  cuts  into  the  very  pith.  Her 
duty  is  now  terminated.  Both  male  and  female  become  weak,  the  former 
ceases  to  be  tuneful ;  the  charm  of  their  existence  is  at  an  end  ;  they  'pine 
away,  become  blind,  fall  to  the  ground  by  myriads,  and  in  ten  or  fifteen 
days  after  their  first  appearance  they  all  perish.  Not  so,  however,  their 
seed.  The  perforated  twigs  die,  the  first  wind  breaks  them  from  the  tree, 
and  scatters  them  upon  the  ground.  The  eggs  give  birth  to  a  number  of 
smaller  grubs,  which  are  thus  enabled  to  attain  the  mould  without  injury; 
and  in  it  they  disappear,  digging  their  way  down  into  the  bosom  of  the 
earth.  Year  goes  after  year,  summer  after  summer,  the  sun  shines  in  vain 
to  them  ;  they  "  bide  their  time!"  The  recollection  of  their  existence  be- 
gins to  fade,  a  generation  passes  away  :  the  surface  of  the  country  is 
altered,  lands  are  reclaimed  from  the  forest,  streets  are  laid  out  and  tram- 
pled on  for  years,  houses  are  built,  and  pavements  hide  the  soil. 

Still,  though  man  may  almost  forget  their  existence,  God  does  not. 
What  their  life  is  in  the  long  interval  none  can  divine.  Traces  of  them 
have  been  found  in  digging  wells  and  foundations  eight  and  ten  feet  un- 
der the  surface.  When  seventeen  years  have  gone  by,  the  memory  of 
them  returns,  and  they  are  expected.  A  cold  wet  spring  may  retard 
their  appearance,  but  never  since  the  attention  of  man  has  been  di- 


'538  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

rected  to  them,  have  they  failed ;  but  at  the  appointed  time,  by  one  com- 
mon impulse,  they  rise  from  the  earth,  piercing  their  way  through  the 
matted  sod,  through  the  hard  trampled  clay  of  the  pathways,  through 
the  gravel,  between  the  joints  of  the  stones  and  pavements,  and  into  the 
very  cellars  of  the  houses  ;  like  their  predecessors,  to  be  a  marvel  in  the 
land,  to  sing  their  blithe  song  of  love  and  enjoyment  under,  the  bright 
sun,  and  amidst  the  verdant  landscape  ;  like  them,  to  fulfil  the  brief  du- 
ties of  their  species,  and  close  their  mysterious  existence  by  death. 

The  Ephemera. 

Linnaeus  has  given  this  name  to  a  genus  of  insects  of  the  order  of 
neutrophera,  from  their  appearing  in  the  winged  state  only  for  a  day. 
The  body  is  long,  slender  and  soft,  the  wings  are  very  unequal,  and  the 
abdomen  has  long  articulated  appendages.  They  are  usually  called  May 
flies.  The  mouth  of  this  insect  has  no  jaws,  but  is  furnished  with  four 
very  short  thread-shaped  feelers.  The  wings  are  erect,  the  lower  ones 
much  the  shorter,  and  the  tail  is  terminated  by  long  hairs  or  bristles. 
They  differ  in  many  respects  from  all  other  insects. 

Their  larvae  live  in  water  for  three  years,  the  time  they  consume  in 
preparing  for  their  change,  which  is  performed  in  a  few  moments.  The 
larva,  when  ready  to  quit  that  state,  rises  to  the  surface  of  the  water  and 
instantaneously  freeing  itself  from  its  skin  becomes  a  chrysalis.  This 
chrysalis  is  furnished  with  wings.  It  flies  to  the  nearest  tree  or  wall, 
and  there  quits  a  second  skin  and  becomes  a  perfect  ephemera.  In  this 
state  all  the  species  live  but  a  very  short  time,  some  of  them  scarcely 
half  an  hour,  having  no  other  business  to  perform  than  that  of  continuing 
the  race. 

A  Creature  Born  and  Dying1  without  Seeing  the  Sun. 

But  few  of  them  ever  see  the  light  of  sun,  being  produced  after  sun- 
set during  the  short  nights  of  summer  and  dying  long  before  the  dawn. 
The  females  aided  by  the  threads  of  their  tails  and  the  flapping  of  their 
wings,  support  themselves  on  the  surface  of  the  water  and  in  an  almost 
upright  position  drop  their  eggs  (sometimes  700  or  800)  in  little  clusters 
into  the  water.  These  insects  are  remarkable  for  their  elegant  flight ; 
they  are  continually  rising  and  falling.  When  they  move  their  wings 
they  rise ;  but  if  their  wings,  though  spread  out,  remain  motionless,  as 
also  the  silky  hairs  which  form  their  tail,  they  fall  again.  They  may  be 
seen  in  myriads  in  places  where  there  is  much  water. 

We  have  said  that  the  ephemera  live  only  for  a  few  hours.  This  is  the 
general  rule ;  but  their  existence  can  be  prolonged  for  ten  or  fifteen  days 
by  preventing  their  copulation.  If,  however,  the  duration  of  the  life  of 


EPHEMERA    OR    CREATURES    OF    A    DAY. 


(539; 


540  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

these  insects  is  so  short  when  they  have  reached  the  perfect  state,  and 
when  the  conformation  of  the  mouth  prevents  them  from  taking  any 
nourishment,  their  larvae  state  is  of  very  long  continuance.  Swammer- 
dam  in  his  curious  Memoir,  entitled  •'  Vita  Ephemeri,"  is  authority  for  the 
statement  that  it  is  not  less  than  three  years. 

The  Bee. 

The  bee  is  probably  of  Asiatic  origin,  whence  it  has  spread  over  Eu- 
rope, has  been  introduced  in  America  and  is  found  in  nearly  all  the 
warmer  portions  of  the  world.  It  has  two  stomachs,  the  first  is  a  large 
membranous  bag,  pointed  in  front  for  the  reception  and  retention  of  the 
honey ;  no  digestion  takes  place  in  this,  the  analogue  of  the  crop  or 
birds.  Digestion  is  performed  in  the  second  stomach,  which  is  of  a 
lengthened  cylindrical  shape,  communicating  with  the  first  stomach  and 
with  the  intestine  by  a  projecting  valvular  apparatus.  The  muscular 
strength  of  the  bee  is  very  great  and  their  flight  is  rapid.  A  hive  of 
bees  consists  of  three  kinds,  females,  males  and  workers.  The  females 
are  called  queens,  not  more  than  one  of  which  can  live  in  the  same  hive. 
Her  presence  is  necessary  for  its  establishment  and  maintenance. 

The  males  are  called  drones,  and  may  exist  by  hundreds  and  even 
thousands  in  a  hive.  The  workers  are  by  far  the  most  numerous.  The 
queen  lays  the  eggs,  from  which  the  race  is  perpetuated ;  the  males  do 
no  work  and  are  of  no  use  except  to  reproduce  their  species,  after 
which  they  soon  die  or  are  killed  ;  the  workers  collect  the  honey,  se- 
crete the  wax,  build  the  cells  and  protect  the  young.  The  females  and 
workers  have  a  sting  at  the  end  of  the  abdomen,  but  not  the  males.  This 
weapon  consists  of  an  extensile  sheath  enclosing  two  needle-shaped 
darts  of  great  fineness,  placed  side  by  side.  Toward  the  end  the  sting 
is  armed  with  minute  teeth,  like  those  of  a  saw,  whence  it  happens  that 
the  animal  is  frequently  unable  to  withdraw  the  sting  from  an  enemy 
that  it  has  pierced,  causing  its  own  death.  When  the  sting  enters  the 
flesh  the  acrid  poison  is  squeezed  into  the  wound  from  a  bag  near  its 
base. 

Proper  Respect  for  the  Queen. 

The  poison  is  a  transparent  fluid  with  a  sweetish  and  afterward  acrid 
taste  and  acrid  reaction.  The  queens  are  more  peaceable  and  less  dis- 
posed to  sting,  than  the  workers.  This  is  the  largest  and  is  easily  rec- 
ognized by  the  slowness  of  her  march,  by  her  size  and  by  the  respect 
and  attention  paid  to  her.  She  lives  in  the  interior  of  the  hive  and  only 
leaves  it  to  lead  out  a  new  swarm.  If  she  be  removed  from  the  hive,  the 
whole  swarm  will  follow  her. 


DENSE    SWARM    OF    BEES. 


(541) 


542  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  workers  in  July  and  August  commence  an  indiscriminate  attack 
upon  the  drones,  chasing  them  into  the  bottom  and  corners  of  the  hive, 
killing  them  with  their  stings,  and  casting  out  the  dead  bodies.  This 
destruction  extends  even  to  the  eggs  and  larva  of  males.  The  workers 
are  females,  in  which  the  generative  organs  are  not  developed.  They 
are  divided  into  nurses  and  wax  workers  ;  the  former  are  the  smallest 
and  the  weakest,  ill  adapted  for  carrying  burdens,  and  their  business  is 
to  collect  the  honey,  feed  and  take  care  of  the  grubs,  complete  the  cells 
commenced  by  the  others,  and  to  keep  the  hive  clean ;  the  others  pro- 
vision the  hive,  collect  honey,  secrete  and  prepare  wax,  construct  the 
cells,  defend  the  hive  from  attack,  attend  to  the  wants  of  the  queen,  and 
carry  on  all  the  hostilities  of  the  community. 

On  the  loss  of  the  queen  the  hive  is  thrown  into  the  greatest  con- 
fusion. The  food  of  bees  consists  principally  of  the  honeyed  fluids  and 
the  pollen  of  flowers.  The  formation  of  wax  is  the  office  of  the  wax 
workers.  The  quantity  of  wax  secreted  depends  on  the  consumption  of 
honey. 

When  a  hive  becomes  too  crowded  preparations  are  made  for  the 
emigration  of  a  swarm  with  a  queen ;  scouts  are  sent  out  in  advance  to 
select  a  proper  place  for  the  new  hive,  and  the  workers  collect  an  extra 
quantity  of  provisions  to  be  carried  with  them.  During  the  preparations 
a  great  buzzing  is  heard,  which  ceases  on  the  day  of  departure.  When 
all  is  ready,  the  signal  is  given  by  the  workers,  and  the  queen,  with  all 
the  departing  swarm,  rushes  to  the  door  and  rises  into  the  air.  They 
follow  the  queen,  alighting  with  her  in  a  dense  cluster,  and  returning  to 
the  hive  if  she  does.  After  a  rest  at  their  first  landing  place  the  swarm 
collects  into  a  close  phalanx  and  flies  in  a  direct  line  to  the  Delected 
spot.  Two  or  three  swarms  will  be  sent  off  in  a  summer  from  in  old 
hive. 


CHAPTER  XXL 
CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  VEGETABLE  KINGDOM. 

Living  Seed  in  the  Earth— The  Tap-Root—Plants  that  Perspire— Catching  Water 
from  Trees — Garden  Sun-Flower — An  Old  Physician  Living  in  a  Pair  of  Scales — 
Vegetable  Marvel— The  Weeping  Tree— Plant  with  a  Movable  Lid— Water 
Treasured  in  Plants  in  the  Burning  Desert — Leaves  that  Flash  Lightning — The 
Famous  Cow-Tree — Vegetable  Milk — Butter  Tree — Poisonous  Compounds — 
"Herculean  Remedy"— India-Rubber  Tree— Golden  Wealth  for  the  World-- 
Vegetable Giants — Astonishing  Magnitudes — Eighteen  Guests  Taking  Supper 
in  a  Hollow  Tree— Enormous  Lime-Tree — Normandy  Oak  Turned  ir'j  >  a 
Church— Riding  on  Horseback  Through  Tree-Cavities—Colossal  Baobab- 
Strange  Burial  Place — Gigantic  Cedars  of  California— Tops  Five  Hundred  Feet 
in  the  Air — Giving  a  Ball  on  a  Stump — Vegetable  Longevity — Methuselahs  of 
the  Forest — Historic  Lime  at  Fribourg — Old  Age  of  the  Fir — Army  of  Cortez 
under  one  Tree — Legends  of  Teneriffe — Dragon's-Blood  Tree — Where  we  get 
Camphor— "Serpents  of  the  Vegetable  Kingdom"— Deadly  Nettles— The  Fatal. 
Upas — Astounding  Stones — Antidotes  to  Poison — Medicinal  Treasures — Famous 
Tartarian  Lamb-  Part  Plant  and  Part  Animal— Wonderful  Rafflesia— Plants 
without  Leaves  Borrowing  those  of  their  Neighbors — Picturesque  Scene  in  the 
Tropics— Giant  Ferns— Mangrove  Tree— Sea  of  Fire— Seeds  Sprouting  in  Hu- 
man Noses  and  Stomachs — Marvelous  Enginery — Balloon  Puff-Ball. 

OMMIT  a  seed  to  the  earth;  plant,  for  example, a  haricot  bean 
at  the  depth  of  two  inches  in  moist  vegetable  soil,  and  if  the 
temperature  is  right  the  seed  will  not  be  slow  to  germinate,, 
first  swelling,  and  then  bursting  its  outer  skin.  By  this  ad- 
mirable arrangement,  of  which  nature  permits  us  to  contemplate  the 
wonderful  results,  but  without  as  yet  enabling  us  to  comprehend  the 
strange  mystery,  a  plant  in  miniature,  eventually  the  counterpart  of  its 
parent,  will,  after  a  time,  reveal  itself  to  the  observer.  In  the  meantime, 
two  parts,  very  distinct,  make  their  appearance  :  one,  yellowish  in  color,, 
usually  branched,  sinks  into  the  soil — this  is  the  root;  the  other,  of  a 
pale,  greenish  color,  takes  the  opposite  direction,  ascends  to  the  surface,, 
and  rises  above  the  ground — this  is  the  stem. 

The  design  of  the  Creator  of  the  world  seems  to  have  been  to  embel- 
lish and  make  beautiful  all  which  was  to  be  exposed  to  our  eyes,  while 
that  which  was  to  be  hidden  was  left  destitute  of  grace  or  beauty. 
Leaves  suspended  from  their  branches  balance  themselves  gracefully 
with  every  movement  of  the  air;  the  stems,  branches,  and  flowers  are 
the  ornament  of  the  landscape,  and  satisfy  the  eye  with  their  beauty ;, 

(543) 


544  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

but  the  root  is  without  colors  or  brilliancy,  and  is  usually  of  a  dull  uni- 
form brown,  yet  performs  in  obscurity  functions  as  important  as  those  of 
stem,  branches,  leaves,  or  flowers.  Yet  how  vast  the  difference  between 
the  verdant  top  of  a  tree,  which  rises  graceful  and  elegant  into  mid  air — 
not  to  speak  of  the  flowers  it  bears — and  the  coarse  mass  of  its  roots, 
divided  into  tortuous  branches  without  harmony,  without  symmetry, 
and  forming  a  tangled,  disordered  mass !  These  organs,  so  little  fav- 
ored in  their  appearance,  have,  however,  very  important  functions  in  the 
order  of  vegetable  action. 

All  plants  which  germinate  with  two  seed  leaves  have,  at  first,  a  single 
•descending  root,  the  tap-root.  From  this  central  tap-root,  lateral  roots 
branch  out  more  or  less  regularly,  and  these  lateral  roots  subdivide 
again  and  again.  In  many  cases,  especially  at  first,  the  lateral  roots 
issue  from  the  tap-root  with  great  order  and  regularity,  as  much  as  in 
the  arrangement  of  the  branches  of  a  young  fir-tree;  in  older  plants  this 
order  is  lost.  The  tap-root  is  conspicuous  in  the  dock  and  in  seedling 
fruit-trees ;  its  upper  portion  in  many  cultivated  plants,  such  as  the  beet 
and  carrot,  expands  under  cultivation,  and  becomes  abnormally  fleshy. 

But  all  roots  are  not  planted  in  the  soil.  There  are  some  plants  which 
develop  roots  in  water,  as  the  duckweed  which  never  touches  the  earth. 
Others  nourish  themselves  on  the  tissues  of  other  plants,  as  the  mistle- 
toe, a  singular  parasitic  plant,  which  forms  tufts  or  branches  of  a  delicate 
pale  green,  attaching  itself  to  apple-trees,  poplars,  and  a  number  of  other 
trees.  Some  roots  appear,  moreover,  to  have  no  other  function  than  to 
fix  the  plants  to  the  soil ;  they  seem  to  contribute  nothing  to  their 

nourishment. 

Living-  on  Air. 

In  the  Museum  of  Natural  History  of  Paris  there  has  been  for  some 
years  a  magnificent  Peruvian  cactus,  of  an  extraordinary  height,  which 
has  been  growing  vigorously,  throwing  out  enormous  branches  with 
great  rapidity.  Its  roots  are  shut  up  in  a  box  three  feet  square,  filled 
with  earth,  which  has  never  been  renewed  and  never  watered.  It  is 
therefore  evident  that  in  this  case  the  roots  have  little  to  do  with  the 
nourishment  of  the  plant.  Other  instances  confirm  these  inferences. 
"  In  a  country  where  many  months  pass  without  a  drop  of  rain  falling," 
says  Hilaire,  "  I  have  seen,  during  the  dry  season,  cactuses  covered  with 
flowers,  maintaining  themselves  on  the  burning  rocks  by  the  aid  of  a  few 
weak  slender  roots,  which  sink  into  the  dried-up  humus  which  has  found 
its  way  into  the  narrow  clefts  of  the  rock."  Nevertheless,  most  plants 
are  nourished,  to  a  large  extent,  through  their  roots. 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  VEGETABLE  KINGDOM.  545 

Vegetable  physiology  approaches  very  nearly  that  of  animals.  Like 
them  plants  exhale  moisture  abundantly  by  their  whole  surface.  It  is  this 
which,  condensed  upon  the  leaves  by  the  cold  of  night,  forms  on  them 
limpid  little  drops  of  water,  which  the  vulgar  incorrectly  ascribe  to  a 
deposit  of  atmospheric  moisture. 

The  idea  that  plants  transpire  like  animals  is  due  to  Muschenbroeck, 
one  of  the  professors  who  have  contributed  most  to  rendering  the  univer- 
sity of  Leyden  illustrious.  For  this  purpose  he  covered  with  a  plate  of 
lead  the  whole  circumference  of  the  root  of  a  white  poppy,  so  as  to  prevent 
the  vapor  of  the  earth  from  interfering  with  his  experiment.  The  plant 
was  then  covered  with  a  bell-glass  cemented  to  the  lead.  After  that  each 
morning  when  the  naturalist  came  to  visit  the  imprisoned  plant  he  observed, 
that  even  during  the  driest  nights  its  leaves  were  covered  with  an  innu- 
merable quantity  of  those  drops  of  water  to  which  the  name  of  dew  is  given, 
and  that  the  sides  of  the  glass  themselves  were  quite  obscured  with  it.  It 
is  not  then  from  the  air  that  the  dew  of  the  meadow  and  the  leaf  comes, 
but,  as  the  Dutch  naturalist  learned,  from  the  sweating  of  the  plant ;  dew 
is  only  their  perspiration  condensed. 

Plants  that  Rain. 

This  fact  being  thoroughly  established,  it  only  remained  to  decide  the 
amount  which  vegetable  transpiration  produces.  Mariotte  tried  a  very 
elementary  experiment  on  this  head.  Having  cut  off  a  branch  and  cov- 
ered the  section  with  impermeable  cement,  he  observed  that  the  leaves, 
while  withering,  had  lost  two  tea-spoonfuls  of  water  in  two  hours,  at  a 
time  when  the  air  was  tolerably  warm.  The  naturalist  therefore  concluded 
that  in  twelve  hours  the  branch  would  lose  a  dozen  tea-spoonfuls. 

But  such  an  estimate  was  far  from  being  exact.  Guettard  managed 
better ;  he  conceived  the  idea  of  not  separating  the  branch  from  the  plant, 
but  of  enclosing  it  in  a  globe  of  glass,  terminating  outwardly  in  a  neck 
which  was  inserted  into  a  flask.  When  all  was  hermetically  sealed,  the 
moisture  transpired,  condensing  itself  little  by  little  on  the  sides  of  the 
globe,  fell  drop  by  drop  into  the  bottle  situated  beneath  it,  and  could  be 
collected  without  the  slightest  loss,  so  that  nature  was  left  to  herself. 

When  on  a  burning  summer  day,  exhausted  and  streaming  with  perspi- 
ration, we  see  in  the  by-nook  of  a  parterre  the  garden  sun-flower,  we  admire 
its  heavy  floral  crown  turned  towards  the  luminary  which  it  ceaselessly 
accompanies  in  its  course,  and  its  ample  and  motionless  leaves ;  but  this' 
apparent  calm  vails  a  most  unexpected  vital  energy. 

Who  indeed  would  think  that  the  perspiration  exhaled  by  the  leaves  of 
the  plant  is  more  copious  than  that  which  moistens  our  foreheads  ?     Yet 
35 


546  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

« 

science  has  proved  this  ;  after  demonstrating  the  existence  of  vegetable 
transpiration,  it  has  dared  to  estimate  comparatively  the  product  of  it. 

An  old  physician  of  Padua,  Sanctorius,  whose  originality  has  become 
celebrated,  had  the  patience  to  pass  a  great  part  of  his  life  in  a  pair  of 
scales,  weighing  and  re-weighing  himself  every  minute  in  the  day,  in  order 
to  ascertain  how  much  loss  his  body  underwent  by  transpiration. 

Hales,  without  having  the  same  perseverance,  attempted  to  ascertain 
what  weight  of  water  a  sun-flower  lost  daily  by  its  leaves.  For  this  pur- 
pose he  put  one  of  these  plants  into  a  pot,  the  upper  surface  of  which, 
hermetically  closed  with  a  plate  of  lead,  only  presented  one  small  neck 
through  which  it  could  be  watered.  By  weighing  this  sun-flower  daily 
his  scales  showed  him  that  it  lost,  by  the  transpiration  of  its  leaves  only, 
twenty  ounces  of  water  in  the  twenty-four  hours,  being  seventeen  times 
as  great  as  our  own. 

But  the  vegetable  marvel  in  respect  to  transpiration  is  the  weeping- 
tree,  which  was  seen  some  years  ago  in  one  of  the  Canary  Islands.  The 
water  fell  like  copious  rain  from  its  tufted  foliage.  Collected  at  the  foot 
of  the  tree,  it  formed  a  kind  of  pond,  from  which  the  inhabitants  of  the 
vicinity  furnished  themselves  with  water. 

Weeping1  Tree. 

At  first,  says  a  naturalist,  I  suspected  some  exaggeration  in  the  accounts 
given  by  travellers  as  to  the  transpiration  of  this  tree,  but  after  seeing  an 
arborescent  fuchsia  in  one  of  the  green-houses  of  the  botanical  garden  of 
Rouen  rain  down  so  much  water  upon  the  plants  round  about  it  that  it 
was  necessary  to  remove  them,  I  have  believed  their  statements. 

The  insensible  transpiration  is  demonstrated  by  the  most  simple  experi- 
ment. It  is  only  necessary  to  place  a  plant  under  a  dry  bell-glass,  the 
base  of  which  is  plunged  in  mercury.  In  a  few  seconds  all  the  inner 
surface  of  the  glass  is  covered  with  tiny  drops  of  water,  which  become 
condensed  and  run  downwards. 

In  the  "  History  of  the  Canary  Islands,"  by  Galindo,  it  is  stated  that 
there  was  at  Ferro  a  laurel-tree  which,  according  to  Roulin,  furnished  the 
natives  of  the  island  with  drinking  water.  This  fluid  distilled  drop  by 
drop  from  the  foliage,  and  was  preserved  in  cisterns.  This  marvelous 
vegetable  fountain  was,  during  part  of  the  day,  enveloped  in  a  cloud, 
from  the  bosom  of  which  it  drew  its  supply  of  water.  But  the  tradition 
of  the  tree  quoted  by  the  old  historian  of  the  seventeenth  century  is  no 
longer  found  among  the  conquerors  of  the  island. 

The  leaves  of  other  plants,  more  tenacious  of  the  perspiration  they  dis- 
til, collect  it  in  little  cups,  which  are  found  at  their  ends,  sometimes 


(547) 


548  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

constantly  open,  sometimes  closing  and  opening  by  means  of  a  movable 
lid. 

In  the  first  rank  we  ought  to  place  the  famous  pitcher  plant.  Its  leaves 
display  a  strong  mid-rib,  which  extends  beyond  the  blade  and  ends  in  an 
elegant  cylindrical  cup,  provided  with  a  hinged  lid,  which  spontaneously 
opens  and  closes  according  to  the  state  of  the  atmosphere.  During  the 
night  this  lid  sinks  down  and  hermetically  closes  the  little  vase,  which 
then  fills  with  limpid  water  exhaled  by  its  walls.  During  the  day  the 
lid  is  raised  and  the  fluid  evaporates  more  or  less  completely.  The  ben- 
eficent nepenthe  has  often  quenched  the  thirst  of  the  Indian  lost  in  his 
burning  deserts. 

In  the  marshy  forests  of  Southern  America  Providence  has  intrusted 
this  task  to  another  distilling  plant,  the  purple  sarracenia,  the  structure  of 
which  is  no  less  eccentric.  Its  leaves,  uniting  at  their  edges,  are  trans- 
formed into  elegant  cups,  the  narrow  opening  of  which  is  surmounted  by 
an  ample  green  auricle  decorated  with  scarlet  red  veins,  to  which  the 
species  owes  its  name.  These  cups,  presents  from  the  empire  of  flora,  and 
which  rise  from  spot  to  spot  at  the  feet  of  the  traveller,  are  filled  with  pure 
and  delicious  water,  for  the  benefit  of  which  he  is  all  the  more  grateful, 
as  he  is  encircled  by  nothing  but  marshes,  the  water  of  which  is  luke- 
warm and  nauseous. 

Some  plants,  instead  of  distilling  their  resinous  products  drop  by  drop, 
form  a  gaseous  vapor,  and  this  clings  so  close  around  the  plant,  that  if, 
during  the  twilight  of  a  still,  burning  hot  summer  day,  we  approach  it 
with  a  lighted  candle,  the  vapor  takes  fire,  and  produces  a  bright  light 
which  envelops  all  the  foliage,  sparkling  like  the  substances  burned  in  the 
theatres  on  the  torches  of  the  furies.  This  can  be  seen  in  the  fraxinella 
cultivated  in  our  gardens.  Should  the  atmosphere  be  less  tranquil,  the 
experiment  is  easily  made  by  surrounding  the  plant  with  a  glass  case. 
:So  soon  as  an  ignited  body  is  plunged  into  it,  a  general  combustion  ensues. 
Plants  that  Flash  Lightning. 

Other  plants,  during  darkness,  project  inexplicable  gleams  of  light. 
This  extraordinary  phenomenon,  which  is  attributed  to  electricity,  was 
first  pointed  out  by  Mademoiselle  Linnaeus,  and  afterwards  recognized  by 
-some  -.naturalists. 

When  speaking  of  vegetable  secretions,  we  cannot,  in  the  present  day, 
omit  a  beautiful  tree  of  the  family  of  sapotaceae,  formerly  considered  use- 
less, but  which  furnishes  us  with  one  of  the  most  precious  substances — 
gutta-percha.  Spread  over  the  coasts  of  Sumatra  and  Java,  its  produce 
Jias  only  .been  .advantageously  worked  during  the  last  twenty  years.  Like 


WORLD-RENOWNED    INDIA-RUBBER    TREE. 


(549) 


550  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  gold  of  California,  this  tree  has  caused  great  social  changes  in  the 
countries  where  it  grows. 

A  Tree  that  Gives  Milk. 

In  Caracas,  in  South  America,  grows  the  cow-tree,  which,  when  its 
trunk  is  wounded,  furnishes  an  abundant  supply  of  milk,  of  which  the 
traveller  can  confidently  drink  freely,  for  it  unites  all  the  qualities  of  the 
milk  of  our  domestic  animal,  which  it  entirely  replaces  in  some  countries 
of  America.  We  take  the  following  extract  from  the  journal  of  a  traveller 
in  South  America :  Supplied  with  vessels,  we  went  on  a  few  yards  further, 
when  we  stopped  under  an  enormous  tree,  one  of  the  giants  of  the  forest. 
Its  trunk  was  covered  with  deeply  scored  reddish  and  rugged  bark.  A 
native  patted  it,  saying,  "  This  my  cow."  Another  tree  of  the  same 
species,  but  much  smaller,  grew  near.  He  ran  to  it,  and  saying,  "  Small 
cow  give  better  milk,"  began  to  attack  it  with  his  axe.  After  making  a 
few  strokes,  out  flowed  a  perfectly  white  liquid,  which  was  caught  in  the 
monkey-cup.  The  milk  continued  to  flow  in  great  abundance,  so  that 
we  soon  had  four  cups  filled  full  of  the  tempting  liquid.  On  tasting  it  we 
found  it  sweet,  and  of  a  not  unpleasant  flavor,  and  wonderfully  like  milk. 

One  of  the  trees  which  yield  our  internal  economy  services  as  important 
as  the  preceding  is  the  butter-tree.  It  furnishes  the  negroes  of  the  Niger 
with  a  secretion  which  they  substitute  for  the  ingredient  used  in  our 
kitchens,  and  with  which  they  prepare  all  their  food.  It  is  sold  abun- 
dantly in  their  markets,  where  it  is  known  as  shea-butter. 

Nature  offers  us  in  profusion  the  greatest  contrasts.  On  one  side, 
with  generous  and  beneficent  hand  she  lavishes  food  and  salutary  reme- 
dies; on  the  other,  she  only  distils  poisons,  as  though  in  the  laboratory 
of  Medea.  Here  we  see  opium  perspiring  like  a  milky  dew  from  the 
heads  of  our  poppies,  and  becoming  so  indispensable  to  the  art  of  medi- 
cine, that  Sydenham,  the  Hippocrates  of  modern  times,  said  he  would 
renounce  his  profession  were  he  deprived  of  this  powerful  anodyne. 
There  we  behold  the  poisons  of  belladonna,  datura,  and  henbane,  by 
turns  useful  and  deadly. 

But  no  tree  bears  in  its  invisible  laboratories  such  precious  crystals 
as  the  cinchona;  nature  offers  us  no  other  medicine  which  is  so  potent. 
The  cinchona  alone  arrests  the  ravages  of  deadly  fevers  in  their  fatal 
progress  ;  without  it  many  countries  would  be  uninhabitable,  many  jour- 
neys impossible.  Hence,  in  their  enthusiasm  about  its  marvelous 
power,  many  physicians,  in  imitation  of  Torti,  have  given  it  the  name  of 
"  herculean  remedy." 

As  respects  the  milk  or  cow -tree,  Humboldt,  who  analyzed  its  pro- 


EXTRACTING   MILK   FROM   THE    COW-TREE. 


(551) 


. 


552  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

ducts,  states  that  its  physical  properties  are  exactly  similar  to  those  of 
cow's  milk,  except  that  it  is  a  little  more  viscous.  It  is  remarkable  for 
containing  an  enormous  quantity  of  wax.  This  substance  constitutes 
the  half  of  its  weight,  and  hence  the  learned  chemist  proposed  to  culti- 
vate the  tree  in  order  to  extract  the  wax. 

Mysteries  of  Vegetable  Life. 

Like  animals,  plants  may  be  infinitely  little  or  infinitely  huge  ;  the  latter 
astonish  us  by  their  collossal  proportions,  while  the  former  escape  our  ken 
and  are  only  revealed  by  the  microscope.  The  study  of  the  development 
of  plants  in  respect  to  their  mere  size  presents  us  with  curious  contrasts. 

Some  rudimentary  plants,  such  as  the  ascophori,  mould  fungi  which  so 
frequently  invade  our  bread,  and  the  aspergilli  which  we  often  see  forming 
glairy  repulsive-looking  films  in  the  fluids  we  drink,  possess  only  an  almost 
invisible  stalk.  Woody  plants,  on  the  contrary,  often  astonish  us  by  the 
enormous  dimensions  of  these  parts.  The  old  authors  who  describe  Ger- 
many tell  us  that  there  were  trees  there,  from  the  trunk  of  one  of  which 
boats  were  made  which  carried  as  many  as  thirty  men. 

From  the  times  of  antiquity  the  luxuriant  growth  of  the  plane-trees  on 
the  banks  of  the  Bosphorus  and  the  Black  Sea  has  been  the  subject  of  re- 
mark, and  the  botanists  of  our  day  have  proved  that  what  our  forefathers 
said  was  in  no  way  exaggerated. 

Men  were  almost  inclined  to  disbelieve  the  account  of  Pliny,  who  states 
that  in  his  time  there  was  in  Lycia  a  stout  thriving  plane-tree  in  the  trunk 
of  which  was  seen  a  vast  grotto  eighty-one  feet  in  circumference,  the  whole 
extent  of  which  had  been  tapestried  by  nature  with  a  green  and  velvety 
hanging  of  moss.  Licinius  Mutianus,  governor  of  the  province,  charmed 
with  the  delicious  coolness  of  this  rural  hall,  gave  a  supper  in  it  to  eighteen 
guests  from  his  suite.  After  the  orgy  they  transformed  the  scene  of  their 
festivity  into  a  dormitory,  and  comfortably  passed  the  night  there. 

This  fact  has  been  fully  confirmed  by  modern  travellers.  De  Candolle 
relates  that  according  to  one  of  them,  there  still  exists  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Constantinople  an  enormous  lime-tree,  the  trunk  of  which  is  quite  as 
ample  as  that  of  which  we  have  been  speaking.  It  is  1 50  feet  in  circum- 
ference, and  also  presents  a  cavity  80  feet  in  circuit. 

A  Tree  Transformed  into  a  Church. 

The  Rev.  J.  Ray,  an  English  clergyman  who  wrote  a  valuable  work  on 
botany,  speaks  of  an  oak  existing  in  his  time  in  Germany  which  was  of 
such  dimensions  that  it  had  been  transformed  into  a  citadel.  To  confine 
ourselves  more  strictly  to  the  truth,  let  us  just  say  that  its  interior  served 
as  a  guard-house.  We  may  here  mention  another  tree  of  the  same  kind, 


(553) 


554  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

still  growing  in  Normandy,  and  which,  in  contrast  to  the  other,  has  been 
consecrated  to  piety.  This  is  the  chapel  oak  of  Allouville,  in  which  there 
is  an  altar  dedicated  to  the  Virgin,  where  on  certain  days  mass  is  said. 
The  ample  hollow  of  this  tree  not  only  furnishes  an  oratory,  but  above  this 
a  sleeping-room  has  been  scooped  out;  there  is  a  bed  in  this  room  to  which 
access  is  gained  by  steps  outside  :  it  is  the  abode  of  an  anchorite.  This 
tree,  which  perhaps  sheltered  in  its  shade  the  companions 'of  the  Seigneur 
de  Bethencourt  when  on  their  way  to  embark  for  the  conquest  of  the  Ca- 
naries, is  held  in  great  veneration  in  the  country. 

One  of  the  most  illustrious  and  philosophic  botanists,  Marquis,  re- 
nowned alike  for  his  eminent  position  and  knowledge,  measured  the 
trunk  of  this  tree,  and  found  that  it  was  thirty  feet  in  circumference  near 
the  ground.  There  may  be  seen  on  the  banks  of  the  Bosphorus  plane- 
trees  the  trunks  of  which  were  pierced  with  enormous  cavities.  In  the 
neighborhood  of  Smyrna  there  is  one  of  these  trees  celebrated  for  its 
size  and  antiquity.  The  stem  which  is  hollowed  right  through,  is  spread 
widely  out  at  the  base,  and  represents  three  columns,  which  converge 
towards  each  other,  forming  a  sort  of  porch  beneath  which  a  man  on 
horseback  can  pass  easily. 

A  Vegetable  Goliath. 

Yet  the  baobab  on  the  banks  of  the  Niger,  in  its  splendid  luxuriance 
of  growth,  surpasses  even  all  the  giants  of  the  Bosphorus.  It  is  espe- 
cially remarkable  for  its  thickness,  contrasted  with  its  want  of  height. 
It  is  a  colossus  of  ungraceful  look.  Occasionally  without  leaves,  bear- 
ing them  only  in  the  rainy  season,  its  whitish  conical  trunk,  scarcely 
fifteen  to  twenty  feet  in  height,  is  more  than  a  hundred  feet  in  circum- 
ference at  the  level  of  the  ground.  This  short  and  robutt  support  is 
necessary  to  sustain  its  incredibly  large  dome  of  leaves,  the  bulk  of 
which  is  sometimes  so  great  that,  seen  irom  a  distance,  the  baobab  looks 
rather  like  a  small  forest  than  a  single  tree.  Its  large  branches  are  fifty 
to  sixty  feet  long.  When  time  has  hollowed  out  the  stem  of  one  of 
these  noble  trees,  the  negroes  make  use  of  the  cavity.  Sometimes  they 
turn  it  into  a  place  of  amusement,  a  rustic  retreat  where  they  can  smoke 
their  chibouques  and  take  refreshment;  at  other  times  they  convert  it 
into  a  prison.  One  of  these  is  known  of  which  the  Senegambians  have 
converted  the  interior  into  a  council-hall ;  the  entrance  is  covered  with 
sculptures  which  point  out  the  high  destination  reserved  for  it. 

The  leaves  are  of  a  deep  green,  and  divided  into  five  unequal  parts, 
each  of  which  forms  a  narrow  lanceolate  figure,  radiating  from  a  com- 
mon centre,  the  outermost  being  smallest.  The  flowers,  which  grow 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  VEGETABLE  KINGDOM.  555 

singly  in  a  pendulous  position,  before  the  appearance  of  the  leaves,  are 
large  and  white,  crumpled  at  the  edge,  the  petals  being  much  reflexed; 
the  stamens  numerous,  and  collected  into  a  tube,  which  spreads  at  the 
top  into  an  umbrella-like  head,  from  which  rises  a  slender  curved  style, 
terminating  in  a  rayed  stigma. 

The  bark  and  leaves  of  this  tree  possess  considerable  emollient  proper- 
ties, of  which  the  natives  take  advantage.  The  natives  make  a  daily  use 
of  the  pounded  leaves  of  the  boabab,  which  they  call  lalo,  to  mix  with 
their  food,  for  the  purpose  of  inducing  perspiration.  Its  flowers  are  pro- 
portioned to  the  gigantic  trunk,  their  breadth  being  from  five  to  six  inches. 
The  fruit,  called  by  the  French  settlers  on  the  Senegal  monkey  bread,  is 
ovoid,  pointed  at  one  of  its  extremities,  and  from  eight  to  eighteen  inches 
long  by  six  or  seven  broad.  It  encloses  in  its  interior  from  ten  to  forty 
cells,  containing  kidney-shaped  seed,  surrounded  by  mucilaginous  pulp, 
which  is  sweet,  and  of  an  agreeable  flavor  ;  the  juice,  when  extracted  and 
mixed  with  sugar,  forms  a  beverage  very  useful  in  the  putrid  and  pestil- 
ential fevers  of  the  country.  The  fruit  is  transported  into  the  eastern  and 
southern  parts  of  Africa ;  and  the  Arabs  carry  it  to  the  countries  round 
Morocco,  whence  it  finds  its  way  into  Egypt.  The  negroes  take  part  of 
the  damaged  fruit  and  the  ligneous  bark,  and  burn  them  for  the  sake  of 
the  ashes,  from  which  they  manufacture  soap  by  means  of  palm  oil. 

Strange  Burial  Place. 

They  make  a  still  more  singular  use  of  the  trunk  of  the  baobab  ;  they 
deposit  in  it  the  bodies  of  those  among  them  whom  they  consider  un- 
worthy of  the  honors  of  sepulture.  They  select  the  trunk  of  some 
baobab  already  attacked  and  hollowed  out  by  insects  or  decay;  they  in- 
crease the  cavity,  and  make  a  kind  of  chamber,  in  which  they  suspend 
the  body.  This  done,  they  close  up  the  entrance  of  this  natural  tomb 
with  a  plank.  The  body  becomes  perfectly  dry  in  the  interior  of  this 
cavity,  and  becomes  a  perfect  mummy  without  further  preparation.  This 
kind  of  sepulture  is  especially  reserved  for  the  Gu6riots ;  they  are  the 
musicians  and  poets,  who  preside  at  all  fetes  and  dances  at  the  courts  of 
the  negro  kings. 

During  their  life  this  kind  of  talent  gives  them  influence,  and  makes 
them  respected  by  other  negroes,  who  look  upon  and  honor  them  as  sor- 
cerers ;  but  after  death  this  respect  is  succeded  by  a  kind  of  horror. 
These  superstitious  people  imagine  that  if  they  consigned  the  body  of 
one  of  these  sorcerers  to  the  earth,  as  they  would  the  bodies  of  other 
men,  they  would  draw  upon  themselves  the  celestial  malediction.  Hence 
the  monstrous  baobab  serves  as  their  resting  place.  It  is  a  strange  senti- 


(556) 


AOBAB   OF   THE   VIRGIN    FORESTS    OF   AFRICA. 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  VEGETABLE  KINGDOM.  557 

ment  which  leads  barbarous  people  to  bury  their  poets  between  heaven 
and  earth  in  the  heart  of  this  vegetable  king. 

Yet  whatever  astonishment  we  may  feel  at  the  extraordinary  dimen- 
sions attained  by  the  trunks  of  certain  trees,  the  height  to  which  others 
reach  strikes  us  still  more  than  their  growth  in  diameter.  The  king  of 
our  forests,  the  oak,  which  poetic  fiction  looks  upon  as  the  emblem  of 
passive  force,  rears  its  crown  of  leaves  one  hundred  feet  above  the  soil. 

In  the  East  the  imposing  remains  of  the  ancient  forest  employed  in 
building  the  temple  of  Jerusalem,  the  cedars  of  Lebanon,  the  object  of 
so  much  veneration,  and  which  the  pilgrim  only  approaches  with  the 
sounds  of  a  hymn  on  his  lips,  spread  forth  their  dark  sheets  of  verdure 
at  a  height  of  150  feet  above  the  mountain.  Supported  only  by  its  flexi- 
ble column,  which  yields  and  bends  beneath  the  force  of  the  tempest, 
the  wax-palm  on  the  Andes  balances  its  waving  crown  in  the  bosom  of 
the  clouds  200  feet  above  the  heights  whereon  it  grows. 
Giants  with  Heads  in  the  Clouds. 

But  no  tree  rears  its  head  towards  the  sky  so  boldly  as  the  gigantic 
cedar  of  California.  One  colossus  of  this  species,  now  hurled  down  and 
stretched  upon  the  rock,  presented  when  it  stood  erect  and  threatening 
a  height  of  more  than  490  feet,  that  is  to  say,  about  eight  times  the  ele- 
vation of  a  house  of  five  stories.  It  was  above  1 30  feet  in  circumference. 

The  bark  of  the  trunk  of  one  of  these  giants  of  our  American  forests 
was  transported  in  part  to  the  Crystal  Palace  at  London,  where  it  formed 
one  of  the  most  splendid  curiosities,  until  accidentally  destroyed  by  fire 
in  1866.  It  was  a  monstrous  column,  above  130  feet  in  height,  and . 
which  at  the  level  of  the  ground  had  a  diameter  of  nearly  thirty-four 
feet.  At  San  Francisco  a  piano  was  placed  and  a  ball  given  to  more 
than  twenty  persons  on  the  stump  of  a  cedar  which  had  been  brought 
thither.  The  age  of  this  colossus  corresponds  to  its  dimensions.  By 
counting  the  number  of  annual  rings  in  a  transverse  section,  it  was  as- 
certained that  these  monstrous  trees  must  be  several  thousand  years  old, 
so  that  they  seem  to  have  stood  erect  and  unshaken  amidst  many  of  the 
commotions  of  the  globe. 

Alongside  of  these  giants  stretched  prostrate  on  the  ground,  man  onlv 
looks  like  a  pigmy  and  feels  his  littleness.  He  calls  them  the  mammoths 
of  the  forest,  to  show  that,  like  those  frightful  animals  which  surpassed 
all  others  in  their  size,  they  tower  above  all  the  vegetable  kingdom. 

Vegetable  Longevity. 

But  if  anything  ought  to  astonish  us  in  the  life  of  trees  it  is  their  lon- 
gevity ;  we  might  even  go  farther,  and  speak  of  the  principle  of  eternity 


553  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

which  is  clearly  latent  in  some  species,  the  death  of  which  seems  rather 
to  depend  upon  fortuitous  circumstances  than  on  the  fact  of  age.  The 
life  of  animals  is  quite  ephemeral  compared  to  that  of  our  trees.  Minute 
investigations  have  thrown  considerable  light  upon  the  chronology  of 
many  of  them.  Some  of  them  live  commonly  200  or  300  years. 

1  he  pine  and  great  chestnut  can  assuredly  extend  their  existence  to  a 
term  of  400  or  500  years.  In  the  island  of  Teneriffe  are  found  many  ven- 
erable pines  and  enormous  chesnut-trees,  which,  in  all  probability,  were 
planted  there  by  the  Conquistadores  at  the  commencement  of  the  fifteenth 
century,  the  epoch  of  the  invasion  of  this  *island.  The  former  are  dis- 
tinguishable from  the  others,  owing  to  the  conquerors  having  in  their 
piety  decorated  them  nearly  all  with  little  madonnas,  which  are  still  seen 
suspended  to  their  boughs. 

The  lime-tree  of  Morat,  planted  at  Fribourg  on  the  day  of  the  cele- 
brated battle,  is  one  of  the  oldest  trees  in  Europe.  This  glorious  event 
in  the  history  of  Switzerland,  having  occurred  in  the  year  1476,  the  ven- 
erated tree,  which  is  encircled  by  a  colonnade,, and  of  which  the'  aged 
branches  are  upheld  by  a  framework  of  wood,  must  be  now  more  than 
400  years  old. 

The  fir  attains  a  still  greater  age.  In  some  of  the  most  ancient  forests 
of  Germany,  situated  on  mountain  summits,  as  many  as  700  annual  layers 
have  been  counted  on  some  of  the  trees  cut  down  there. 

The  olive-tree,  so  revered  in  ancient  Greece,  and  which  inspired  such 
beautiful  verses  in  the  tragedy  of  ALdipus  by  Sophocles,  reached  a  much 
greater  age,  according  to  the  ancient  myth.  Pliny  even  asserts  that  in 
his  time  the  celebrated  olive-tree  which  Minerva  caused  to  spring  from 
the  ground  at  the  epoch  of  the  foundation  of  the  city  of  Cecrops  was  still 
to  be  seen  in  the  citadel  of  Athens. 

Sheltering  an  Army. 

An  immense  tree  on  the  road  from  Vera  Cruz  to  Mexico  is  celebrated 
for  having  sheltered  the  whole  army  of  Fernando  Cortez  beneath  its  mighty 
shade.  Its  birth,  according  to  some  botanists,  seems  to  date  from  an  epoch 
so  remote  as  to  be  almost  beyond  our  ken.  As  its  trunk,  which  is  1 17  feet 
in  circumference,  surpasses  that  of  the  baobabs,  and  as  its  growth  is  slower 
that  theirs,  De  Candolle  supposes  this  tree  may  be  several  thousand  years 
old.  The  army  of  Cortez  was  composed  of  six  hundred  Spanish  foot- 
soldiers,  forty  horsemen,  and  nine  small  pieces  of  artillery. 

Meanwhile  we  ought  not  to  be  astonished  at  seeing  some  botanists  look 
upon  trees  as  so  many  beings,  the  life  of  which  is  unlimited,  and  many  of 
which,  born  amid  the  debris  of  former  cataclysms,  still  vegetate  full  of  sap 


(559) 


560 


EARTH,  SEA  AND  SKY. 


and  vigor.  De  Candolle,  who  puts  forward  this  opinion,  considers  the 
giants  of  our  forests  as  so  many  aggregates  of  individuals,  or  buds,  annu- 
ally succeeding  on  the  stem,  which  thus  represents  a  living  soul.  This 
stem  grows  on,  century  after  century,  and  only  succumbs  by  accident,  as 
when  struck  by  lightning,  or  when  its  suckers  cannot  find  nutritive  juices. 
Thus  then,  we  repeat,  actual  science  demonstrates  what  antiquity  had 
only  dimly  seen. 


DRAGON'S-BLOOD  TREE  OF  THE  ISLAND  OF  TENERIFFE. 
The  slow  development  of  the  trunks  of  certain  trees  at  once  calls  up 
images  of  immobility  and  eternity.  The  dragon's  blood  tree  of  the  Cana  f 
ries  awakens  such  thoughts.  Thrice  famous  for  its  strange  look,  its  vast 
size,  and  its  antiquity,  this  dragon's-blood  tree  is  equally  so  for  the  station- 
ary condition  of  its  growth.  In  the  legends  of  TenerifTe  we  are  told  that 
this  singular  tree  was  worshipped  by  the  Guanches,  its  original  inhabit- 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  VEGETABLE  KINGDOM.  561 

ants ;  and  it  is  related  that  in  the  fifteenth  century  mass  was  celebrated  in 
the  interior  of  its  trunk,  a  fact  even  lately  attested  by  the  vestiges  which 
were  seen  of  a  little  altar.  This  tree  grows  so  slowly  that  after  a  tolerably 
long  interval  of  time  it  was  not  possible  to  verify  any  change  in  its  cir- 
cumference. 

It  was  accurately  measured  in  1402  by  the  companions  of  Bethencourt 
at  the  time  when  they  discovered  the  island,  that  is  to  say,  more  than  485 
years  ago,  and  since  then  it  has  in  no  way  increased  in  diameter.  Time 
has  passed  over  without  touching  it.  Humboldt,  when  he  ascended  the 
peak  of  Teneriffe  in  1799,  measured  this  tree  a  little  above  the  level  of  the 
ground,  and  found  it  forty-five  feet  in  circumference. 
Where  Camphor  Comes  From. 

Whilst  the  cinchonas  and  the  cinnamon  conceal  their  active  juices  in 
the  thickness  of  the  bark,  other  trees,  such  as  the  camphor  laurel,  spread 
them  through  all  their  organs — stems,  roots,  and  leaves.  These  trees, 
covered  with  brilliant  glazed  leaves  of  bright  green,  ornament  the  re- 
gions of  India  and  Java.  The  camphor  which  they  furnish  is  extracted 
in  the  easiest  manner :  all  the  natives  have  to%  do  is  to  break  up  the  tree 
into  small  pieces,  and  heat  these  in  water,  when  the  precious  essence  con- 
denses on  the  lid  of  the  retort. 

The  seeds  of  some  plants  are  used  by  the  Chinese  as  soap.  Sowerby 
has  suggested  that  the  leaves  of  the  soapwort  might  be  used  for  the  pur- 
pose, as  they  undoubtedly  were  in  by-gone  times,  especially  it  is  said  by 
the  mendicant  friars.  The  lather  formed  by  boiling  or  bruising  the  seeds 
in  water  has  all  the  effect  of  soap,  and  readily  removes  grease,  so  that  we 
here  find  nature  spontaneously  developing  a  great  manufacturing  pro- 
duct, which  under  man's  hands  has  taken  two  thousand  years  to  bring  to 
its  present  perfection. 

Beneath  the  burning  sun  of  India,  where  the  naja  distils  its  dreadful 
venom,  the  nettles  secrete  a  mortal  poison.  This  analogy  to  the  reptile 
is  doubly  exact,  so  that  we  are  not  at  all  astonished  to  see  a  German  bo- 
tanist call  the  urticae  "  the  serpents  of  the  vegetable  kingdom."  It  is  in 
fact  by  the  same  kind  of  organ  that  the  plants  introduce  the  venom  into 
a  wound ;  and  if  we  look  at  the  minute  quantity  with  which  one  of  their 
hairs  inoculates  us,  not  perhaps  the  hundred  and  fifty  thousandth  part  of 
a  grain ! — at  the  rapidity  and  intensity  of  the  symptoms — it  is  clear  that 
the  poison  of  the  nettle  is  the  deadliest  known. 

Our  indigenous  species  only  produce  a  burning  sensation,   which  is 
soon  dissipated,  but  those  of  tropical  countries  give  rise  to  very  serious 
results.     Leschenault  says  that  he  has  seen  the  sting  of  the   indented 
36 


562  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

nettle  bring  on  the  most  horrible  suffering  for  a  whole  week.  Another 
species,  which  grows  at  Timor,  and  which  the  natives  call  the  devil's  leaf, 
produces  such  serious  wounds,  that,  according  to  Schleiden,  amputation 
is  the  sole  means  of  saving  life. 

The  Fatal  Upas. 

In  the  midst  of  this  fearful  cohort  of  deadly  plants,  the  upas-tree  of 
Java  stands  prominently  out  as  one  of  those  which  distil  the  most  terrible 
juices.  Its  action  is  such  that  a  weapon  dipped  in  it  at  once  kills  any 
animal  it  strikes.  Travellers  relate  having  seen  several  criminals  die  in 
six  minutes  after  being  pricked  below  the  bosom  with  a  lancet  dipped  in 
the  juice  of  this  tree. 

No  tree  has  been  the  subject  of  so  many  ridiculous  fables  as  the  upas, 
and  till  quite  lately  they  were  popularly  believed.  On  the  faith  of  a  Dutch 
surgeon  it  was  related  that  the  upas  flowed  from  a  unique  and  singular 
tree,  which  vegetated  in  the  midst  of  a  frightful  solitude  in  Java,  "  the 
valley  of  death."  According  to  this  traveller,  no  living  creature  could 
resist  the  poisonous  vapors  which  it  exhaled,  and  for  three  or  four  leagues 
around  only  dead  bodies  and  skeletons  of  men  and  animals  were  to  be 
met  with.  The  birds  themselves  which  ventured  into  the  surrounding 
air  fell  to  the  ground  as  if  struck  by  lightning.  Criminals  condemned  to 
capital  punishment  alone  essayed  the  task  of  wresting  its  infernal  produce 
from  the  tree.  Many  tried  the  perilous  journey,  but  very  few  returned 
from  it. 

It  is  disgraceful  to  be  obliged  to  admit,  that  we  owe  the  refutation  of 
this  fabulous  narrative  to  so  recent  a  writer  as  Leschenault.  This  travel- 
ler noticed  that  the  famous  poison  is  furnished  by  two  species  of  trees 
which  grow  amid  the  forests  of  Java.  So  far  from  exercising  a  deleterious 
influence  upon  all  that  surrounds  them,  they  are  encompassed  by  a  luxu- 
rious vegetation,  while  birds,  lizards,  and  insects  lend  animation  to  their 
boughs  and  foliage.  The  learned  Frenchman,  while  examining  one  of 
these  trees  which  he  had  had  cut  down,  had  his  face  and  hands  covered 
with  exudation  flowing  from  the  broken  branches,  yet  he  experienced  no 
bad  effects  from  this  circumstance. 

But  it  is  very  different  when  the  juice  of  the  upas  is  introduced  into  the 
organism  by  means  of  the  smallest  puncture.     A  wound  of  this  kind  de- 
stroys a  dog  in  five  or  six  minutes,  as  Magendie  noticed  in  his  experiments. 
Eight  drops  of  the  juice  injected  into  the  veins  of  a  horse  kill  it  directly. 
Medicine  Stored  up  in  the  Vegetable  Kingdom. 

Other  plants,  more  happily  gifted,  instead  of  these  deadly  poisons, 
elaborate  at  the  same  time  medicinal  agents  and  nutritive  matters.  One 


POISONOUS   TREE   OR   UPAS   OF  JAVA. 


(563) 


564  EARTH,  SEA   AND  SKY. 

of  these  products  furnishes  a  remedy  in  sickness,  another  increases  the 
luxury  of  our  tables.  This  is  the  case  with  the  rhubarbs.  Their  large 
roots  are  quite  full  of  purgative  and  strengthening  principles,  whilst  their 
leaves  display  strong  stalks  which  serve  for  food.  In  our  country  an 
enormous  quantity  is  consumed  in  the  spring  for  pastry  and  side-dishes, 
and  at  this  time  of  the  year  trains  of  vehicles  heavily  laden  with  rhubarb 
leaves  are  seen  arriving  at  our  markets. 

For  long  a  kind  of  sympathy  between  certain  plants  has  been  observed 
to  exist,  as  if  one  loved  to  be  under  the  shade  of  the  other.  Thus  on  the 
banks  of  our  rivulets  the  amaranth-colored  flowers  of  the  purple  loose- 
strife constantly  adorn  the  vicinity  of  the  willow.  Other  plants,  on  the 
contrary,  seem  to  experience  an  aversion  one  for  the  other,  and  if  man 
inconsiderately  compels  them  to  approach  each  other,  they  languish  or 
die.  The  flax  plant,  for  instance,  seems  to  have  a  manifest  antipathy  for 
the  scabious.  At  the  present  time  these  peculiarities  are  explained  by 
assuming  that  the  roots  emit  products  favorable  to  certain  species  and 

hurtful  to  others. 

Marvelous  Eastern  Story. 

Among  the  strange  stories  to  be  found  in  the  narratives  of  the  early 
travellers,  few  are  more  strange  than  that  of  the  vegetable  lamb  of  Tar- 
tary.  This  story,  as  believed  by  the  reading  public,  and  even  by  the  nat- 
uralists of  two  centuries  ago,  is  so  marvelous,  and  so  obviously  absurd, 
that  the  greatest  wonder  is  that  it  ever  could  have  been  thought  to  be 
true,  even  by  the  most  credulous  in  a  dark  age. ' 

It  was  believed  that  in  an  elevated  and  uncultivated  salt-plain  of  great 
extent,  west  of  the  river  Volga,  there  was  to  be  found  a  wonderful  crea- 
ture, half  animal  and  half  plant,  to  which  the  natives  gave  the  name  of 
barometz,  meaning  little  lamb.  Struys  informs  us  that  the  Tartars  and 
Muscovites  esteem  it  very  much,  and  the  greater  part  preserve  it  with 
great  care  in  their  dwellings,  where  he  had  seen  many  of  them. 

To  obtain  it  the  Tartars  sow  in  the  ground  a  seed  like  that  of  a  melon, 
from  which  in  due  time  rises  the  strange  plant,  having  the  figure  of  a 
lamb,  with  the  feet,  hoofs,  ears,  and  the  whole  head,  except  the  horns,  of 
that  animal,  distinctly  formed.  It  grows  on  a  stalk  about  three  feet  in 
height,  being,  according  to  one  version,  rooted  to  the  ground  by  its  four 
feet,  while  another  account  raises  the  whole  lamb,  feet  and  all,  from  the 
ground  on  a  single  stem,  on  which  it  is  able  to  turn,  and  also  to  bow 
itself  downwards  to  the  herbs  on  which  it  feeds.  It  lives  as  long  as  there 
is  grass  and  herbage  around  it,  but  when  it-  has  consumed  all  within  its 
reach  it  dies  and  withers  away.  Its  skin  is  covered  with  a  very  white 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  VEGETABLE  KINGDOM.  565 

down,  as  fine  as  silk,  and  is  greatly  prized  by  the  Tartars,  who  pull  it  off, 
and  wear  it  as  a  cover  for  the  head.  Inside  it  is  composed  of  flesh  and 
bones,  and  when  wounded  it  gives  out  a  liquid  resembling  blood.  Wolves 
are  said  to  be  the  only  animals  that  will  eat  it,  and  they  are  very  fond  of  it. 


UNIQUE  TARTARIAN   LAMB. 

Specimens  of  this  remarkable  production  were  looked  upon  as  the 
rarest  treasures  in  the  collections  of  the  curious  in  days  gone  by.  Two 
different  specimens  have  been  described  in  the  "  Philosophical  Trans- 
actions," and  a  third  has  its  portrait  given  in  an  engraving  in  Mr. 


566  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Darwin's  "  Flower  Garden,"  and  its  history  told  in  the  florid  verse  of  that 
work.  These  various  figures  have  been  introduced  by  the  artist  into  the 
accompanying  illustration,  which  not  only  gives  the  old  fable,  but  its 
modern  interpretation  as  well. 

The  "  lamb"  is  a  natural  production,  greatly  helped  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  particulars  in  which  it  most  resembles  that  creature  by  the 
ingenuity  of  the  natives.  The  body  is  a  portion  of  the  creeping  stem  of 
a  tribe  of  ferns,  which  generally  grow  as  erect  as  trees.  This  stem  is 
densely  covered  with  beautiful  jointed  silky  hairs  of  a  rich  golden  color. 
On  the  surface  next  the  ground  a  few  roots  are  given  off,  while  the  leaves 
— or  fronds,  as  they  are  called  in  ferns — spring  from  the  upper  surface. 
The  fronds  are  as  much  as  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  high,  and  have  a  long 
bare  stalk  before  the  leaf  is  spread  out.  The  Tartar  takes  a  suitable  por- 
tion of  this  creeping  stem  for  a  body,  deprives  it  of  the  roots,  and  of  all 
the  leaf  stalks  except  four,  which  are  intended  to  be  the  legs,  two  short 
ones  for  the  ears,  and  a  stump  for  the  tail,  and  then  turning  it  upside- 
down,  trims  the  stem,  and  so  produces  this  marvel  of  the  early  explorers. 
The  fern  is  a  native  of  Eastern  Asia;  it  has  been  introduced  into  our 
conservatories,  where  it  flourishes,  producing,  after  a  few  years'  growth, 
good  specimens  of  the  "  lamb. 

The  silky  hairs  of  this  fern  form  a  favorite  remedy  among  the  Chinese 
for  checking  the  flow  of  blood  by  applying  them  to  a  wound,  in  the  same 
way  as  felt  or  cobwebs  are  used  by  some  people  in  this  country.  The 
more  fibrous  and  elastic  hairs  of  several  species  of  the  same  group,  na- 
tives of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  are  largely  exported  from  these  islands  to 
California  and  Australia  for  stuffing  cushions,  and  similar  purposes. 

The  Rafflesia. 

"  Come  with  me,  sir  ;  come  !  A  flower,  very  large,  beautiful,  wonder- 
ful ! "  exclaimed  a  Malay,  who  drew  the  attention  of  Dr.  Arnold  to  a 
flower,  remarkable  alike  for  its  enormous  size  and  its  anomalous  structure 
and  habit.  And  the  surprise  of  the  Malay  was  nothing  compared  with 
that  of  Dr.  Arnold  and  his  companions,  Sir  Stamford  and  Lady  Raffles, 
when,  following  their  native  attendant,  they  saw  among  the  bushes  of  a 
jungle  a  flower  apparently  springing  out  of  the  ground,  without  stem  or 
leaf,  and  measuring  at  least  a  yard  in  diameter.  The  first  news  of  this 
remarkable  discovery  created  a  great  amount  of  curiosity  in  Europe,  and 
no  papers  ever  read  at  the  Linnaean  Society  can  be  compared,  for  the  in- 
interest  they  excited,  with  those  in  which  the  illustrious  Robert  Brown 
described  this  wonder  of  the  vegetable  world. 

Sir  Stamford  Raffles  having  been  appointed  governor  of  a  settlement  in 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  VEGETABLE  KINGDOM. 


567 


Sumatra,  and  impelled  by  his  great  love  for  nature,  resolved  to  explore 
that  little-known  island.  On  his  first  journey,  in  1818,  he  took  with  him 
Dr.  Arnold,  an  ardent  and  promising  naturalist,  who  died  as  a  new  world 
was  opening  before  him.  He,  however,  discovered  this  gigantic  flower; 


his  drawings  and  descriptions  were  left  unfinished,  but  his  patron  carefully- 
preserved  and  perfected  them,  and  Robert  Brown  perpetuated  the  memory 
of  both  in  connection  with  the  plant,  by  naming  it  Rafflesia  Arnoldi. 

The  most  striking  feature  in  the  Rafflesia  is  its  enormous  size ;  indeed, 
It  is  the  largest  and  most  magnificent  flower  in  the  world.  It  is  composed 


568  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

of  five  roundish  leaves  or  petals,  each  a  foot  across,  of  a  brick  red  color, 
but  covered  with  numerous  irregular  yellowish  white  swellings.  The 
petals  surround  a  large  cup  nearly  a  foot  wide,  the  margin  of  which  bears 
the  stamens ;  and  this  cup  is  filled  with  a  fleshy  disk,  the  upper  surface  of 
which  is  everywhere  covered  with  curved  projections,  like  miniature 
cow's  horns.  The  cup,  when  freed  from  its  contents,  would  hold  about 
twelve  pints  of  water.  The  flower  weighs  fifteen  pounds.  It  is  very 
thick;  the  petals  being  from  one  to  three-quarters  of  an  inch. 
Gorgeous  Flower  with  Repulsive  Odor. 

A  flower  of  such  dimensions  and  weight  might  be  expected  to  be  a 
treasure  to  the  perfumer ;  but,  alas,  its  odor  is  exactly  that  of  tainted 
beef!  Dr.  Arnold  supposed  that  even  the  flies  which  swarmed  over  the 
flower  when  he  discovered  it  were  deceived  by  its  smell,  and  were  de- 
positing their  eggs  in  the  thick  disk,  taking  it  for  a  piece  of  carrion  ! 

Another  cause  of  wonder  to  the  little  band  of  explorers  who  discov- 
ered it,  was  that  they  could  find  no  leaves  connected  with  it.  It  sprang 
from  a  small,  leafless  creeping  stem,  about  as  thick  as  two  fingers.  Now 
a  plant  without  leaves  is  like  an  animal  without  a  stomach ;  for  the 
leaves  are  to  the  plant  what  the  stomach  is  to  the  animal ;  they  separate 
from  the  air  the  food  needed  for  the  growth  of  the  plant.  Without 
them  there  could  be  no  wood,  no  bowers,  no  fruit,  no  seed.  Plants, 
therefore,  have  leaves — some  consist  of  only  a  leafy  expansion,  and  even 
the  single  cells  of  minute  and  microscopical  plants  are  really  leaves  re- 
duced to  their  simplest  structure. 

There  are,  however,  strange  plants  which  are  actually  leafless,  making 
up  for  this  want  by  using  the  leaves  of  others.  Such  plants  are  called 
parasites,  because  they  feed  on  the  nutritive  juices  of  others.  Thrusting 
their  roots  into  the  living  tissues  of  other  plants  instead  of  into  the 
earth,  they  appropriate  the  prepared  food  of  these  plants,  and  at  once  ap- 
ply it  to  their  own  purposes  for  the  production  of  stem,  or  flower,  or 
fruit.  The  most  familiar  example  of  such  a  parasite  is,  perhaps,  the 
dodder,  one  kind  of  which  infests  cultivated  flax,  while  others  are  found 
on  clover,  heath,  and  whin.  The  gigantic  Rafflesia  belongs  to  this  class. 
Without  a  vestige  of  foliage,  it  rises  at  once  from  the  long  slender  stems 
of  one  of  the  wild  vines  of  Sumatra — immense  climbers,  which  are  at- 
tached like  cables  to  the  largest  trees  in  the  forest. 

The  buds  push  through  the  bark  like  little  buttons,  continuing  to 
grow  until  they  have  the  aspect  of  large  closed  cabbages,  and  in  about 
three  months  after  their  first  appearance,  the  flower  expands.  It  re- 
mains but  a  short  time  in  perfection,  soon  beginning  to  rot,  leaving  only 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  VEGETABLE  KINGDOM.  569* 

the  central  disk,  which  becomes  a  large,  rough  fruit,  filled  with  multi- 
tudes of  small,  simple  seeds. 

Brilliant  Tropical  Scene. 

One  of  the  arms  of  the  Delta,  through  which  the  Zambesi  pours  its 
waters  into  the  sea  is  the  Congone.  A  richly  colored  picture  unfolds 
itself  before  the  eyes  of  the  explorer  who  attempts  to  travel  by  it  into  the 
interior  of  the  country.  The  first  twenty  miles  is  shut  in  between  marshy 
lands  and  mangrove  trees,  the  latter  often  draped  in  valuable  lichens,  which, 
however,  do  not  seem  to  be  gathered.  Giant  ferns,  shrub-like  palm  trees 
blended  here  and  there  with  the  wild  date  palm,  are  seen  throughout  the 
forest,  but  the  greatest  number  of  trees  found  in  them  -are  the  mangrove 
tree,  or  rhizophora. 

These  true  amphibious  plants  do  not  love  to  be  fettered  to  the 
earth,  but  throw  out  wide-spreading  roots  into  the  bed  of  the  river,  and 
not  content  with  this,  send  down  from  their  wide-spread  branches 
aerial  roots  like  strong  ropes,  which  strike  root  as  soon  as  they  touch  the 
ground,  providing  the  parent  stem  with  fresh  support  and  nourishment,, 
but  making  the  tangle  of  roots  by  the  shore  almost  impenetrable.  The 
clusters  of  their  pale  yellow  fruit  contrast  pleasantly  with  the  bright  green 
leaves,  but  are  not  good  to  eat.  In  many  places  patches  of  milola,  with 
large  pale  yellow  blossoms,  cover  the  shore.  Rope  is  made  from  the  bark 
of  this  plant,  and  it  is  principally  used  for  the  lines  to  which  the  harpoons 
are  fastened;  harpooning  being  the  favorite  method  of  the  natives  for  cap- 
turing the  hippopotamus. 

As  we  advance,  screwpines  become  visible,  and  on  passing  from  the 
Congone  into  the  Zambesi  we  find  some  of  them  as  high  as  church  steeples, 
and  Livingstone  tells  us  of  the  remark  made  by  an  old  sailor  who  said 
that  to  finish  ofT  the  picture  "  there  only  wanted  a  grog  shop  by  the 
church."  Further  on,  the  lemon  trees  begin  to  be  visible.  The  sombre 
woods  re-echo  to  the  joyous,  merry  song  of  the  kingfisher.  As  the  steamer 
ploughs  through  the  winding  river  bed,  a  pretty  little  heron  or  brilliant 
kingfisher  rises  with  a  cry  of  terror  from  the  river  bank,  flies  before  us  for 
a  short  distance  and  settles  quietly  down,  to  be  scared  away  again  in  a 
little  time.  The  beautiful  fish  hawk  sits  on  the  crest  of  a  mangrove  tree, 
to  digest  his  breakfast  of  raw  fish :  he  has  made  up  his  mind  not  to  stirr 
and  it  is  only  when  we  are  close  upon  him  that  he  spreads  his  wide  wings 

and  takes  to  flight. 

Billowy  Sea  of  Fire. 

The  brilliant  ibis,  with  its  keen  sense  of  hearing,  catches  the  unaccus- 
tomed sound  from  afar,  and  springing  up  from  the  mud,  where  it  is  enjoy- 


(570) 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  VEGETABLE  KINGDOM.  571 

ing  a  quiet  family  dinner,  is  far  away  before  the  danger  approaches,  utter- 
ing a  loud  hoarsely  contemptuous  ha  !  ha !  ha !  as  it  flies.  The  rhizophora 
are  now  behind  us,  and  in  their  place  stretch  wide  levels  of  rich  black 
earth,  covered  with  giant  grasses,  which  rise  above  the  hunter's  head,  and 
so  make  the  chase  impossible.  When  the  grass  withers,  it  is  set  on  fire, 
and  the  conflagration  prevents  any  great  abundance  of  trees  from  being 
grown  ;  for  only  a  few  varieties,  such  as  a  fan  palm,  are  able  to  escape  the 
sea  of  fire  which  rages  every  year  across  the  grassy  plains.  Between  the 
bananas  and  cocoa  palms  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river  appear  several  of 
the  native  huts ;  they  stand  only  a  few  feet  above  the  moist  ground,  and 
are  built  on  piles  and  entered  by  means  of  ladders.  The  soil  is  very  fertile, 
and  the  gardens  are  really  excellent.  Rice  is  grown  in  great  abundance ; 
batatas,  gourds,  tomato,  kohl,  onions,  peas,  and  a  little  cotton  and  sugar- 
cane are  obtained.  It  is  said  that  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  the  pota- 
toes lose  their  taste,  and  assume  the  flavor  this  product  has  when  frost-bit- 
ten. 

It  was  Leuwenhoeck  who  first  of  all  noticed  that  the  vegetable  seed 
contains  the  young  plant  in  miniature,  traced  out  in  the  midst  of  its  en- 
velopes, and  only  waiting  for  favoring  circumstances  to  expand  its  leaves 
and  flowers.  Thus,  looking  philosophically  at  the  subject,  we  may  say 
that  certain  plants  are  viviparous.  •  There  are  even  some  in  which  the 
impatience  of  the  embryo  is  so  great,  that  in  order  to  reach  the  air  and 
light  more  quickly,  it  precipitately  escapes  from  its  egg  while  this  still 
adheres  to  the  mother. 

Extraordinary  Mangrove  Tree-Fish. 

This  peculiarity  is  seen  in  the  mangroves,  strange  plants,  half-tree,  half- 
fish,  living  half-plunged  in  the  sea  or  the  lagoons  of  tropical  America 
.and  India.  Suspended  above  the  water  by  their  bent  branches,  often 
quite  covered  with  oysters,  these  trees  let  drop  through  their  foliage  long 
roots  of  embryos  which  have  germinated  in  the  fruit.  These,  perfectly 
adapted  to  the  work  they  have  before  them,  are  like  little  pointed  clubs, 
and  have  attained  a  length  of  from  ten  to  fourteen  inches  at  the  time 
when  they  are  to  fall  into  the  water ;  so  that  they  sink  deep  into  the  mud 
which  encircles  the  mother  plant  and  form  a  family  group  around  her. 

Some  parasites  germinate  on  the  plants  or  animals  on  the  surface  of 
which  we  find  them.  This  occurs  in  the  microscopic  fungi  which  attack 
our  hair  and  beard,  and  bring  on  most  harassing  diseases,  tetters  and 
tineae,  as  the  labors  of  the  microscopists  of  our  day  have  placed  beyond 
a  doubt.  Similar  to  these  are  certain  parasitic  plants,  which  are  never 
found  except  upon  certain  insects. 


572  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

At  other  times  germination  takes  place  under  very  strange  conditions, 
Vandermonde  saw  children  in  whose  noses  peas  had  germinated  from 
having  been  imprudently  introduced.  Another  physician,  Brera,  men- 
tions having  opened  the  body  of  a  soldier  whose  stomach  was  filled  with 
barley  which  was  developing  itself  there. 

Plants,  like  animals,  have  a  circulation.  It  is  to  that  universal  genius 
Claude  Perrault,  at  one  and  the  same  time  physician,  architect,  and  natu- 
ralist, that  we  owe  the  discovery  of  this  phenomenon.  The  sap,  which  is 
in  fact  the  blood  of  the  plant,  circulates  through  its  vessels  by  means  of  a 
power  possibly  greatly  exceeding  that  which  drives  the  blood  through 
the  arteries  of  an  elephant.  The  celebrated  Hales  made  a  very  curious 
experiment  on  this  subject.  Having  fitted  a  long  tube  to  the  stem  of  a 
young  vine  which  he  had  severed,  he  saw  this  fluid  rise  forty-four  feet 
high.  These  results  appearing  very  extraordinary  to  the  French  physiolo- 
gists, they  soon  repeated  the  experiments  of  the  foreign  philosopher,  but 
they  were  greatly  astonished  to  see  that  they  were  within  the  mark.  In 
fact,  De  Candolle,  who  was  one  of  the  last  to  move  in  the  matter,  noticed 
that  the  force  with  which  the  sap  rises  in  the  vessels  of  the  plant  is  equal 
to  the  pressure  of  two  atmospheres  and  a  half,  or  to  the  weight  of  a  column 
of  water  eighty  feet  in  height. 

Tremendous  Enginery  of  Trees  and  Plants. 

Thus  in  an  occult  function,  which  is  performed  so  mysteriously  in  the 
vegetable  kingdom,  experiment  reveals  a  powerful  energy — an  energy 
which  surpasses  the  visible  and  tumultuous  circulation  in  the  largest 
animals.  Many  authorities  have  stated,  not  without  some  foundation, 
that  the  sap  rises  in  the  vessels  of  the  vine  with  at  least  five  times  as  much 
force  as  the  blood  circulates  in  the  crural  artery  of  the  horse — the  most 
important  blood-vessel  of  the  thigh — and  with  seven  times  as  much  force 
as  in  the  same  vessel  in  the  dog. 

It  is  certain  that  the  blood  which  the  heart  projects  so  violently  into  the 
vessels  of  large  animals  is  not  driven  with  so  much  power  as  impels  the 
sap  in  its  ascending  movement.  Indeed,  experiments  made  on  the  ox 
and  horse  have  shown  that  the  impulse  given  to  the  arterial  blood  would 
only  raise  a  column  of  blood  about  6  feet  6^  inches;  the  advantage  is 
therefore  not  at  all  on  the  side  where  it  was  supposed  to  be,  since  accord- 
ing to  what  has  been  already  stated,  the  vegetable  circulation  raises  a 
weight  fourteen  times  greater  than  does  that  of  the  largest  mammals. 

Thus  there  are  vessels  of  plants,  which  though  not  so  thick  as  a  hair,, 
are  yet  more  powerful  than  those  of  animals  that  are  thicker  than  the 
finger.  After  having  made  his  experiments  on  the  force  of  ascent  in  the 


THE   WINE-TREE   OR   WINE-BEARING   SAGO-PALM. 


(573) 


574  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

sap,  Hales  attempted  to  ascertain  the  rapidity  with  which  it  moved.  In 
order  to  arrive  at  this  point,  he  hollowed  out  a  deep  hole  in  the  soil,  laid 
bare  a  small  root  of  a  tree,  introduced  it  into  a  tube  filled  with  water, 
and  plunged  the  tube  into  mercury.  To  his  great  astonishment  he  very 
soon  perceived  that  the  metal  rose  in  the  tube  half  an  inch  per  minute. 

The  sap  is  formed  and  moves  with  such  force  in  certain  plants,  that  it 
is  not  uncommon  to  be  able  to  extract  a  large  quantity  of  it  in  a  short 
space  of  time.  The  sugar-maple,  scattered  over  our  northern  states,  pro- 
duces a  bucketful  in  a  day.  It  is  from  this  tree  that  they  get  the  maple 
sugar  consumed  throughout  the  country. 

In  the  tropical  countries  a  tree  yields  a  product  not  less  precious  to 
man — a  wine  ready  made.  This  is  nothing  else  than  the  sap  of  a  species 
of  palm — the  wine-bearing  sago-palm,  which  grows  in  Western  Africa, 
and  the  name  of  which  characteristically  indicates  the  benefits  it  yields. 
This  vinous  sap  is  mild  and  sweet  when  first  drawn,  but  a  few  hours  af- 
terwards it  ferments,  and  then  becomes  a  most  intoxicating  drink.  It  is 
very  widely  used,  and  the  tree  yields  it  in  profusion.  The  negroes 
quickly  fill  their  calabashes  with  it  by  hanging  them  to  the  petioles  of 
the  leaves,  which  for  this  purpose  are  cut  off  soon  after  their  birth. 

The  vegetable  circulation  has  such  energy,  and  the  liquid  which  it 
bears  away  is  produced  at  such  a  rate,  that  Scott  assures  us  that  out  of 
certain  birch-trees  there  flows,  in  spring,  a  quantity  of  fluid  equal  to 

their  weight. 

Strange  Things  Locked  up  in  Trees. 

Some  few  years  ago,  when  a  large  tree  in  the  environs  of  Orleans  was 
cleft,  a  cavity  quite  closed  up  was  found  towards  its  centre,  containing  a 
death's-head  and  crossbones.  The  astonishment  of  the  public  was  ex- 
treme, and  the  prodigy  was  talked  about  everywhere.  But  really  the 
whole  turned  upon  a  vital  phenomenon  of  which  physiology  gives  a  com- 
plete explanation.  At  a  distant  epoch  some  anchorite  of  the  forest,  hav- 
ing probably  hollowed  the  tree,  prostrated  himself  and  prayed  before  these 
human  relics,  which  he  placed  in  the  excavation.  Then  the  recluse  having 
disappeared  in  the  course  of  years,  nature  took  up  the  work  again  and 
ingeniously  preserved  the  oratory  by  covering  it  with  thick  woody  layers. 

During  the  siege  of  Toulon  a  ball  from  the  English  fleet  entered  deep 
into  the  stem  of  a  pine  standing  near  the  town.  The  wound  is  now  in- 
visible. Should  this  tradition  be  lost,  how  astonished  would  any  one  be, 
on  cutting  down  the  tree,  to  find  this  enormous  mass  of  iron !  Generally 
the  denser  plants  are,  the  slower  is  their  growth ;  on  the  contrary,  the 
softer  their  tissues  the  more  rapidly  are  they  developed. 


CURIOSITIES  OF  THE  VEGETABLE  KINGDOM. 


575 


Certain  plants  astonish  us  in  this  respect,  and  there  are  even  some,  the 
vital  energy  of  which  is  so  active,  that  we  can  in  some  measure  pry  into 
the  secrets  of  their  evolution  ;  accordingly  Cavanilles  conceived  the  idea 
of  seeing  the  plant  grow.  For  this  purpose  he  directed  strong  glasses, 
furnished  with  a  horizontal  micrometric  thread,  upon  the  end  of  the  stem 
of  certain  plants,  just  as  astronomers  do  when  they  place  the  cross-thread 
of  the  telescope  athwart  a  star  of  which  they  want  to  ascertain  the 
movement.  The  Spanish  botanist  made  his  observations  principally  on 
agaves  and  bamboos.  With  the  latter  the  experiments  might  yield  very 
clear  results,  as  they 
grow  with  such  ra- 
pidity that  we  some- 
times see  them  attain 
the  height  of  a  three- 
storied  house  in  a 
month. 

A  bamboo  which  /^ 
grew  a  few  years  ago  '^ 
in  one  of  the  green-  i*-| 
houses  of  the  public  §1 
gardens  in  Paris, 
lengthened   its   stem 
at  the  rate  of  about 
five  inches  and  four- 
fifths  daily,  so  that  it 
could  easily  have 

been   seen    growing,       ***& -^33350^-* 

as  its  upward  move- 
ment was  as  quick  as     GIGANTIC  PUFF-BALL  OF  ONE  NIGHT'S  GROWTH. 

that  of  the  large  hand  of  a  time-piece,  the  motion  of  which  is  visible. 

But  a  still  more  extraordinary  fact  is  noticed  with  respect  to  certain 
fungi,  and  it  may  be  said  of  them,  without  hyperbole,  that  they  grow 
visibly.  This  is  the  case  with  the  gigantic  lycoperdon  which,  springing 
from  a  seed  so  small  that  it  absolutely  escapes  our  sight,  reaches  the  size 
of  a  gourd  in  one  night,  so  that  it  may  be  said  without  any  exaggeration 
that  this  plant,  of  a  most  degraded  order,  acquires  a  bulk  which  our 
children  require  ten  years  to  attain.  This  fungus  being  only  composed  of 
microscopic  cells,  an  immense  number  are  required  to  make  it  up,  and 
besides,  they  must  grow  with  prodigious  rapidity. 


OM  TO 

uohfiv  JB  oKsm 

^mrriLfa  odT 
CHAPTER  XXII. 

Irnih  lo 
PERILS  OF  MOUNTAIN  AND  DESERT. 

Creation  a  Museum  of  the  Marvelous — Awful  Mountain  Peaks  with  Veiled  Faces — 
Mont  Blanc— Sovereign  of  Mountains— Attempt  to  Ascend  the  Giant  of  the 
Alps — Ambitious  Young  Naturalist — A  Complete  Failure — Snowy  Chasms — 
Afraid  to  Sleep — Determined  to  Conquer  or  Die — Trembling  on  the  Mountain's 
Edge — Adventures  of  Jacques  Balmat — Blinded  by  Exposure — Daring  Expe- 
dition—Scaling Snowy  Precipices — On  the  Far  Summit — Miserable  End  of  Bal- 
mat—World  Startled  by  an  Alpine  Tragedy— A  Russian  Traveller— Twelve 
Guides — "  Cowards  !  " — Forward — An  Awful  Disaster — Hurled  Headlong  Hun- 
dreds of  Feet— Death  in  the  Deep  Abyss— Bodies  Left  in  the  Yawning  Gulf- 
Running  Frightful  Risks— Miraculous  Escapes — Recent  Ghastly  Discoveries — 
Rivers  of  Ice — Famous  Mer  De  Glace — Flower  Garden  in  a  Desert  of  Snow — 
Hospital  of  St.  Bernard— Travellers  Caught  in  the  Storm— The  Great  St.  Ber- 
nard Dog — Rescuing  the  Perishing— Exploits  of  the  Dog  "  Bass" — Dangers  of 
the  Desert — Cyclones  and  Columns  of  Hot  Sand — Air  that  Scorches  Man  and 
Beast — Graphic  Description  of  the  Storm — Adventures  in  Africa— Zambesi  Falls — 
Perilous  Ascent  of  a  Nile  Cataract. 

YRIADS  of  interesting  and  curious  discoveries,  facts  and  mar- 
vels, have  already  excited  our  astonishment  and  admiration  in 
these  pages.  If  there  is  anything  in  the  whole  world  to  cause 
surprise,  impart  useful  information,  captivate  the  imagination, 
hold  the  reader  spell-bound,  and  so  fascinate  him  as  to  render  him  eager 
for  each  new  disclosure,  we  are  confident  that  it  is  to  be  found  in  this 
volume,  which  may  justly  be  called  an  epitome  of  the  marvelous  in  every 
realm  of  creation. 

But  before  passing  to  the  second  book,  and  diving  into  the  manifold 
mysteries  of  the  vasty  deep,  that  great  storehouse  of  wonders,  we  are  to 
complete  our  survey  of  the  land  by  a  tour  of  the  mountains  and  deserts. 
Behold,  then,  the  awful  peaks  whose  bald  heads  vail  their  faces  at  times 
with  clouds,  and  the  wide,  sandy  plains,  those  oceans  on  shore,  as  they 
may  properly  be  called,  which  abide  from  age  to  age  in  their  forbidding 
desolation  and  solitude !  These  must  not  be  overlooked. 

Mont  Blanc,  as  far  as  Europe  is  concerned,  may  justly  be  sung  as — 

The  Monarch  of  mountains, 
which  the  genius  of  nature  crowned 

On  a  throne  of  rocks,  in  a  robe  of  clouds, 

With  a  diadem  of  snow. 

Let  us  examine  some  of  the  narratives  of  the  different  attempts  which 
(576) 


PERILS  OF  MOUNTAIN  AND  DESERT.  577 

have  been  made  at  various  epochs -to  climb  this  immense  colossal  mass, 
regarded  as  inaccessible  by  man  until  the  close  of  the  last  century. 

The  summit  of  Mont  Blanc  is  15,739  ^eet  above  the  sea-level.  Prior  to 
the  celebrated  Horace  Benedict  de  Saussure,  no  person  had  conceived  the 
idea  of  climbing  its  scarped  flank.  It  was  not  even  known  whether  the 
rarefaction  of  the  air  at  elevations  so  lofty  would  not  prove  fatal  to  human 
life. 

Saussure  was  not  twenty  years  old  when  he  first  dreamed  of  attacking 
the  giant  of  the  Alps.  In  his  first  visit  to  Chamouni,  in  1760,  the  young 
naturalist  published  it  abroad  in  all  parts  of  the  valley  that  he  would  give 
a  sufficient  reward  to  the  guides  who  discovered  a  practicable  route  to 
Mont  Blanc.  He  even  promised  to  pay  the  day's  wages  of  those  whose 
attempts  proved  fruitless.  But  his  liberal  offers  led  to  no  result. 

It  was  not  until  fifteen  years  afterwards,  in  1775,  that  four  guides  of 
Chamouni  succeeded  in  making  the  perilous  ascent.  After  triumphing 
over  the  obstacles  which  opposed  their  progress  on  the  glaciers,  incess- 
antly intersected  by  immense  crevasses,  the  four  guides  penetrated  into  a 
great  valley  of  snow,  which  seemed  as  if  it  would  directly  approach  Mont 
Blanc.  The  weather  was  exceedingly  favorable ;  they  encountered  neither 
too  precipitous  slopes  nor  too  wide  crevasses,  and  apparently  all  things 
promised  success.  But  the  rarefaction  of  the  air,  and  the  reverberation 
of  the  sun's  rays  on  the  dazzling  surface,  fatigued  them  beyond  endurance. 
Succumbing  to  weakness  and  weariness,  they  found  themselves  constrained 
to  re-descend,  without  having  met  with  any  insuperable  obstacle. 
An  Attempt  Ending-  in  Failure. 

Seven  years  later,  three  other  guides  of  Chamouni,  made  the  same 
attempt,  following  in  the  track  of  their  predecessors ;  only  they  took  the 
precaution  of  passing  the  night  on  the  Montagne  de  la  Cote,  and  did  not 
venture  until  the  following  morning  upon  the  glacier  which  ascends  from  it. 

After  traversing  it  in  safety,  they  followed  up  the  vale  of  snows  which 
rises  towards  Mont  Blanc.  They  had  already  reached  a  great  elevation, 
and  were  pressing  forward  in  blithe  confidence,  when  the  boldest  and 
most  courageous  among  them  was  suddenly  seized  with  an  unconquerable 
longing  for  sleep.  He  begged  of  his  comrades  to  continue  the  ascent 
without  him ;  but  they  refused  to  abandon  him  in  such  a  condition,  or  to 
suffer  him,  as  he  wished,  to  sleep  on  the  snow.  Renouncing  their  enter- 
prise, they  all  returned  to  Chamouni. 

It  is  certain  that  even  without  the  accident  of  this  inopportune  lethargy, 
these  three  men  could  never  have  reached  the  goal  of  their  adventurous 
expedition.     They  would  have  still  had  a  long  distance  to  travel  before 
37 


578  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

arriving  at  Mont  Blanc,  and  the  heat  fatigued  them  excessively.  More- 
over, they  were  without  appetite  ;  the  wine  and  the  provisions  which  they 
carried  possessed  no  attractions  for  them.  So  that  one  said  seriously 
that  if  he  had  to  recommence  the  enterprise,  he  would  not  load  himself 
with  any  provisions,  but  take  only  an  umbrella  and  a  smelling-bottle. 
When  we  picture  to  ourselves  a  robust  mountaineer  scaling  the  slopes  of 
the  Alps  with  an  umbrella  in  one  hand  and  a  flask  of  eau  de  Cologne  in 
the  other,  we  gain,  by  this  singular  image,  a  vivid  idea  of  the  anomalous 
difficulties  and  unfamiliar  conditions  which  are  associated  with  the  ad- 
venture. 

Looking  at  the  annexed  engraving,  the  reader  will  be  able  by  the 
figures  to  locate  the  various  mountains  as  named  below  : 

i.  Mont  Blanc,  15,739  feet. — 2.  Dome  du  Gouter,  14,400  feet. — 3. 
Aiguille  du  Gouter,  15,550  feet. — 4.  Glacier  des  Bossons. — 5.  Glacier  de 
Tacconay. — 6.  Aiguille  du  Midi,  12,850  feet. — 7.  Chaine  du  BrSvent  et 
des  Aiguilles  Rouges. 

Again  Compelled  to  Retreat. 

On  the  1 2th  of  September,  1785,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Saus- 
sure  and  Bourrit,  Canon  of  Cologne,  accompanied  by  five  mountaineers 
loaded  with  provisions,  furs  and  coverings,  philosophical  instruments,  straw 
and  fuel,  began  their  march  to  the  conquest  of  Mont  Blanc. 

After  five  hours  of  this  fatiguing  labor,  the  incline  gradually  grew 
steeper,  and  the  quantity  of  fresh  snow  augmented  at  each  step.  Balmat, 
therefore,  went  forward  to  survey  the  remainder  of  the  ascent,  but  speedily 
returned  with  the  information  that  the  newly  fallen-  snow  was  so  dense  in 
the  upper  parts  that  the  summit  could  not  be  attained  except  at  the  risk 
of  life,  and  that  the  mountain-peak  was  covered  two  feet  deep  in  snow, 
which  rendered  progress  impossible.  His  gaiters  were,  in  fact,  covered 
with  snow  even  above  the  knee. 

Great  as  was  the  regret  which  they  experienced  in  abandoning  an  en- 
terprise so  auspiciously  commenced,  Saussure  and  Bourrit  wisely  resolved 
to  prosecute  it  no  further.  At  the  point  where  they  halted  the  barome- 
ter showed  an  elevation  of  11,250  feet.  The  guides  now  urged  an  imme- 
diate departure.  The  sun's  rays  had  melted  the  snows  and  rendered  the 
descent  dangerous.  But  walking  cautiously,  and  supported  by  their 
guides,  the  travellers  returned  without  accident  to  the  plateau  at  the  base 
of  the  Aiguille  du  Gotiter,  and  thence  re-descended  to  the  cabin. 

The  rock  on  which  this  enterprise  had  been  wrecked  was  the  lateness 
of  the  season.  Saussure  resolved  to  repeat  the  attempt  in  the  following 
year,  but  at  an  epoch  which  should  render  less  probable  and  less  formid- 


(679) 


CIKA  V1IATCUOM  H 
580  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

b  bfid  srf  Ibrm  eseestfnabliw  has,  HD^UW  ipsoil 

able  the  obstacle  of  fresh-fallen  snow.  As  a  preliminary,  and  to  lighten 
as  far  as  might  be  the  fatigue  of  the  last  day's  ascent,  he  ordered  his  fav- 
orite guide,  Pierre  Balmat,  to  construct  a  new  hut  at  a  point  considerably 
above  the  Pierre- Ronde — that  is,  at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  ridges  of  the 
Aiguille  du  Goftter.  He  recommended  him  at  the  same  time  to  make 
various  explorations  on  that  part  of  the  mountain,  so  as  to  determine  on 
the  most  feasible  route. 

Pierre  Balmat  took  to  himself  two  other  guides,  and  on  the  6th  of  July 
1786,  they  went  to  pass  the  night  in  the  hut  at  the  Pierre-Ronde.  They 
started  at  day-break,  and  following  the  same  track  which  Saussure  had 
taken,  ascended  to  the  Aiguille,  and  finally  to  the  DOme  du  Gouter;  but 
not  without  severe  suffering  from  the  rarefaction  of  the  air. 

While  Pierre  Balmat  and  his  friends  were  ascending  the  Aiguille  du 
Gouter  by  the  incline  of  the  Pierre  Ronde,  three  other  Chamouni  guides 
attempted  it  by  another  route.  As  it  was  then  believed  that  the  Dome  du 
Gouter  was  the  only  way  by  which  Mont  Blanc  could  be  approached,  some 
of  the  Chamouni  guides  had  divided  into  two  troops  to  test  the  compar- 
'  ative  facilities  of  the  two  routes  leading  to  the  Dome.  Frangois  Paccard, 
Michel  Cachat  (surnamed  T/ie  Giant) ^  and  Joseph  Carrier,  composed  the 
second  detachment,  They  were  joined  by  another  guide;  Jacques  Balmat, 
who  for  Some  years  had  been  independently  seeking  the  road  to  Mont 
Blanc,  and  for  whom  was  reserved  the  glory  of  first  discovering  it. 

Risking-  Life  on  the  Mountain's  Edge,     fumnua  j>rf$   ' 

The  two  groups  of  guides  having  reunited,  traversed  a  vast  snow- 
field^  and  gained  the  long  ridge  which  connects  the  Dome  du  Gouter  w/ith 
Mont  Blanc.  But  this  ridge,  which  strikes  between  two  precipices,  each 
6000  feet  in  height,  is  so  narrow,  and  of  so  abrupt  an  ascent,  that  it 
proved  utterly  impracticable  to  reach  Mont  Blanc  by  it.  The  guides  only 
acknowledged  this  evident  fact  with  much  reluctance.  Jacques  Balmat, 
however,  persisted  in  continuing  the  adventure.  He  risked  his  life  on  the 
.narrow  ridge,  and  to  move  forward  was  obliged  to  place  himself  on  all- 
fours  upon  the  species  of  dos  <t  dne  (ass's  back)  formed  by  this  terrible  es- 
carpment. His  companions,  frightened  at  his  temerity,  abandoned  him, 
.and  redescended  to  Chamouni.  i  bsH  ^srfT  .nofoibaqxs  ^nhfib 

After  brave  but  fruitless  efforts,  Jacques  Balmat  was  forced  to  desist  from 
his  impossible  enterprise.  He  retraced  his  steps,  still  straddling  along  the 
ridge,  like  a  child  on  his  grandfather's  stick.  But  he  found  himself  do 
scrted  by  his  companions,  who,  we  may  add,  felt  no  great  sympathy  ,for 
him,  because  he  had  followed  them  without  their  consent.  The  gallant 
.mountaineer,  piqued  by  their  cowardly  abandonment,  resolved  to  remain 


PERILS  OF  MOUNTAIN  AND  DESERT.  581 

•YHS  QVIA.    A.3^2    HT5TAT 

a!one  in  these  frozen  wastes  and  desolate  wildernesses  until  he  had  dis- 
covered a  practicable  mode  of  ascending  Mont  Blanc.  Instead  of  returning 
to  Chamouni,  he  descended  to  the  Grand  Plateau,  where  he  resolved  to 
pass  the  night. 

The  Grand  Plateau  of  Mont  Blanc  is  a  slightly-inclined  plane,  of  about 
2000  square  acres,  situated  upwards  of  9750  feet  above  the  sea;  swept  by 
continual  avalanches  and  exposed  to  the  most  biting  winds;  for  it  is  sur- 
rounded on  all  sides  by  peaks  of  snow,  where  the  traveller  can  find  neither 
rock  nor  stone  to  serve  as  a  shelter  or  a  resting-place.  Even  during  the 
summer,  and  in  the  sun,  the  thermometer  here  marks  always  zero.  In 
this  awful  desert  Jacques  Balmat,  without  covering,  having  only  his  man- 
tle and  his  alpenstock,  spent  the  night,  crouching  under  a  crag,  and  but 
poorly  defended  against  a  small,  drizzling,  frozen  snow,  which  fell  inces- 
santly. 

Finding  a  Pathway  to  the  Sovereign  Peak. 

At  daybreak  he  resumed  his  explorations  of  the  mountain.  It  was 
thus  that  he  discovered  the  proper  direction  in  which  to  climb  the  "  sov- 
ran peak" — namely,  by  following  up  the  valley  of  snow  which  stretches 
from  the  point  known  as  the  Grands  Mulcts,  and  ascending  from  thence 
to  Mont  Blanc  by  a  moderately  steep  acclivity.  The  bad  weather,  snow, 
excessive  cold,  and  want  of  provisions  prevented  Jacques  Balmat  from 
pushing  forward  to  the  goal ;  but,  in  redescending  the  valley,  he  ascer- 
tained with  exactitude  the  actual  course  to  be  pursued  in  order  to  gain 
the  summit. 

On  returning  home,  Jacques  Balmat  slept  for  eight-and-forty  hours 
without  once  awakening. 

The  incessant  refraction  of  the  sun's  rays  upon  the  snow  had  so 
fatigued  his  sight,  that  he  suffered  severely  from  diseased  eyes.  A  phy- 
sician, named  Paccard,  who  resided  in  Chamouni  village,  relieved  him 
from  the  opthalmia.  In  gratitude  for  his  cure  and  acknowledgment  of 
his  skill,  Balmat  revealed  to  him  his  great  discovery,  and  proposed  to 
him  to  share  the  glory  of  accomplishing  the  first  ascent  of  Mont  Blanc. 
Dr.  Paccard  accepted  the  proposal  joyfully. 

On  the  8th  of  August,  1786,  the  two  adventurers  commenced  their 
daring  expedition.  They  had  only  confided  to  two  persons  the  secret 
of  their  project  before  carrying  it  into  execution.  So  they  accomplished 
alone  this  lengthened  and  dangerous  route,  which  our  Alpine  climbers 
now-a-days  do  not  attempt  except  with  a  numerous  and  well-provided 
escort.  All  their  stores  consisted  of  a  couple  of  woolen  coverlets,  in 
which  to  wrap  themselves  at  night  under  the  shadow  of  some  projecting 


582  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

rock.  It  is  difficult  to  understand  how  these  two  men,  reduced  to  their 
own  resources,  in  the  midst  of  these  desolate  wastes,  these  ice-bound 
deserts,  which  had  never  before  been  trodden  by  human  foot,  could 
reach  the  goal  they  had  proposed  to  themselves,  in  spite  of  the  snows 
and  th^  precipices,  the  cold,  and  the  rarefaction  <of  the  atmosphere.  But 
it  is  certain  that,  after  passing  the  night  under  a  rock  on  the  plateau  of 
the  Grands  Mulcts,  they  ascended,  on  the  following  day,  to  the  u  monarch 

of  mountains." 

The  Miracle  Performed. 

The  inhabitants  of  Chamouni,  meanwhile,  had  assembled  in  crowds, 
and,  by  means  of  their  telescopes,  could  perceive  the  two  heroes  on  the 
topmost  peak  of  Mt.  Blanc — that  is,  of  the  loftiest  mountain  in  Europe, 
which  had  hitherto  been  considered,  utterly  inaccessible  to  man.  Jacques 
Balmat  and  Paccard  remained  for  half  an  hour  on  the  horse-shoe  ridge 
which  forms  the  actual  summit.  But,  owing  to  the  continual  reflection 
and  dazzling  gleam  of  the  sunlit  snows,  Paccard,  when  he  regained  the 
valley,  was  almost  blind ;  while  Balmat's  face  was  swollen,  his  lips  were 
congested  with  blood,  and  his  eyes  were  sorely  fatigued. 

"  It  is  strange,"  said  Paccard  to  his  companion  next  morning;  "  I  hear 
the  birds  sing,  and  it  is  not  day ! " 

"  That  is  because  you  cannot  see,"  replied  Balmat ;  "  the  sun  has  risen, 
but  the  swelling  of  your  eyelids  renders  you  temporarily  blind." 

Happily  this  accident  had  no  fatal  consequences.  Dr.  Paccard  died  in 
1830,  at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy-nine.  As  for  Jacques  Balmat,  he  per 
ished  miserably,  in  1834,  at  the  bottom  of  a  precipice.  Some  vague 
rumors  had  induced  him  to  believe  that  a  vein  of  gold  existed  on  the 
flank  of  one  of  the  lofty  peaks  which  shut  in  the  valley  of  the  Sixt  on 
the  northeast,  and  he  started  in  search  of  it.  But  the  place  indicated 
proved  inaccessible  ;  it  was  necessary  to  advance  along  a  narrow  cornice, 
beneath  which  descended,  sheer  and  sombre,  into  the  abyss  a  precipice 
nearly  four  hundred  feet  in  depth.  The  sight  froze  his  blood  with  terror. 
But  sometime  afterwards,  accompanied  by  a  chamois  hunter,  as  rash  and 
intrepid  as  himself,  he  renewed  the  attempt.  He  ventured  on  the  narrow 
cornice — a  few  steps — and  he  disappeared  in  the  abyss !  His  body  was 
never  found. 

A  Tragedy  that  Startled  the  World. 

It  was  with  a  purely  scientific  object  that  Dr.  Hamel,  councilor  of  the 
Russian  court,  betook  himself,  in  1 82 1 ,  to  the  foot  of  Mont  Blanc,  to  scale 
its  snowy  peak.  This  eminent  man  of  science  travelled  at  the  cost  of  the 
Russian  Government,  to  undertake  certain  inquiries  into  the  physical  con- 


PERILS  OF  MOUNTAIN  AND  DESERT.  583 

dttion  of  the  globe,  and  was  everywhere  attended  by  a  train  of  all  kinds 
of  instruments  of  observation.  We  shall  describe  the  ascent  of  Mont 
Blanc  attempted  by  the  Russian  physicist,  not  for  any  scientific  results 
obtained  from  it,  but  on  account  of  the  catastrophe  which  abruptly  termi- 
nated it,  sad  recollections  of  which  are  still  fresh  in  the  valley  of  Cha- 
niouni. 

On  the  3rd  of  August  1820,  a  first  attempt  was  made  by  Dr.  Hamel,  z^'d 
the  glaciers  of  Bionnassay  and  the  Aiguille  du  Gouter;  but  the  outbreak 
of  a  storm,  and  the  cloud^masses  which  hung  upon  the  mountain,  com- 
pelled him  to  descend. 

It  was  on  the  iSth  of  August  that  he  recommenced  his  ascent.  He 
was  accompanied  by  two  English  gentlemen,  Mr,  Dornford  and  Colonel 
Gilbert  Henderson.  Twelve  guides  escorted  them,  under  the  leadership 
of  Marie  Coutet. 

Having  started  from  Chamouni  at  six  A.  M.,  it  was  four  p.  M.  when 
they  arrived  at  the  Grands  Mulcts.  It  is  here  that  travellers  always  halt 
to  pass  the  night.  A  part  of  this  rock  is  shaped  like  the  letter  L;  a 
ladder  and  some  poles  covered  with  canvas  were  arranged  against  it  so 
as  to  form  a  sort  of  triangle,  in  whose  interior  Dr.  Hamel  and  his  com- 
panions spent  the  night,  lying  upon  straw.  But  in  the  evening  the 
weather  grew  stormy,  and  the  rain  began  to  fall.  The  atmosphere  was 
heavily  charged  with  electricity,  and  the  balls  of  the  electrometer  danced 
so  rapidly  to  and  fro  as  to  excite  alarm.  Throughout  the  night  the 
thunder  never  ceased  to  peal. 

Storm  in  the  Mountains. 

• 

All  the  following  day  the  rain  continued,  and  the  snow,  which  at  first 
only  fell  upon  Mont  Blanc,  began  to  approach  the  region  where  our 
travellers  had  encamped.  The  bad  weather  lasted  through  the  second 
riight,  which  was  spent,  like  the  preceeding,  under  the  miserable  shelter 
of  the  tent. 

The  commonest  prudence  should  have  dictated  to  the  travellers  an 
immediate  return  to  Chamouni.  The  guides,  having  consulted  together 
at  day-break,  were  unanimously  of  this  opinion  ;  but  when  they  intimated 
their  decision  to  Dr.  Hamel,  he  formally  rejected  it.  It  was  then  deter- 
mined that  three  guides,  Jacques  Coutet,  Joseph  Folliguet  and  Pierre 
Favret,  should  go  to  Chamouni  for  a  supply  of  provisions,  which  were 
now  running  short. 

It  had  been  settled  that  they  should  rest  quietly  in  their  encampment 
until  fair  weather  returned ;  but  at  8  A.  M.,  on  the  sky  brightening,  Dr. 
Hamel  decided  he  would  immediately  set  out.  The  guides,  who  realised 


584  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY.  ,-T3cj 

all  the  peril  of  traversing  in  the  midst  of  frightful  precipices  the  fresh  fallen 
snows,  refused  to  obey  so  imprudent  an  order;  one  of  them,  Auguste 
Teiraz,  burst  into  tears  ;  he  threw  himself  into  the  arms  of  a  comrade, 
exclaiming  :  "  I  am  a  lost  man  !  I  shall  perish  on  the  mountain !" 

This  sinister  presentiment  was  verified,  for  Auguste  Teiraz  was  one  of 
the  victims  of  the  catastrophe.  Colonel  Henderson  himself  was  of  the 
same  opinion  as  the  guides,  but  Dr.  Hamel,  stamping  his  foot,  and  looking 
the  Englishmen  full  in  the  face,  muttered  the  word  "  Cowards !"  An 
Englishman,  after  that,  could  no  longer  hesitate.  Each  person  made  his 
preparations  in  silence,  and  they  began  the  ascent.  The  first  part  of  the 
journey  was  accomplished  without  accident,  and  the  weather  became  very 
bright  and  beautiful.  Without  much  difficulty  they  ascended  the  Dome 
du  Goiter/and  reached  the  great  plateau  which  extends  at  the  base  of 
Mont  Blanc.  v3r{T  .fte>b  ni  vdrhl  bras  rhbiw 


Halting  for  a  Hearty  Breakfast. 


"  Here,"  says  Dr.  Hamel,  in  his  narrative  of  the  event, "  our  guides  con- 
gratulated us,  saying  that  we  had  now  surmounted  every  danger ;  no 
more  crevasses,  no  more  hazards.  Never  had  an  ascent  been  accom- 
plished more  quickly  or  with  less  difficulty ;  in  fact,  the  snows  had  just 
the  degree  of  consistency  suitable  for  easy  marching;  they  were  not  too 
hard,  and  yet  the  feet  did  not  sink  too  deeply  in  them.  No  one  felt  ill, 
though  all  of  us  had  for  sometime  experienced  the  effect  of  the  rarefaction 
of  the  air ;  my  pulse  beat  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  times  in  a  minute, 
and  I  felt  an  incessant  thirst.  Here  our  guides  invited  us  to  breakfast, 
for,  said  they,  up  higher  you  will  have  no  appetite. 

"  A  tablecloth  was  spread  on  the  snow  at  the  threshold  of  the  great 
plateau,  and  it  served  both  for  chairs  and  table.  Everyone  ate  with  gusto 
his  half  of  a  fowl ;  I  made  various  arrangements  for  my  experiments,  and 
the  observations  which  I  proposed  to  take  on  the  summit.  I  wrote  two 
notes  to  announce  our  successful  achievement,  leaving  only  a  blank  to  be 
filled  up  with  the  exact  hour.  It  was  my  intention  to  attach  them  to  a 
pigeon  which  I  had  brought  with  me,  and  which  I  proposed  to  release 
on  the  summit,  to  see  how  he  flew  in  so  rarefied  an  air,  and  also  to  ascer- 
tain if  he  could  retrace  his  way  to  Sallanches,  where  his  mate  awaited 
him.  We  preserved  a  bottle  of  our  best  wine  to  drink  on  the  peak  to  the 

f  -r-v        r- 

memory  of  De  Saussure. 

• 
"  At  nine  o'clock  precisely  we  resumed  our  journey,  and  toiled  towards 

the  summit  which  rose  before  our  wistful  eyes.  '  Would  you  take  a 
thousand  pounds/  said  one  of  my  companions  to  his  countryman,  '  to  go 
back  instead  of  ascending  ?'  The  reply  was,  '  I  would  not  return  for  any 


PERILS  OF  MOUNTAIN  AND  DESERT. 


585 


sum  that  could  be  named.'  We 
were  so  full  of  hope  and  joy  at 
seeing  immediately  within  our 
reach  the  goal  of  our  enter- 
prise." 

At  this  moment  the  travel- 
lers were  ascending  what  the 
guides  call  "  the  hood  of  Mont 
Blanc  f  that  is,  the  last  snowy 
incline  which  leads  to  the  top- 
most peak.  At  the  foot  of  this 
glacis  yawns  an  immense 
crevasse  of  ice,  twenty  yards  in 
width  and  fifty  in  depth.  They 
now  marched  in  single  file,  one 
after  another  ;  the  first  guide 
was  Pierre  Carrier,  the  second, 
Pierre  Balmat,  and  the  third, 
Auguste  Teiraz.  Next  came 
Julien  Devoissous  and  Marie 
Coutet.  Behind  these,  still  in 
single  file,  marched  five  other 
guides,  Dr.  Hamel,  and  the 
two  Englishmen. 

It  was  probably  this  order 
of  march  which  led  to  the  ca- 
tastrophe. By  advancing  in  a 
single  line,  they  furrowed,  as 
with  a  ploughshare,  the  newly 
fallen  snow,  which  had  not  yet 
had  time  to  consolidate  with 
the  old.  Thus  divided  by  a 
long  section,  the  portion  of 
snow  which  the  caravan  had 
trampled  separated  suddenly  ; 
it  glided  over  the  other  snow. 
All  the  party  was  carried  with 
the  avalanche  down  the  steep  AWFUL  CATASTROPHE  IN  THE  CHASMS 
declivity  at  whose  base  opened,  OF  MONT  BLANC. 

as  if  to  engulf  them,  the  immense  crevasse  to  which  we  have  referred. 


586  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  mass  of  frozen  snow  which  in  this  wise  broke  loose  was  1000  yards 
in  length,  by  seventy  in  breadth,  but  not  three  feet  in  depth. 

Everybody  was  thrown  down  and  rolled  in  the  snow.  The  three  guides 
who  led  the  way,  Pierre  Carrier,  Pierre  Balmat,  and  Auguste  Teiraz,  were 
dashed  headlong  into  the  crevasse.  Julien  and  Marie  Coutet,  propelled  by 
a  more  violent  impulse,  were  fortunate  enough  to  sweep  across  the  abyss  and 
fall  into  another  crevasse,  happily  not  so  deep,  and  half  full  of  snow,  from  which 
they  were  easily  extricated.  By  a  merciful  Providence,  the  other  guides, 
Dr.  Hamel,  and  the  two  Englishmen,  arrested  their  descent  on  the  border 
of  the  gulf.  They  had  rolled  over  and  over  from  a  height  of  300  feet. 

Crushed  and  Buried  under  Snow  and  Rocks. 

•Julien  Devoissous  and  Marie  Coutet  remained  a  moment  without  con- 
sciousness. Julien,  with  his  head  beneath  him,  was  wounded  all  over 
w|th  blows  received  against  the  narrow  sides  of  the  crevasse.  Marie  Cou- 
tej:  was  half  buried  in  the  snow,  which  filled  this  chasm  for  a  depth  of  sixty 
feet.  Embedded  up  to  his  neck,  he  was  unable  t<3  make  any  movement, 
arid  his  face  wore  the  purple  color  of  asphyxia.  He  called  with  a  strug- 
gling voice  to. his  companion  ;  Julien,  having  succeeded  in  liberating  him- 
salf,  made  use  of  his  alpenstock  to  clear  away  the  snow  which  covered  his 
friend's  body.  The  two  mountaineers  remained  for  some  minutes  seated 
opposite  one  another  without  uttering  a  word ;  they  thought  that  they 
alone  had  survived  this  fall. 

Happily  it  was  not  so.  Several  of  their  comrades,  having  almost 
miraculously  escaped  the  avalanche,  clung  to  the  edge  of  the  crevasse 
which  had  so  nearly  proved  their  tomb.  One  of  them,  Mathieu  Balmat, 
contrived  to  slide  along  it,  and  to  carry  assistance  to  the  others.  He 
threw  to  them  a  hatchet,  with  which  they  hewed  out  steps  in  the  ice. 
When  they  had  gained  a  sufficient  height  he  extended  to  them  an  iron- 
tipped  pole,  and  drew  them  out  of  danger. 

In  the  depths  of  the  Frightful  Abyss. 

The  travellers  newfound  themselves  assembled  in  one  spot;  they 
counted  their  numbers.  Three  guides  were  missing ;  the  three  who'had 
formed  the  vanguard.  They  had  fallen  into  the  great  crevasse.  Math- 
ieu Balmat  had  seen  them  precipitated  into  its  abyss  ;  and  Julien  Coutet, 
at  the  very  moment  of  his  own  fall,  and  while  rolling  over  and  over,  had 
noticed  something  like  a  black-colored  leg  flash  rapidly  before  his  eyes, 
and  descend  in  the  crevasse  ;  undoubtedly  it  was  Auguste  Teiraz,  who 
wore  black  gaiters — the  same  who  had  shown  so  lively  an  apprehension 
when  Dr.  Hamel,  in  defiance  of  warnings  and  counsel,  had  given  the 
imperious  order  of  departure. 


PERILS  OF  MOUNTAIN  AND  DESERT.  587 

Doctor  Hamel  was  prostrated  with  regret  and  pain.  As  for  the  two 
Englishmen,  words  cannot  describe  their  keen  remorse.  They  flung 
themselves  down  upon  the  snow;  they  seemed  temporarily  bereft  of 
reason.  They  declared  they  would  not  quit  the  accursed  spot  until  they 
had  recovered,  dead  or  alive,  the  three  unfortunate  men  of  whose  loss  they 
accused  themselves. 

In  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  the  guides,  Mr.  Dor n ford  and  Dr. 
Hamel  descended  into  the  great  crevasse,  their  bodies  half  buried  in  the 
soft  snow.  They  sounded  everywhere  with  their  iron-tipped  staves,  but 
encountered  no  resistance.  With  all  their  strength  they  shouted  the 
names  of  the  missing  guides  ;  but  at  so  immense  an  elevation  the  rarified 
air  produced  but  feeble  sounds. 

Presuming  that  they  were  buried  under  a  thick  stratum  of  snow, 
Hamel  thrust  in  his  staff  to  its  entire. length,  and  stretching  himself  on 
the  surface,  he  held  the  staff  firmly  with  his  teeth  ;  then  he  listened  with 
profound  attention.  But  there  came  no  answer ;  nothing  troubled  the 
silence  of  that  lugubrious  sepulchre. 

A  Grave  in  Eternal  Snow. 

They  were  compelled  to  discontinue  the  fruitless  search.  Dr.  Hamel 
and  his  companion  returned  to  the  plateau.  The  unfortunate  guides 
were  lying  at  least  150  feet  deep  in  the  snow.  There  was  no  recourse 
but  to  abandon  them,  and,  since  that  epoch,  no  tourist  who  makes  the 
ascent  of  Mont  Blanc  can  pass  without  a  throbbing  heart  the  abyss  of  ice 
where  perished  so  miserably  the  three  inhabitants  of  the  valley. 

As  the  day  advanced  the  cold  became  icy ;  for  at  that  elevation  our 
travellers  had  nearly  attained  the  height  of  Mont  Blanc  itself.  They 
had  spent  two  hours  in  fruitless  search  on  the  borders  of  the  great  cre- 
vasse ;  it  was  absolutely  necessary  they  should  begin  the  descent,  if  they 
did  not  wish  to  be  overtaken  by  night  and  darkness  in  the  midst  of  the 
precipices,  and  incur  the  hazard  of  being  frozen  to  death. 

The  guide  Mathieu  Balmat  then  drew  near  to  Dr.  Hamel,  and  looking 
him  full  in  the  face,  even  as  the  doctor  had  confronted  him  on  the  morn- 
ing of  that  fatal  day, — 

"  Well,  sir,"  he  exclaimed,  "  are  we  cowards ;  and  will  you  still 
ascend  ?" 

The  doctor  replied  by  giving  the  signal  of  return.  He  would  fain 
have  persuaded  some  of  the  guides  to  pass  the  night  on  the  edge  of  the 
crevasse,  and  there  await  the  succor  which  was  hastening  up  from 
Chamouni.  It  was,  perhaps  to  doom  them  to  death.  The  suggestion, 
therefore,  was  received  by  the  guides  with  indignant  remonstrances,  and 


588  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

they  reproached  the  foreigner  with  having  caused  by  his  obstinacy  the 
death  of  their  comrades. 

Strange  and  Painful  Sensations. 

On  their  homeward  route  each  related  the  sensations  he  had  undergone 
at  the  moment  of  the  descent  of  the  avalanche.  Julien  Coutet  had  rolled 
over  thrice  before,  bounding  across  the  great  crevasse,  he  fell  into  the 
small  one.  He  attributed  his  safety  to  the  circumstance  that  he  carried, 
dlung  across  his  back,  the  barometer-case  of  the  doctor,  which  had  held 
him  momentarily  suspended  on  the  brink  of  the  abyss,  whence  he  had 
rebounded  like  a  ricochet  shot.  Marie  Coutet  had  seen  four  of  the  five 
guides  who  preceded  him  fall  with  their  feet  uppermost;  only  one  seemed 
to  preserve  his  upright  attitude.  As  for  himself,  he  had  felt  hurled  along 
like  a  cannon  ball,  and  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  lo,  he  was  lying 
half  buried  on  a  bed  of  snow!  A  second  afterwards,  another  of  his 
comrades  seemed  to  drop  from  heaven  by  his  side ;  it  was  Julien 
Devoissous. 

The  only  one  of  the  guides  not  swept  away  by  the  avalanche  was 
Mathieu  Balmat.  Divining  what  had  happened ;  comprehending,  with 
the  instinct  of  a  mountaineer,  that  the  new  snow  had  separated,  from  the 
old,  and  was  gliding  in  one  mass  down  the  incline;  gifted,  moreover,  with 
prodigious  physical  strength,  he  thrust  his  long  iron-tipped  pole  through 
the  recent  snow,  which  was  not  above  three  feet  deep,  and  planted  it  in 
the  older  and  indurated  soil.  By  exerting  all  his  energy  he  was  able  to 
cling  to  the  pole,  while  the  avalanche  carried  away  beneath  him  his  com- 
panions and  his  brother,  Pierre  Balmat,  to  find  a  sudden  and  terrible 
death  at  the  bottom  of  the  abyss. 

Fortunate  Escape  for  Some  of  the  Party. 

Thrown  down  and  rolled  over  like  the  others,  Dr.  Hamel  had  found 
himself  fortunately  checked  on  the  edge  of  the  crevasse.  Colonel  Hen- 
derson was  driven  much  nearer  the  fatal  brink,  and  had  only  been  ar- 
rested in  his  headlong  course  by  the  mass  of  snow  which  surrounded 
him.  He  was  completely  interred  in  it,  even  his  head  being  covered,  and 
was  only  extricated  from  it  with  great  difficulty.  On  arriving  at  the 
Grands  Mulcts  they  met  the  three  guides  despatched  in  the  morning  to 
obtain  a  supply  of  provisions,  and  who  now  returned  with  the  rest  of  the 
expedition.  All  these  brave  mountaineers,  struck  with  a  kind  of  stupor, 
deplored  with  one  voice  the  death  of  their  comrades,  and  the  distress  into 
which  the  event  had  plunged  their  families. 

The  two  Englishmen  contributed  very  generously  to  their  relief,  but 
Dr.  Hamel,  whose  conduct  throughout  was  characterized  by  want  of  feel' 


. 


(589) 


590  EARTH   SEA,  AND  SKY. 

ing  and  a  hjacLtrong  arrogance,  took  no  part  in  providing  for  them. 
Nothing,  however,  could  console  the  mother  of  one  of  the  three  victims, 
Pierre  Balmat.  She  wept  incessantly;  three  months  afterwards  she 

died. 

Ghastly  Discoveries  of  a  Recent  Date. 

On  the  1 5th  of  August,  1861,  was  fulfilled  the  last  episode  of  this  sor- 
rowful tragedy.  A  Chamouni  guide  discovered  on  the  glacier  des  Bos- 
sons  two  human  skulls  with  their  integuments,  and  an  arm  with  the  hand 
still  adhering,  the  whole  clothed  in  ruddy  flesh.  A  few  fragments  of  bags, 
and  clothes,  and  other  signs,  left  no  doubt  that  these  ghastly  wrecks  had 
belonged  to  the  two  guides,  Pierre  Balmat  and  Pierre  Carrier.  Finally, 
on  the  1st  July,  1863,  forty-three  years  after  the  catastrophe,  the  glacier 
des  Bossons  surrendered  some  additional  human  remains  ;  a  foot,  covered 
with  its  flesh  and  nails,  still  attached  by  the  muscles  to  a  fleshless  tibia. 
By  the  side  of  the  foot  lay  a  compass,  probably  Dr.  Hamel's,  which  the 
guide  Auguste  Teiraz  had  carried.  It  was  a  grandson  of  the  victim, 
Joseph  Teiraz,  photographer  of  Chamouni,  who  chanced  upon  this  sad 
discovery.  * 

Many  ascents  of  Mont  Blanc  have  been  undertaken  since  those  described 
in  the  preceding  pages.  Mountaineering  has,  in  truth,  become  a  mania ; 
in  England  an  "  Alpine  Club  "  has  been  formed  for  its  scientific  develop- 
ment ;  and  the  Mont  Blanc  route  is  now  so  well  defined  that  it  has  been 
successfully  accomplished  by  ladies.  Few  adventurers,  however,  escape 
without  some  more  or  less  dangerous  mishap ;  and  there  seems  much 
good  sense  in  the  words  with  which  Captain  Sherwill,  one  of  the 
number,  ends  a  recent  narrative : — "  I  advise  no  one  to  undertake 
an  ascent,  for  the  result  can  never  have  an  importance  proportionate 
to  the  dangers  which  you  must  incur,  and  in  which  you  must  involve 
others." 

Rivers  of  Ice. 

Among  the  most  wonderful  phenomena  of  the  mountains  must  be  men- 
tioned those  great  frozen  rivers  which  move  so  slowly  toward  the  valleys, 
yet  never  melt. 

Even  Lord  Macaulay's  school-boy  knows  by  name  the  famous  Mer  de' 
Glace,  or  Eis-see,  of  the  Chamouni  valley.  We  know  that  words,  when 
wielded  by  a  master-spirit,  are  powerful  to  move  the  hearts  and  agitate 
the  minds  of  men ;  to  realize  the  highest  dreams  of  the  poet's  fancy  and 
embody  the  airiest  creations  of  the  romancist's ;  but,  assuredly,  no  words 
can  convey  even  the  feeblest  idea  of  the  wonders  of  this  vast  frozen  sea 
— girdled,  as  it  is,  by  a  giant  range  of  frozen  mountains — lit  up  by  a 


PERILS  OF  MOUNTAIN  AND  DESERT.  5'J1 

myriad  fantastic  and  ever-shifting  rainbow  hues,  and  rendered  awful  by 
its  intense  solitude  and  silence  ! 

All  that  expands  the  spirit,  yet  appalls, 

Gathers  around ; 

and  nowhere  does  man  feel  more  terribly  dwarfed  and  humbled  by  a  sub- 
limity which  he  is  wholly  unable  to  comprehend! 

The  most  striking  portion  of  the  Mer  de  Glace  is  the  Glacier  de  Tal- 
efre,  where  a  solitary  rock,  about  seven  acres  in  extent,  and  nowhere  less 
than  9000  feet  above  the  sea,  is  clothed  with  beautiful  herbage,  and,  in 
August,  dressed  out  in  flowers — an  oasis  of  poetry  in  the  midst  of  the 
most  awful  desolation — a  Calypso's  island  set  in  a  sphere  of  azure  ice — 
the  Jardin,  or  Garden,  as  it  is  appropriately  called,  of  a  palace  ojf  Titans. 
The  Mountain  Traveller's  Friend. 

Situated  between  Switzerland  and  Savoy,  is  one  of  the  most  dangerous 
passes  of  the  Alps.  In  these  regions  the  traveller  is  often  overtaken  by 
the  most  severe  weather,  even  after  days  of  cloudless  beauty,  when  the 
glaciers  glitter  in  the  sunshine,  and  the  pink  flowers  of  the  rhododendron 
appear  as  if  they  were  never  to  be  sullied  by  the  tempest.  But  a  storm 
suddenly  comes  on;  the  roads  are  rendered  impassable  by  drifts  of  snow; 
the  avalanches — huge  loosened  masses  of  snow  or  ice — are  swept  into 
the  valleys,  carrying  trees  and  rocks  before  them. 

Of  the  Monastery,  nearly  on  the  top  of  the  Great  St.  Bernard,  Rogers 

says  : 

It  is  a  pile  of  simplest  masonry, 
With  narrow  windows  and  vast  buttresses, 
Built  to  endure  the  shocks  of  time  and  chance  ; 
Yet  showing  many  a  rent,  as  well  it  might, 
Warred  on  for  ever  by  the  elements. 

Not  a  bush  is  to  be  found  near  the  edifice  ;  even  the  wood  for  its  fires 
is  fetched  from  the  Forest  of  Fewet — a  distance  of  four  leagues.  Even  in 
the  height  of  summer  it  always  freezes  there  early  in  the  morning.  The 
Hospice  is  rarely  four  months  clear  of  snow ;  its  average  depth  around  is 
seven  or  eight  feet,  and  sometimes  there  are  drifts  rising  to  the  height  of 
forty  feet  against  it. 

Its  inmates  have  been  pictured  by  Rogers  as 

Answering,  and  at  once,  to  all 
The  gentler  impulses — to  pleasure,  mirth  ; 
Mingling,  at  intervals,  with  rational  talk, 
Music  ;  and  gathering  news  from  them  that  came 
As  of  some  other  world.     But  when  the  storm 
Rose,  and  the  snow  rolled  on  in  ocean  waves, 
When  on  his  face  the  experienced  traveller  fell, 


592 


EART.T,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


Sheltering  his  lips  and  nostrils  with  his  hands, 

Then  all  was  changed  ;  and,  sallying  with  their  park 

Into  that  blank  of  nature,  they  became 

Unearthly  beings ! 

So,  not  merely  in  poetry,  but  in  fact,  it  often  occurs.  It  is  a  rule  cf 
the  Monastery,  that  every  day,  whatever  the  weather  may  be,  two  able 
men,  called  maroniers,  accustomed  to  the  mountains,  should  proceed,  the 


CELEBRATED   ST.    BERNARD    DOGS    RESCUING   A   TRAVELLER. 

one  towards  the  Italian  side,  the  other  towards  the  Vallais.  They  trav- 
erse the  pass  during  the  whole  of  the  day,  each  cne  attended  by  a  dog — 
with  a  flask  of  spirits  fastened  to  his  neck — keeping  a  path  opened  in  the 
snow,  and  watching  for  passengers.  If  the  maronier  meets  with  any  per- 
son bewildered  or  exhausted,  or  his  dog  intimates  that  any  one  is  under 
the  snow,  he  instantly  renders  aid,  or  runs  to  the  Hospice  to  gain  assist- 
ance. Conducted  thither,  all  that  is  practicable  for  the  sufferer  is  done 
promptly  and  zealously. 


PERILS  OF  MOUNTAIN  AND  DESERT.  593 

•The  dogs  originally  were  brought  from  Spain.  The  monks,  having 
neglected  to  keep  up  a  larger  stock  of  the  old  race,  it  was  nearly  de- 
stroyed by  a  malady,  about  forty  years  ago,  when,  from  necessity,  the 
present  race  was  introduced.  One  of  them,  named  Barry,  saved  a  great 
number  of  lives ;  and  another  dog,  called  Jupiter,  was  also  very  success- 
ful. One  day  he  saw  some  person  pass  the  Hospice,  and  immediately  set 
out  after  the  traveller.  After  some  time,  his  absence  was  remarked,  and 
one  of  the  maroniers,  pursuing  his  track,  found  him  posted  over  a  drift  of 
snow  where  a  poor  woman,  with  her  child,  were  about  to  perish.  But 
these  he  was  the  instrument  of  saving  from  death. 

Sir  T.  D.  Lauder  had  a  puppy  of  about  four  or  five  months'  old,  pre- 
sented to  him  by  a  friend,  who  brought  it  from  the  Great  St.  Bernard. 
Dog"  Acting-  as  Postman. 

When  a  dog  attacked  Bass,  as  he  was  called,  in  the  street  or  road,  he 
would  run  away,  rather  than  quarrel ;  but,  when  compelled  to  fight,  he 
turned  upon  the  foe,  threw  him  down,  and  then,  without  biting  him, 
would  lay  his  whole  immense  bulk  down  upon  him  till  he  was  nearly 
smothered — a  mode  of  treatment  which  was  attributed  to  his  youth. 

Of  his  strength,  the  following  is  an  instance  : — It  was  the  duty  of  the 
postman — to  whom  Bass  took  a  special  fancy — besides  delivering  letters, 
to  take  a  bag  from  one  receiving  house  to  another,  and  this  he  gave  the 
dog  to  carry,  which  followed  him  through  all  the  villas  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, where  he  had  deliveries  to  make,  and  always  parted  with  him  op- 
posite to  the  gate  of  the  Convent  of  St.  Margaret's,  and  returned  home. 
When  his  owner's  gate  was  shut,  to  prevent  his  following  the  postman, 
the  dog  always  leaped  a  high  wall  to  get  after  him. 

One  day,  this  postman,  from  some  cause  or  other,  sent  another  man  in 
his  place.  Bass  went  up  to  him,  curiously  scanning  his  face,  whilst  the 
man  rather  retired  from  the  dog  as  if  anxious  to  decline  his  acquaint- 
ance. But  Bass,  following,  showed  strong  symptoms  that  he  meant  to 
have  the  post-bag,  while  the  man  seemed  equally  intent  on  retaining  it. 
At  length,  as  all  Bass'  civil  entreaties  failed,  he  raised  himself  on  his  hind 
legs,  put  a  great  fore  paw  on  each  of  the  man's  shoulders,  laid  him  flat  on 
his  back  in  the  road,  and  coolly  walked  away  with  the  bag.  The  man 
got  up,  much  dismayed,  following  the  dog,  and  trying,  in  vain,  what 
coaxing  would  do ;  but  he  was  relieved  at  the  first  house  he  called  at  by 
being  told  that  the  dog  always  carried  the  bag.  Bass  walked  with  the 
man  to  all  the  houses  at  which  he  had  to  deliver  letters,  and  along  the 
road  till  he  came  to  the  gate  of  St.  Margaret's,  where  he  dropped  the  bag, 
and,  making  his  bow  to  the  postman,  returned  home. 
38 


594  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Not  alone  on  the  mountains  is  human  life  endangered.  Whirlwinds 
and  tempests  sweeping  hill  and  sandy  plain  are  the  breeders  of  destruction. 

Violent  whirlwinds  are  often  seen  in  the  midst  of  great  conflagrations. 
A  cane  forest  surrounded  by  a  few  isolated  trees  on  the  border  of  the 
Black  Warrior  River  in  Tuscaloosa,  Alabama,  broke  out  into  flames, 
which  spread  over  a  surface  of  twenty-five  acres.  Whirlwinds  of  various 
forms  were  seen  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  fire.  At  first  they  were  com- 
paratively slight,  not  exceeding  thirty-five  or  forty  feet  in  height,  but  as 
the  fire  spread  they  rose  to  a  height  of  more  than  two  hundred  feet. 
The  flame  and  the  smoke  arising  from  the  whirlwinds  were  wholly  distinct 
from  the  general  mass  sent  up  by  the  fire.  Even  when  the  fire  had  burnt 
out  in  a  great  part  of  the  forest,  the  whirlwinds  still  rose  above  the  ashes. 
The  wind  was  blowing  from  the  northeast  when  the  fire  broke  out,  but 
shortly  afterwards  the  wind  blew  near  the  ground  from  all  sides  toward 
the  centre  of  the  fire.  The  columns  of  smoke  rose  more  than  six  hun- 
dred feet  vertical  in  the  air,  and  then  suddenly  bent  toward  the  southwest, 
clearly  showing  where  the  north  wind  struck  them. 
Fires  Producing  Whirlwinds. 

Immense  whirlwinds  are  often  seen  accompanying  the  large  clearing 
fires  of  the  backwoods.  Seven  acres  of  timber  and  brushwood  were 
fired  at  Amherst,  Mass.,  on  a  warm  windless  day,  when  the  smoke  and 
flame  united  in  a  large,  whirling,  cylindrical  column,  accompanied  by 
violent  roaring.  At  a  similar  fire  in  Stockbridge,  the  whirlwind  was  so 
violent  that  it  tore  up  young  trees  six  to  eight  inches  thick,  and  hurled 
them  fifty  feet  high  in  the  air.  Similar  whirling  columns  have  been 
observed  above  the  craters  of  active  volcanoes.  On  the  8th  of  April, 
1866,  a  pillar  of  ashes  rose  above  the  volcano  of  Santorin  during  an 
eruption,  with  the  usual  thunder  and  rumblings,  and  suddenly  shot  up  in 
the  form  of  an  immense  steam  screw  to  a  height  of  19,000  feet.  Some- 
times the  vapors  contained  in  the  whirlwinds  condense  above  the  column 
of  smoke,  and  form  clouds,  sending  down  lightning  and  rain. 

The  simplest  form  of  the  whirlwind  is  that  observed  on  calm  days,  on 
large  squares  or  cross  roads,  when  sand  and  leaves  are  lifted  and  whirled 
round  for  a  few  seconds.  Dust  whirlwinds  of  considerable  size  are  some  • 
times  observed  in  the  Russian  steppes;  but  the  best  known  phenomena  of 
this  kind  are  the  high  sand  pillars  of  Sahara,  which  have  been  falsely 
reported  to  be  able  to  bury  whole  caravans.  Even  in  Australia  these 
rotary  dust  pillars  are  met  with,  generally  being  seen  upon  shadowless 
plains.  It  is  thought  that  these  Australian  whirlwinds  are  the  channels 
which  carry  the  heated  air  from  the  ground  to  the  higher  strata. 


(595) 


596  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Instead  of  the  rolling  waves  and  cool  breezes  of  the  sea,  this  funereal 
region  only  gives  out  burning  gusts,  scorching  blasts  which  seem  to  issue 
from  the  gates  of  hell ;  these  are  the  simoon  or  poison-wind,  as  the  word 
signifies  in  Arab.     The  camel-driver  knows  this  formidable  enemy,  and  so 
soon  as  he  sees  it  looming  in  the  horizon,  he  raises  his  hands  to  heaven, 
and  implores  Allah ;  the  camels  themselves  seem  terrified  at  its  approach. ' 
A  veil  of  reddish-black  invades  the  gleaming  sky,  and  very  soon  a  terrible 
and  burning  wind  rises,  bearing  clouds  of  fine  impalpable  sand,  which 
severely  irritates  the  eyes  and  throat. 
v  Dreadful  Destruction  by  Sand-Storms. 

The  camels  squat  down  and  refuse  to  move,  and  the  travellers  have  no 
chance  of  safety  except  by  making  a  rampart  of  the  bodies  of  their 
beasts,  and  covering  their  heads  so  as  to  protect  themselves  against 
this  scourge.  Entire  caravans  have  sometimes  perished  in  these  sand- 
storms; it  was  one  of  them  that  buried  the  army  of  Cambyses  when  it 
was  traversing  the  desert. 

Camp,  in  his  charming  work  on  the  Nile,  describes  in  the  following 
terms  one  of  these  desert  tempests.  It  comes  towards  one,  he  says, 
growing,  spreading,  and  advancing  as  if  on  wheels.  Its  overhanging  sum- 
mit is  of  a  brick  color,  its  base  deep  red  and  almost  black.  In  propor- 
tion as  it  approaches  it  drives  before  it  burning  effluvia,  like  the  breath  of 
a  lime-kiln.  Before  it  reaches  us  we  are  covered  with  its  shadow.  The 
sound  it  makes  is  like  that  of  a  wind  passing  through  a  pine-forest.  So 
•soon  as  we  are  in  the  midst  of  this  hurricane  the  camels  halt,  turn  their 
'backs,  throw  themselves  down,  and  lay  their  heads  upon  the  sand.  After 
the  cloud  of  dust  comes  a  rain  of  imperceptible  stones,  violently  hurled 
about  by  the  wind,  and  which,  if  it  lasted  long,  would  quickly  flay  the 
skin  from  those  parts  of  the  body  unprotected  by  the  clothes.  This  lasted 
five  or  six  minutes,  and  was  frightful.  Then  the  sky  became  clear  again, 
,and  gave  the  same  feeling  of  sudden  change  to  the  eye  as  a  light  sud- 
•denly  brought  into  a  dark  place. 

Whirlwinds  are  generally  preceded  by  a  sultry,  oppressive  air;  some- 
times !by  absolute  calm ;  but  the  state  of  the  wind  never  appears  clearly 
connected  with  the  phenomena.  The  storm  pillars  vary  greatly  in  form ; 
the  sand  columns  being  generally  funnel-shaped,  and  the  water-spouts 
like  a  pipe  surrounded  at  the  base  by  whirling  vapors  and  foaming  water. 
The  height  and  diameter  are  also  variable ;  some  of  the  highest  have 
been  estimated  at  6,000  feet.  In  many  cases  the  damage  caused  by  the 
water  is  of  such  a  kind  as  to  show  that  there  has  been  an  influx  of  air 
from  every  side  toward  the  base  of  the  column. 


BOOK  II. 
THE  SEA. 


CHAPTER  I. 
MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP. 

The  Ladders  of  the  Titans— The  Watery  Desert— A  Great  Unknown— Mysteries  of 
the  Deep— Marvelous  Products — Terrible  Marine  Monsters — The  World-Re- 
nowned "Kraken"— Battle  with  a  Strange  Foe— The  Great  Sea-Serpent — 
Singular  Stories — Old  Sailors'  Narratives— The  Huge  Ocean  Giant — Curious 
Habits  of  the  Whale — Perilous  and  Exciting  Adventures— A  Miraculous  Escape — 
The  Flying  Dragon— A  Fish  with  Spikes— Seized  by  a  Shark— The  Stomias- 
Boa — The  Hammer-Headtd  Shark — The  Siamese  Twins  of  the  Sea. 

O  behold  the  sea!  It  is  the  dream  of  every  landsman,  citizen  or 
peasant,  who  dwells  in  the  interior  of  an  ocean-washed  country, 
however  little  he  may  care  for  the  grand  scenes  of  nature.  The 
mountains  attract  in  the  same  manner  the  inhabitants  of  the 
plains,  but  not  so  strongly.  He  may,  with  some  degree  of  effort,  embody 
them  for  himself  with  the  aid  of  the  pictures  he  has  seen,  or  the  descrip- 
tions he  has  read.  Certainly,  when  at  a  later  time  fortune  permits  him 
with  admiring  eye  to  view  these  gigantic  monuments  of  our  planet's 
ancient  convulsions ;  when  he  sees,  on  the  platforms  which  are  but  their 
first  steps,  the  enormous  masses  rising,  on  whose  flanks  the  vast  forests 
appear  like  patches  of  moss,  and  which  are  in  their  turn  surmounted  by 
piles  of  rocks  witht  summits  apparently  piercing  the  celestial  vault,  he 
discovers  but  a  faint  resemblance  between  their  reality  and  the  concep- 
tions he  has  formed  of  them. 

And  if  he  undertakes  to  climb  these  ladders  of  the  Titans ;  if,  at  an 
elevation  of  some  thousands  of  feet,  he  casts  his  glance  over  the  plains ; 
if  he  peers  down  into  the  abysses  lying  open  before  his  steps ;  if  he  marks 
the  cascades  leaping  from  crag  to  crag  with  a  thunderous  roar  and  bury- 
ing themselves  in  gulfs  where  whiten  their  foamy  waves ;  if  he  climbs  to  the 
wintry  regions  where  the  rocks  are  of  ice,  where  the  soft  moss  and  crisp 
green  turf  are  replaced  by  perpetual  snows,  where  he  is  lost — as  it  were — 
in  space,  where  legions  of  moving  clouds  hide  the  earth  from  his  vision, 

(597) 


598  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

where  the  difficult  air  impedes  his  respiration :  then  he  will  think  of  the 
paltry  landscapes  below  with  a  scorn  attempered  by  pity. 

But  the  mountains  are  still  the  earth.  There  man  may  live  on  the 
proceeds  of  the  chase  or  of  his  industry.  There  he  may  build  himself 
a  house.  There  flourish  plants  and  animals  with  which  he  is  familiar.  He 
marches  there  with  a  firm  foot.  The  very  dangers  that  threaten  him — the 
precipice,  and  the  torrent,  and  the  storm,  and  the  avalanch — are  only  an 
enlargement,  so  to  speak,  of  those  which  everywhere  surround  him.  In 
a  word,  he  is  as  much  at  home  on  the  mountain-peak  as  in  his  own  fields ; 
the  form  and  aspect  alone  are  different. 

IT 

Grandeur  of  the  World  of  Waters. 

But  it  is  otherwise  with  the  ocean.  He  who  has  never  seen  it  can  form 
no  just  conception  of  it.  Vainly  does  he  seek  a  resemblance  in  the  master- 
pieces of  the  painter's  art,  in  the  great  rivers,  the  great  lakes,  the  vast 
extent  of  the  plains,  farms,  or  prairies.  Nothing  can  ever  paint  to  him 
the  liquid  immensity.  Brought  face  to  face  with  ocean,  he  will  remain 
speechless  and  stupified.  And  what  will  it  be  if  he  goes  down  to  the  deep 
in  ships,  loses  sight  of  earth,  and  finds  himself  suspended  between  the 
water  and  the  sky,  sustained  above  the  abyss  by  a  few  planks  ?  Over  his 
head,  the  infinite  space ;  under  his  feet,  a  capricious  and  shifting  element 
— capricious,  at  least,  in  appearance — to  day,  calm,  benign,  and  motion- 
less ;  to-morrow,  furious  and  implacable,  hurling  one  against  another  its 
foam-crested  waves,  longing  to  engulf  his  frail  bark  in  their  formidable 
embrace. 

It  is  then  that  he  will  feel  the  sentiment  of  his  own  weakness  growing 
upon  him,  with  the  idea  of  infinity.  His  temerity  will  at  first  astonish 
and  terrify  him.  He  will  think  with  admiration  of  the  forgotten  hero 
who  first  dared  to  launch  himself  upon  the  sea  in  a  boat,  and  confront  the 
unknown ;  of  those  who,  bolder  still,  undertook  the  desperate  enterprise 
of  discovering  the  end,  the  boundary  of  the  watery  desert — sailing,  sailing 
from  the  other  side  of  the  world,  until  they  should  meet  with  the  land 
seen  by  the  mind's  eye  beyond  the  horizon.  Then  the  tranquil  courage 
of  the  seamen,  their  skilful  manoeuvres,  their  familiarity  with  this  great 
liquid  world,  which  they  both  know  and  love ;  all  this  tends  by  degrees 
to  reassure  him.  A  certain  enthusiastic  pride  will  succeed  the  humble 
dread  of  his  first  moments ;  he  will  enjoy  man's  fierce  struggle  against  the 
elements.  If  a  storm  break  forth,  he  will  rejoice  to  witness  it,  as  a  young 
soldier,  after  the  first  few  musket  shots,  feels  a  fierce  delight  in  the  battle. 
And  as  the  soldier,  when  once  more  seated  by  his  fireside,  proudly  ex- 
claims :  "  I  was  in  that  war ;  I  fought  on  such  and  such  a  famous  field ; " 


MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP.  599 

he  too,  in  his  turn,  will  cry,  "  I  have  beheld  the  sea ;  and  not  only  from 
the  harbor,  the  pier,  and  the  summit  of  the  cliff,  but  I  have  seen  it  beneath 
my  feet ;  I  have  seen  it  alternately  serene  and  stormy,  agitated  and  asleep ; 
I  have  bounded  o'er  the  waves  to  the  roaring  of  the  tempest;  I  have 
struggled  against  it — and  here  I  am !  " 

Mysteries  of  tlie  Sea. 

This  indeed  is  a  fortunate  man,  for  he  has  seen  the  ocean.  But  has  he 
seen  it  truly  ?  No.  For  the  ocean  is  not,  like  the  mountains,  an  accident  on 
the  surface  of  the  earth ;  it  is  a  world,  two  and  a  half  times  as  large  as 
our  own,  if  we  consider  only  its  surface,  and  it  envelops  ours  on  every 
side.  It  is  a  world  which  nourishes  legions  of  strange  beings  in  its 
depths,  in  its  vast  coal  forests.  It  is  a  world  which  man,  after  so  many 
centuries,  at  the  cost  of  so  many  sacrifices,  scarcely  begins  to  know,  far 
from  having  conquered  it. 

Like  to  the  great  gods  of  the  ancient  barbarians  of  the  North  and  the 
East,  the  ocean — a  greedy  and  terrible  power — makes  us  pay  every  year 
by  hundreds  of  human  lives  for  the  favors  it  bestows  upon  us.  How 
many  has  the  enormous  Sphinx  devoured  of  those  who  have  attempted 
to  divine  its  enigmas,  to  pierce  its  mysteries !  What  matters  it  ?  The 
work  goes  on,  and  goes  forward.  The  human  eye  has  penetrated  that 
formidable  night.  Science  already  comprehends  the  laws  which  govern 
the  marine  world  and  connect  it  with  the  terrestrial,  and  has  learned  the 
part  which  the  seas  perform. 

It  has  done  more.  By  a  series  of  inductions  based  on  an  examination 
of  the  constitution  of  our  globe,  it  has  succeeded  in  ascending,  to  the 
origin  of  things ;  in  unlocking,  so  to  speak,  the  archives  of  nature,  and 
composing  a  history  of  the  ocean,  a  history  so  logical,  so  satisfactory  to 
the  mind,  so  harmonious  with  existing  facts,  that  we  cannot  refuse  to  ac- 
cord it  a  very  high  degree  of  certainty. 

Marvelous  Products  of  the  Ocean. 

We  are  to  study  the  ocean  in  its  actual  condition ;  its  regular  or  tumult- 
uous movements,  the  causes  which  produce  and  the  laws  which  govern 
them.  Exploring  the  shores  of  the  seas,  their  surface,  and  abysses,  we 
see  developed  the  prodigious  series  of  beings  which  inhabit  them:  fan- 
tastic plants ;  rudimentary  animals  scarcely  distinguishable  from  plants ; 
microscopical  creatures  which  swarm  in  incalculable  myriads,  agitate, 
labor,  and  multiply — molluscs,  crustaceans,  fish,  reptiles,  gigantic  amphib- 
ians, even  birds ;  for  among  the  winged  race  there  are  hundreds  of  species 
which  belong  to  the  marine  not  less  than  to  the  aerial  world. 


GOO  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

We  show  the  ocean  ploughed  in  every  direction,  excavated  in  its 
depths  and  explored  by  man,  and  exercising  a  powerful  influence  on  the 
progress  of  science  and  civilization ;  less,  indeed,  by  the  immense  riches 
which  it  offers  to  our  greed,  than  by  the  obstacles  which  it  opposes  to 
our  encroachments,  and  by  the  problems  which  it  proposes  for  us  to 

solve. 

Extraordinary  Marine  Monster. 

No  forms  of  life  on  our  globe  are  more  calculated  to  awaken  surprise 
than  those  which  are  found  in  the  mysterious  depths  of  the  ocean,  strange 
stories  and  descriptions  of  which  have  come  to  our  notice.  Many  wond- 
rous tales  are  on  record  of  gigantic  polypi,  living  in  the  polar  and  tropical 
seas ;  fierce  and  redoubtable  monsters,  of  size  and  strength  sufficient  to 
overcome  and  devour  the  largest  whales,  and,  consequently,  far  more 
easily  able  to  destroy  any  unfortunate  manner  who  may  have  fallen  over- 
board, or  incautious  swimmer  who  ventures  to  sport  in  the  waters  fre- 
quented by  them.  Accounts  are  given  of  monstrous  creatures,  capable  of 
entangling  ships,  and  of  seizing  with  their  arms  not  only  men,  but  even 
whales  of  huge  dimensions.  Mention  is  made  of  a  monster  whose  arms 
were  thirty  feet  in  length,  and  so  thick  that  a  man  could  scarcely  clasp 
them.  Mention  is  also  made  of  other  animals  of  the  same  kind,  whose 
arms  measured  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet !  Fin- 
ally, the  celebrated  "  kraken,"  which  has  been  the  theme  of  so  many  ro- 
mances, was  of  no  less  a  girth  in  its  upper  portion  than  half  a  league,  and 
would  have  capsized  the  largest  vessels,  had  not  their  crews  severed  the 
arms  with  which  it  held  them.  The  truth  is,  that  in  the  Pacific  Ocean  a 
species  does  exist  of  enormous  development. 

The  Hug-e  Octopus. 

One  of  the  most  eminent  of  modern  naturalists,  Ehrenberg,  has  com- 
municated to  the  Berlin  Academy  of  Sciences  some  observations  well 
deserving  notice.  His  paper,  relates  to  soundings  made  on  the  Green- 
land coast  by  the  English  ship  Bull-dog.  He  says  the  accounts  given 
strikingly  accord  with  the  old  legends  that  tell  of  marine  monsters  living 
at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  enveloping  with  their  arms  ali  things  that 
approached  them.  What  Pliny  says  of  enormous  polypi  thirty  feet  long, 
and  weighing  seven  hundred  pounds,  has  been  regarded  as  an  exaggera- 
tion. But  an  immense  creature  was  captured  which  might  be  called 
"  whale-slayer,"  for  it  was  taken  while  engaged  in  a  struggle  with  one  of 
these  giants  of  the  sea.  Some  portions  of  the  body  of  this  gigantic 
polypus  are  preserved  in  the  Copenhagen  Museum. 

We  cannot,  therefore,  doubt  that  the  depths  of  the  sea,  where  vegeta- 


I  Inn!  1 1  '  ' 

Billl'tl'lllilSlllillllllli 


(601) 


602  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

bles  flourish  eight  hundred  feet  in  length,  are  also  peopled  with  monstrous 
animals,  whose  organism  is  adapted  to  these  unknown  regions,  whence 
they  but  rarely  emerge.  Their  very  real  appearances  have  formed  the 
basis  of  the  mysterious  traditions  which,  for  two  thousand  years,  have 
been  transmitted  from  generation  to  generation  of  mariners,  and  which 
have  given  birth  to  the  fantastic  creations  of  the  kraken  and  the  sea- 
serpent. 

Almost  simultaneously  with  the  appearance  of  Ehrenberg's  paper, 
Berthelot,  the  French  consul  at  Teneriffe,  minutely  related  an  encounter 
with  a  gigantic  polypus,  in  the  open  sea.  On  the  2nd  of  December  1861, 
said  Berthelot,  the  steam  despatch-boat  Alecto,  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Bouyer,  dropped  anchor  in  our  roads  on  her  voyage  to  Cayenne.  This 
ship  had  encountered  at  sea,  between  Madeira  and  Teneriffe,  a  monstrous 
polypus  swimming  at  the  surface  of  the  water.  This  animal  measured 
from  sixteen  to  eighteen  feet  in  length,  without  counting  the  eight  for- 
midable arms  covered  with  air  holes,  that  encircled  its  head.  Its  color 
was  a  brick  red;  its  eyes,  placed  level  with  the  top  of  its  head,  were  pro- 
digiously developed,  and  glared  with  a  frightful  fixedness.  Its  mouth 
was  like  a  parrot's  beak.  Its  body,  much  swollen  towards  the  centre, 
presented  an  enormous  mass,  whose  weight  might  be  computed  at  about 
4400  pounds.  Its  fins,  situated  at  its  posterior  extremity,  were  rounded 
into  fleshy  lobes  of  a  very  great  size. 

It  was  on  the  3Oth  of  November,  about  half  an  hour  after  noon,  that 
the  crew  of  the  Alecto,  descried  this  terrible  cephalopod  swimming  along- 
side. The  commander  immediately  stopped  his  vessel,  and  despite  the 
animal's  dimensions,  manoeuvred  to  catch  him.  A  slipknot  was  made 
ready;  muskets  were  loaded,  and  harpoons  prepared,  in  all  haste.  But 
at  the  first  balls  fired  the  monster  dived  underneath  the  vessel,  quickly 
reappearing  on  the  other  side.  Attacked  anew  with  the  harpoons,  and 
after  receiving  several  discharges  of  musketry,  he  disappeared  twice  or 
thrice,  each  time  showing  himself  a  few  moments  afterwards  at  the  sur- 
face, agitating  his  long  arms.  But  the  ship  continued  to  follow  him,  or 
rather  checked  her  course  according  to  the  animal's  movements.  This 
chase  lasted  for  two  or  three  hours. 

A  Struggle  with  a  Strange  Foe. 

The  captain  of  the  Alecto  grew  anxious  at  all  risks  to  capture  this 
novel  kind  of  foe.  Nevertheless  he  durst  not  hazard  the  lives  of  his  sai- 
lors by  lowering  a  boat,  which  this  monster  would  have  readily  capsized 
by  seizing  it  with  one  of  its  formidable  arms.  The  harpoons  aimed  at  it 
penetrated  its  soft  flesh,  and  flew  back  without  inflicting  any  mortal  in- 


(603) 


604  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

jury.  Several  balls  had  hit  it  in  vain.  At  length  it  received  a  shot 
which  seemed  to  wound  it  seriously,  for  it  immediately  vomited  a  great 
quantity  of  froth  and  blood  mixed  with  glutinous  matter,  which  dif- 
fused a  strong  odor  of  musk.  It  was  at  this  crisis  that  the  sailors 
contrived  to  catch  it  with  the  running  knot,  but  the  rope  glided  along 
the  mollusc's  elastic  body,  and  only  stopped  when  near  the  extremity 
at  the  junction  of  the  two  fins.  They  attempted  to  haul  it  aboard, 
and  already  the  greater  portion  of  its  body  was  clear  of  the  water, 
when  its  enormous  weight  drew  the  rope  right  through  its  flesh,  and 
separated  the  hinder  portion  from  the  remainder  of  the  animal.  Then 
the  monster,  released  from  its  bonds,  fell  back  into  the  sea,  and  dis- 
appeared. 

Whatever  may  be  the  reality  of  the  facts  with  which  we  have  just  been 
busy,  and  the  scientific  value  of  the  commentaries  suggested  by  them, 
we  must  acknowledge  that  the  story  of  the  gigantic  polypus,  the  subject  of 
such  marvelous  tales,  is  deficient  neither  in  grandeur  nor  poetry.  It  is 
undoubtedly  of  Danish  or  Norwegian  origin,  as  is  shown  by  the  com- 
pletely northern  sound  of  the  name  of  "  kraken  "  bestowed  upon  the 
monster.  According  to  the  ancient  legend,  the  kraken  is  a  foul,  collos- 
sal  beast,  of  shapeless  body,  with  arms  as  long  as  the  longest  serpent, 
and  covered  with  innumerable  suckers.  He  does  not  content  himself 
with  attacking  the  other  denizens  of  the  ocean ;  he  lusts  after  the  flesh 
and  blood  of  man.  It  is  especially  at  night  and  in  the  fury  of  the  tem- 
pests, that  he  rises  from  the  bottom  of  the  abyss  to  assail  the  unhappy 
voyagers  overtaken  by  the  whirlwind.  It  then  embraces  the  masts  and 
rigging  with  its  gigantic  arms,  and  endeavors  to  drag  down  under  the 
seething  waters  the  ship  and  all  on  board.  The  sole  means  of  escape  is 
by  severing  its  tentacles  with  blows  of  an  axe ;  yet  it  is  by  no  means 
certain  that  they  will  not  grow  again  immediately,  like  the  heads  of  the 
hydra.  It  is  easy  to  understand  the  terror  with  which  the  recital  of  the 
frightful  exploits  of  such  an  enemy  must  formerly  have  inspired  ignor- 
ant minds  prone  to  superstitious  fancies. 

The  Famous  Sea  Serpent. 

The  fabulous  history  of  the  great  sea-serpent  ascends,  like  that  of  the 
giant  polypi,  to  a  sufficiently  remote  antiquity.  Pliny  and  Valerius 
Maximus  both  describe  an  amphibious  serpent  swimming  in  the  shallow 
shore-waters,  and  only  sailing  out  to  sea  when  he  had  grown  to  such 
dimensions  that  movement  became  impossible  for  him,  or,  at  all  events, 
very  difficult,  anywhere  else  than  in  mid-ocean.  A  French  author, 
Belleforest,  in  his  "  Cosmographie,"  comments  on  the  passage  in  Pliny 


MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP.  605 

referring  to  this  marine  serpent,  and  does  not  hesitate  to  furnish  the 
most  circumstantial  details  respecting  it.  According  to  him,  though  of 
collossal  dimensions,  it  was  gifted  with  extraordinary  agility.  It  flung 
itself  on  barks  and  small  ships,  capsized  and  dashed  them  in  fragments 
by  striking  them  with  its  huge  tail,  and  afterwards  swallowed  all  their 
crews.  Belleforest  adds,  with  admirable  simplicity,  that  if  the  ship  was 
too  large  for  the  creature  to  crush  it,  it  drew,  or  rather  propelled  it  to- 
wards the  shore,  in  whatever  direction  the  wind  blew ;  then  waited  pa- 
tiently until  the  seamen,  compelled  by  hunger  or  in  the  hope  of  escape, 
ventured  upon  deck  or  attempted  to  gain  the  shore.  That  was  the  mo- 
ment for  it  to  pounce'  upon  them  and  crush  them  with  its  teeth — for 
teeth  it  had,  according  to  Belleforest.  It  had  also  the  head  of  the  wolf- 
dog,  with  ears  pricked  back  behind.  Add  to  this  a  body  covered  with 
yellowish  scales,  and  a  croup  curving  in  tortuous  folds,  and  you  will  have 
an  exact  portrait  of  the  monster;  the  same,  in  all  probability,  which 
Neptune  stimulated  to  devour  the  son  of  Theseus. 

Belief  in  the  Existence  of  a  Terrijble  Monster. 

In  the  north  of  Europe,  a  belief  in  marine  creatures  of  strange  form 
and  prodigious  dimensions  is  widely  spread  and  deeply  rooted  in  the 
minds  of  the  masses.  Fishermen  and  sailors  confuse  the  kraken  properly 
so  called,  or  gigantic  polypus,  and  the  great  sea-serpent,  designating  both 
by  the  name  of  kraken,  and  liberally  attributing  to  them  the  most  astonish- 
ing and  incompatible  characteristics  and  forms.  Norway  has  an  uncon- 
querable faith  in  the  reality  of  the  great  sea-serpent,  and  ascribes  it  to  the 
northern  seas  for  a  dwelling-place.  Pontoppidan,  Bishop  of  Bergen,  says 
that  the  Norwegians  cherish  so  strong  a  belief  in  the  actual  existence  of 
this  monstrous  reptile,  that  whenever  he  spoke  of  it  in  a  dubious  manner, 
his  listeners  broke  into  a  quiet  laugh,  as  if  he  had  doubted  the  existence 
of  the  eel  or  any  other  common  fish.  The  name  of  the  ocean-serpent  in 
these  regions  is  the  kraken ;  they  also  refer  to  it  by  a  name  which  signi  - 
fies  the  scourge  of  the  sea. 

The  Norwegian  fishermen,  says  Pontoppidan,  all  affirm,  without  the 
least  contradiction  in  their  accounts,  that  the  monster  covers  a  mile 
and  a  half  of  ocean  with  the  upper  portion  of  its  back.  The  fish,  sur- 
prised by  its  ascent,  flutter  a  moment  in  the  humid  hollows  formed  by  the 
protuberances  of  its  external  envelope;  then  from  the  floating  mass  issue 
numerous  spikes  or  shining  horns,  which  rear  themselves  erect  like  masts 
crossed  by  their  yards.  These  are  the  arms  of  the  kraken.  Here,  then, 
is  a  resuscitation  of  the  kraken ;  the  serpent  transforms  itself  into  a  poly- 
pus :  it  has  arms,  and  what  arms !  Such  is  their  vigor,  that  if  they  seize 


GOG  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

upon  the  rigging  of  a  ship  of  the  line,  they  will  infallibly  capsize  her ! 
After  remaining  some  time  on  the  waves,  the  monster  redescends  with  the 
same  slowness,  and  the  danger  is  not  less  for  the  vessel  which  may  be 
within  its  range ;  for,  while  sinking,  it  displaces  such  a  volume  of  water 
as  to  occasion  whirlwinds  and  currents  not  less  terrible  than  those  of  the 
famous  Maelstrom. 

Such  is  in  Norway  the  popular  belief  respecting  the  sea-serpent.  The 
old  Scandinavian  writers  attribute  to  it  a  length  of  600  feet,  with  a  head 
resembling  that  of  the  horse,  black  eyes,  and  a  kind  of  white  mane. 
According  to  them,  it  is  only  met  with  in  the  ocean,  where  it  suddenly 
rears  itself  up  like  a  mast  of  a  ship  of  the  line,  and  gives  vent  to  hissing 
noises,  which  appall  the  hearer,  like  the  tempest  roar.  The  Norwegian 
poets  compare  its  progress  to  the  flight  of  a  swift  arrow.  The  fishermen 
say  it  revolves  sometimes  in  a  circle  around  the  doomed  vessel,  whose 
crew  thus  find  themselves  assailed  on  every  side. 

The  Terror  of  the  Polar  Seas. 

In  this  description  of  the  sea-serpent  we  think  it  possible  to  recognize 
another  fantastic  animal,  the  "  great  white  whale  "  of  the  Greenland  coasts, 
hunted  for  two  centuries  by  the  Scotch  whalers,  which  they  called  "maby 
dick,"  and  regarded  as  the  terror  of  the  Arctic  Seas.  According  to  these 
mariners  it  makes  its  appearance  now  at  intervals ;  but  is  of  so  venerable 
an  age  that  its  body  is  completely  covered  by  vegetation  and  marine 
mosses,  in  whose  midst  live  attached  to  it,  as  to  a  rock,  multitudes  of 
shell-fish  and  polypi. 

The  traditions  of  the  North  speak  also  of  a  marine  monster  which  was 
stranded  one  day  on  the  beach  of  one  of  the  Orkney  Islands.  It  is  said 
to  have  measured  eighty  feet  in  length  and  fourteen  feet  in  circumference, 
to  have  worn  a  long  bristling  mane,  which,  luminous  in  night  and  shadow, 
grew  dull  and  dark  during  the  day.  Despite  the  fantastic  character  of 
some  of  those  details,  we  may  add  that  their  general  veracity  is  attested 
by  the  depositions  taken  in  presence  of  the  local  authorities ;  and  that 
even  a  Scotch  naturalist,  Sir  Everard  Home,  proposed  to  class  this  mon- 
ster among  the  fish  of  the  Squalidae  family. 

In  England  and  the  United  States  a  belief  in  the  great  sea-serpent  has 
always  been  exceedingly  popular.  The  Linnean  Society  of  Boston  pub- 
lished some  years  ago  an  authentic  report  establishing  the  fact  that,  at 
certain  intervals,  a  prodigious  monster  had  been  seen  in  Boston  Bay ;  that 
on  one  occasion  it  showed  itself  about  thirty  miles  from  Boston,  and  was 
examined  by  some  competent  persons  informed  of  its  return.  According 
to  the  narrative  we  are  speaking  of,  the  monster  exhibited  the  general 


(607) 


608  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

shape  and  outlines  of  a  serpent.  Its  agility  was  extreme.  When  the 
weather  was  calm  and  the  sun  hot,  it  remained  on  the  surface,  alternately 
plunging  in  the  water  and  exposing  in  the  air  the  different  portions  of  its 
annular  body. 

In  the  archives  of  the  town  of  Plymouth  is  preserved  a  long  abstract  of 
verbal  depositions  made  by  a  multitude  of  seamen,  which  affirm  the  ex- 
istence in  ocean  of  this  mysterious  animal.  And  it  is  a  remarkable  cir- 
cumstance that  all  these  depositions,  with  the  exception  of  some  slight 
differences  of  detail,  fully  agree  upon  the  general  conformation  and  enor- 
mous dimensions  of  the  monster. 

A  fisherman  attests  upon  oath  to  have  seen  a  strange  animal,  of  a  ser- 
pent's shape,  extraordinary  size,  and  brown  hue,  sometimes  basking  tran- 
quilly on  the  surface  of  the  water,  sometimes  swimming  with  incredible 
swiftness.  Another  witness  affirms  that  he  saw  in  the  same  locality  an 
immense  beast,  whose  head  resembled  that  of  a  rattlesnake.  A  third  had 
seen  the  monster  open  its  enormous  mouth,  which  he  also  compares  to 
that  of  a  terrestrial  serpent.  Other  individuals  announce  similar  facts,  and 
accompany  them  with  details  which  appear  very  natural.  Thus,  a  sea- 
man relates  that  he  fired  a  musket-shot  at  the  monster,  just  at  the  mo- 
ment that,  having  drawn  tolerably  near  the  ship,  he  dived  as  if  to  avoid  it ; 
but  that,  at  a  short  distance  off,  the  monster  raised  its  head  anew ;  that 
they  very  simultaneously  felt  the  grating  of  a  scaly  body  against  the  ves- 
sel's keel,  and  that  soon  afterwards  they  saw  the  serpent's  tail  lashing  the 
surface  of  the  sea,  and  making  the  spray  and  foam  besprinkle  the  very 

mariners. 

Testimony  of  an  Eye  Witness. 

Some  years  ago  the  United  Service  Journal  inserted  a  letter  in  which 
an  eye  witness  described  the  appearance  of  the  sea-serpent  on  the  shore 
of  Nahant.  I  had  with  me,  says  this  witness,  an  excellent  telescope. 
When  I  reached  the  strand  I  found  many  persons  assembled,  and  soon 
afterwards  we  saw  appear,  at  a  short  distance  from  the  shore,  an  animal 
whose  body  formed  a  series  of  blackish  curves,  of  which  I  counted  thir- 
teen. Other  persons  estimated  the  number  at  fifteen.  The  monster 
passed  thrice  at  a  moderate  speed,  traversing  the  bay,  whose  waters 
writhed  in  foam  under  its  huge  bulk.  We  could  easily  calculate  that  its 
length  could  not  be  much  less  than  fifty  to  sixty  feet.  This,  at  least,  I  can 
affirm,  without  presuming  to  say  to  what  species  belongs  the  animal  which  { 
I  have  just  seen. 

A  short  time  afterward  the  officials  of  Essex  county,  in  the  State  of 
Massachusetts,  received  the  deposition,  formally  drawn  up,  which  follows : 


MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP.  609 

I,  the  undersigned,  Gresham  Bennett,  second  master,  declare  that  on  the 
6th  of  June,  at  seven  A.M.,  while  navigating  on  board  the  sloop  Concord, 
on  her  way  from  New  York  to  Salem,  the  vessel  being  about  fifteen  miles 
from  Race  Point,  in  sight  of  Cape  St.  Anne,  I  heard  the  helmsman  cry  out, 
and  call  me,  saying  that  there  was  something  close  to  the  ship  well  worth 
looking  at.  I  ran  immediately  to  the  side  which  he  pointed  out,  and  saw 
a  serpent  of  enormous  magnitude  floating  on  the  water.  Its  head  rose 
about  seven  feet  above  the  surface ;  the  weather  was  clear  and  the  sea  calm. 
The  color  of  the  animal  in  all  its  visible  parts  was  black,  and  the  skin 
appeared  smooth  and  free  from  scales.  Its  head  was  about  as  long  as 
that  of  a  horse,  but  was  the  perfect  head  of  a  serpent,  terminating  on  the 
upper  part  in  a  flattened  surface.  We  could  not  distinguish  its  eyes. 
I  saw  it  clearly  from  seven  to  eight  minutes ;  it  swam  in  the  same  direc- 
tion as  the  sloop,  and  went  nearly  as  quickly.  Its  back  consisted  of  humps 
or  rings  of  the  size  of  a  large  barrel,  separated  by  intervals  of  about  three 
feet.  These  rings  appeared  fixed,  and  resembled  a  chain  of  hogsheads 
fastened  together ;  the  tail  was  beneath  the  water.  The  part  of  the  ani- 
mal which  I  saw  measured  about  fifteen  feet  in  length;  the  movement  of 
its  rings  seemed  undulatory. 

A  Novel  Discussion. 

There  ensued  in  the  scientific  journals  and  societies  a  very  animated 
discussion,  but  one  of  novel  character,  in  which  everybody  took  a  side 
for  or  against  the  great  sea-serpent;  only  its  opponents,  instead  of 
denying  purely  and  simply  its  existence,  maintained  that  what  had 
been  taken  for  an  animal  was  nothing  else  than  some  enormous  vegetable 
waif  stretched  out  upon  the  surface  of  the  Ocean. 

Something  is  due  to  the  influence  of  ancient  traditions  and  venerable 
fables,  which  have  been  handed  down  from  generation  to  generation,  and 
which,  while  powerfully  affecting  the  more  credulous  and  impressible 
minds,  are  not  without  their  effect  even  upon  cooler  judgments.  The 
superstitions  of  the  past  have  a  strange  vitality  in  them.  We  pretend  to 
despise,  to  ignore  them;  we  very  learnedly  discuss  their  origin,  and  ex- 
pose their  absurdity;  yet  who  can  say  that  he  is  wholly  free  from  their 
far-reaching  power?  Unknown  to  ourselves,  perhaps,  they  color  our 
fancies  and  direct  the  course  of  thoughts,  and  surprise  us  into  a  sudden 
acquiescence  in  moments  when  the  cool  intellect  is  oft  its  guard, 
•  and  the  excited  brain  has  surrendered  itself  to  the  dominion  of  fancy. 
It  is  to  this  truth  Schiller  has  so  finely  alluded  in  his  "  Wallenstein," 
in  a  passage  where  Coleridge's  translation  may  be  owned  to  surpass  the 
original : 
39 


610  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Still 

Doth  the  old  instinct  bring  back  the  old  names ; 
And  to  yon  starry  world  they  now  are  gone, 
Spirits  or  gods,  that  used  to  share  this  earth 
With  man  as  with  their  friend  ; 
Yonder  they  move,  from  yonder  visible  sky 
Shoot  influence  down ;  and  even  at  this  day 
'Tis  Jupiter  who  brings  whate'er  is  great, 
And  Venus  who  brings  everything  that's  fair. 

An  Immense  Ocean  Giant. 

The  Greenland  whale  frequently  attains  the  length  of  seventy  feet,  but 
its  ordinary  dimensions  are  about  sixty.  Even  the  latter  is  a  colossal 
stature;  it  presupposes  a  weight  of  about  seventy  tons;  and  a  whale  of 
this  length  and  mass  will  not  be  less  than  from  thirty-six  to  forty  feet  in 
circumference,  measured  a  little  in  front  of  the  pectoral  fins.  The  latter 
are  from  seven  to  ten  feet  long;  the  tail,  which  is  triangular  in  shape,  is 
from  eighteen  to  twenty-two  feet  broad.  Naturalists  ascribe  to  some 
species  still  more  gigantic  dimensions.  Thus  the  Northern  rorqual 
sometimes  exceeds  ninety-five  feet  in  length;  and  the  two  species  which 
inhabit  the  waters  of  the  Aleutian  Islands  attain,  according  to  some 
authorities,  the  astounding  length  of  170  feet.  The  cachalot,  or  sperm 
whale,  is  about  the  same  size  as  the  Greenland  or  common  whale ;  yet 
individuals  have  been  discovered,  we  are  told,  which,  like  the  rorqual, 
measured  eighty  to  ninety  feet  in  length. 

Nearly  all  stay-at-home  naturalists — the  naturalists  of  the  closet — have 
repeated  in  their  treatises  that  the  blowers,  when  they  rise  to  the  surface 
of  the  water  for  breathing,  eject  through  their  vents  great  spouts  of  water, 
which  indicate  their  whereabouts  from  afar.  This  fact  is  universally  ad- 
mitted, and  every  picture  of  whales  or  cachalots  represents  them  with  the 
indispensable  jet  leaping  from  the  summit  of  their  head.  Yet,  according 
to  those  observers  who  have  seen  the  whale  elsewhere  than  in  books  and 
museums,  it  is  not  water  which  the  animal  propels  through  its  vents,  but 
the  vapor  of  water,  just  as  all  terrestrial  animals  expire  their  breath;  only 
this  vapor,  on  coming  into  contact  with  the  cold  air,  immediately  con- 
denses, at  first  in  a  white  cloud,  and  afterwards  in  a  small  fine  rain.  Such, 
at  least,  is  the  statement  of  Scoresby,  no  mean  authority;  and  it  has  been 
confirmed  by  an  old  seaman,  a  well  informed  and  highly  talented  man, 
who  spent  several  years  in  the  exciting  pursuits  of  the  whale-fishery, 
and  who  has  had  opportunities  of  observing  some  hundreds  of  these 
animals. 

A  profound  instinct   of  sociability  seems    one  of  the   characteristic 


MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP.  611 

traits  of  their  nature,  and  this  instinct  manifests  itself,  in  several  species, 
by  the  powerful  and  reciprocal  affection  of  the  mother  and  her  young. 
The  same  attachment  exists  between  the  male  and  his  mate,  and,  like  the 
maternal  sentiment  of  affection,  reveals  a  touching  character,  since  it  al- 
most always  prevails  over  that  instinct  which  in  most  animals  keeps 
down  every  other — too  frequently  even  in  man  himself — the  mean,  cow- 
ardly instinct  of  self-preservation.  The  gigantic  whale,  in  spite  of  its  for- 
midable appearance,  is  a  very  inoffensive,  and  usually  a  very  timid  ani- 
mal, ready  to  fly  at  the  slightest  appearance  of  danger.  Yet  an  intrepid 
courage  is  kindled  in  the  breast  of  this  ocean-giant  when  he  sees  one  of 
his  young  attacked  or  wounded ;  but  his  sole  object  is  to  withdraw  it 
from  its  peril,  to  expose  himself  in  its  place  to  the  assaults  of  the  enemy, 
and  if  it  dies,  to  perish  with  it,  for  the  poor  beast  will  never  abandon  it. 
Unprovided  with  weapons,  he  can  in  no  other  wise  defend  it;  nor  does 
he  ever  make  the  attempt,  for  he  is  wholly  deficient  in  the  instinct  of 
combat.  He  can  suffer,  but  he  cannot  fight. 

Great  Destruction  of  Marine  Life. 

The  whales  live  in  families  rather  than  in  herds.  Their  food  is  exclu- 
sively animal.  They  prey  upon  fishes,  worms,  molluscs,  small  articu- 
lated animals,  which  they  engulf  in  immense  quantities  in  their  enor- 
mous throat,  ejecting  the  water  they  have  swallowed,  after  depositing 
their  prey  in  the  capacious  recesses  of  their  stomach.  Whales  have  no 
teeth  in  either  jaw;  but  the  upper,  which  is  extremely  narrow,  is  fur- 
nished with  numerous  horny  laminae — the  whalebone  of  commerce — 
descending  perpendicularly  from  the  palate,  and  varying  in  proportional 
breadth  and  length  in  the  different  species.  The  whalebone  consists  of 
numerous  parallel  laminae,  each  of  which  is  formed  of  a  central  coarse, 
fibrous  layer,  lying  between  two  strata,  which  are  compact  and  externally 
polished.  The  filaments  are  very  numerous,  and  fill  up  the  cavity  of  the 
mouth  sufficiently  to  form  a  most  complete  and  efficient  strainer;  and  as 
the  throat  is  extremely  small,  not  being  large  enough  to  admit  even  the 
smaller  fish,  the  food  of  whales  being  consequently  restricted  to  very 
small  animals,  such  a  structure  is  necessary  in  order  to  retain  the  whole 
of  whatever  is  taken  into  the  mouth. 

Enormous  Quantities  of  Oil. 

The  common,  or  Greenland  whale,  is  chiefly  found  in  the  Arctic  Cir- 
cle, though  it  is  also  met  with  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  Its  usual 
length  is  sixty  feet,  and  its  circumference  from  thirty  to  forty  feet.  The 
lips  are  five  or  six  feet  high ;  the  tail  is  of  immense  breadth ;  the  gen- 
eral color  a  blackish  gray.  Its  thick  cutaneous  layer  of  fat  or  blubber 


(612) 


MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP.  613 

yields  a  large  quantity  of  oil ;  upwards  of  twenty  tuns  for  each  whale  of 
ordinary  size. 

The  female  of  this  species,  like  most  others  of  the  cetacea,  is  extreme- 
ly attached  to  her  young,  and  often  rushes  into  the  most  imminent  dan- 
ger, and  even  upon  certain  death,  to  rescue  or  defend  it.  The  whalers 
take  advantage  of  this  affectionate  attachment,  and  strike  with  the  har- 
poon the  young  whale,  quite  sure  that  the  mother  will  before  long  ap- 
proach for  the  purpose  of  saving  her  offspring,  but  frequently,  in  fact,  t  > 
perish  with  it ! 

Exciting-  Capture  of  the  Ocean  Monarch. 

The  whaling  ships  which  belong  to  France,  England  and  the  United 
States,  are  each  of  them  always  accompanied  by  five  or  six  boats.  The 
'boats  are  generally  four-oared,  and  carry  besides  the  four  rowers,  a  har- 
pooner and  an  officer.  When  they  have  arrived  in  those  latitudes  where 
they  hope  to  find  whales,  a  man  is  posted  on  the  look-out  on  some  high 
part  of  the  ship,  from  which  he  can  see  to  a  long  distance.  The  moment 
lie  perceives  a  whale,  he  gives  the  signal  agreed  upon  beforehand,  and 
the  boats  are  launched.  In  the  bows  of  each  of  them  stands  the  har- 
pooner;  at  the  stern  is  the  officer.  Both,  with  fixed  eye  and  outstretched 
neck,  watch  for  the  approach  of  the  gigantic  creature.  This  is  indicated 
by  an  eddy,  a  submarine  vibration,  and  a  roaring  like  the  suppressed 
moise  of  distant  thunder.  The  animal  has  shown  the  extremity  of  his 
•black  muzzle  above  the  water.  We  know  already  by  what  alternations 
of  blowings  and  soundings  the  creature  makes  its  evolutions  in  the  liquid 
medium.  The  whaler  notices  in  what  manner  the  whale  inclined  its  tail 
to  guess  the  direction  which  it  has  taken,  whether  its  soundings  will  be 
long  or  short,  and  then  changes  his  direction  according  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  moment.  It  is  the  exact  knowledge  of  these  details  which 
makes  the  expert  whaler.  So  the  manoeuvres  of  the  boat  vary  consider- 
ably, according  to  circumstances. 

It  is  easy  enough  to  approach  to  within  fifteen  or  twenty  fathoms  of 
the  whale.  But  the  difficulty  is  to  arrive  sufficiently  near  it  to  allow  of 
a  successful  attack  being  made  upon  it ;  that  is  to  say,  to  within  two  or 
three  fathoms'  distance.  Blows  from  the  tail  and  the  flippers  are  now  tc 
be  feared.  When  the  boat  is  sufficiently  near,  the  harpooner  prepares  tc 
cast  the  harpoon.  He  stands  with  his  thigh  fitting  into  a  hollow  of  the 
boat,  holding  his  weapon  with  both  hands.  When  the  officer  considers  that 
the  favorable  moment  has  arrived,  he  cries  out,  "Strike!"  When  from  a 
false  calculation  as  to  distance,  awkwardness,  or  fear,  the  harpooner  has 
-thrown  his  weapon  badly,  the  whale  promptly  frees  itself  from  the  instru- 


(614) 


MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP.  615 

ment  which  has  wounded  it,  by  a  sharp  contraction  of  its  muscles.  As 
soon  as  it  is  free,  the  animal  starts  off,  and  it  is  then  useless  to  attempt 
to  follow  it;  it  is  lost  sight  of  after  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes ;  in  most 
cases  its  companions  accompany  it,  and  are  for  the  future  more  difficult 
to  approach  than  they  were  formerly.  If,  on  the  contrary,  it  is  made 
fast  to  the  boat,  it  quivers  and  seems  to  shrink  under  the  blow;  excited 
by  the  pain,  it  prepares  to  make  its  escape ;  hindered  in  doing  this  by 
the  dart  it  carries  in  its  flesh,  it  at  first  hesitates,  so  that  an  ordinarily 
skilful  harpooner  is  able  to  send  a  second  harpoon  into  it;  at  any  rate  in 

a  few  minutes  it  dives. 

A  Critical  Moment. 

The  officer  then  changes  his  place,  and  proceeds  to  take  his  post  of 
action.  Up  to  this  time  he  has  directed  the  manoeuvres;  now  he  is  going 
to  act  himself.  More  than  two  hundred  fathoms  of  the  line  are  already 
in  the  sea,  and  the  animal  is  still  diving.  The  force  of  the  plunging  is 
so  great,  that  if  there  were  anything  in  the  way  of  the  rope  it  would  make 
the  boat  capsize.  The  line  has  been  known,  as  it  was  unrolling  itself,  to 
catch  a  man  by  an  arm,  a  leg,  or  even  by  the  body,  and  drag  him  down 
into  the  sea,  from  which  he  did  not  rise  again  till  the  part  caught  hold 
of  had  been  cut  through  by  the  friction.  It  is  difficult  to  form  an  idea  of 
the  coolness  required  in  these  preliminary  manoeuvres:  it  is  necessary  to 
have  at  the  same  time  great  resolution,  extreme  promptitude,  and  the 
utmost  prudence.  If  the  first  opportunity  is  missed,  all  chance  may  dis- 
appear, and  the  fruit  of  long  labor  is  lost.  To  judge  from  the  uneasy  air 
of  certain  officers,  one  would  say  that  they  were  afraid,  so  anxiously 
do  they  look  all  round,  and  watch  every  little  thing ;  but  by  the  direction 
of  the  line,  they  know  whether  the  whale  is  diving  perpendicularly  down, 
swimming  along  under  the  water,  or  mounting  to  the  surface,  and  they 
manoeuvre  accordingly.  The  crew  must  blindly  obey  its  officer ;  it  must 
be  nothing  but  a  rowing  and  back-watering  machine,  for  all  of  their  lives 
depend  on  this.  In  these  solemn  moments  fear  takes  possession  of  some 
sailors.  As  soon  as  the  whale  is  made  fast,  they  become  of  a  livid  pale- 
ness ;  they  lose  their  heads;  they  see  nothing,  hear  nothing,  and  can 
no  longer  obey  a  single  command.  It  is  very  remarkable,  that  old 
sailors  are  more  exposed  than  young  ones  to  this  excessive  panic.  When 
men  are  not  soon  cured  of  this  unfortunate  fear,  they  cease  to  make 
part  of  the  crew  of  the  whale-boat,  where  their  presence  could  only  be 
demoralizing  to  the  others.  Harpooners,  too,  until  then  intrepid,  have 
been  known  to  become  all  of  a  sudden,  and  without  any  apparent  cause, 
incapable  of  throwing  a  harpoon  with  force  and  accuracy.  The  simple 


616  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

fact  of  the  whale  being  close  at  hand  strikes  them  with  terror ;  their 
arms,  paralyzed  by  fear,  suffer  the  weapon  to  fall  flat  and  harmless  on  the 
cetacean,  which,  warned  by  this  simple  touch,  escapes  as  fast  as  possi- 
ble. The  true  whaler  knows  no  fear :  he  braves  death,  but  is  prudent. 

A  Desperate  Flight. 

Fortunately  the  animal  does  not  know  how  formidable  it  really  is ;  it 
it  is  only  when  it  tries  to  escape  that  it  causes  disasters.  At  each  blow 
the  animal  makes  hoarse  and  metallic  roarings,  which  can  be  heard  for 
a  distance  of  miles ;  what  it  spouts  forth,  is  white,  thick,  and  rises  to  a 
great  height,  until,  after  a  lucky  hit  has  been  made,  two  columns  of 
blood  escape  from  the  blow-holes,  rise  into  the  air,  and  in  their  fall  red- 
den the  sea  for  a  great  way  round;  from  this  moment  the  whale  is  con- 
sidered as  good  as  dead.  However,  the  animal  may  still  be  lost ;  the 
distance,  the  night,  or  the  state  of  the  sea  does  not  allow  of  the  vessel 
following  it.  On  the  approach  of  its  death  the  whale  collects  all  its  re- 
maining strength,  and  in  a  disorderly  flight,  without  an  aim,  without  any 
consciousness  of  danger,  without  hope  of  saving  its  life,  it  swims  along, 
overturning  everything  which  it  meets  with  on  its  way.  It  sees  nothing, 
throws  itself  at  random  on  the  boats,  on  a  rock  or  on  the  shore. 

Very  soon  a  general  shiver  runs  over  the  whole  body  ;  its  convulsions 
make  the  sea  froth  and  boil.  At  last  it  raises  its  head  for  the  last  time ; 
for  the  last  time  it  looks  for  the  light,  and  dies.  Having  now  become  an 
inert  body,  it  turns  over  and  floats  with  its  back  downward,  the  belly  on 
the  surface  of  the  water,  the  head  hanging  a  little  down  under  water,  on 
account  of  the  different  weight  of  the  different  parts.  Its  death  some- 
times takes  place  during  a  dive;  the  carcass  then  comes  to  the  surface, 
and  floats  without  our  being  able  to  observe  the  phenomena  which  accom- 
pany its  death-struggle. 

A  Perilous  Adventure. 

The  pursuit  of  the  whale,  whether  that  species  which  our  hardy  mari- 
ners seek  amidst  the  ice-floes  of  the  Polar  Seas,  or  the  still  huger  kind 
which  wallows  in  the  boundless  Pacific,  is  one  full  of  peril,  and  its  annals 
are  crowded  with  strange  and  terrible  adventures.  Swift  and  sudden 
deaths ;  the  shattering  of  a  boat  into  fragments,  and  the  immersion  of 
the  crew  in  the  freezing  sea ;  the  dragging  of  a  man  into  the  depths  by 
a  turn  of  the  tangled  line  round  his  leg  or  arm  are  but  too  common 
incidents  in  this  warfare  with  the  leviathan.  One  instance  of  this  last- 
named  accident  is  on  record,  in  which  the  sufferer  escaped  with  life,  to 
tell  the  harrowing  tale  of  his  own  sensations. 

An  American  whaling  captain  in  the  Pacific  was  fast  to  a  sperm  whale, 


MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP.  617 

which  "  sounded,"  or  descended  nearly  perpendicularly.  The  line  in 
swiftly  running  out  became  suddenly  entangled ;  the  captain  was  seen  to 
stoop  in  order  to  clear  it,  and  in  a  moment  disappeared  over  the  bow. 
The  boat-steerer  seized  an  axe,  and  instantly  cut  the  line,  in  hope  that,  by 
the  slackening,  the  unfortunate  man  might  become  freed.  Several  min- 
utes had  elapsed,  and  hope  had  wellnigh  become  extinguished,  when  an 
object  was  seen  to  rise  to  the  surface  a  little  way  off.  It  was  the  body  of 
the  captain,  which  in  a  few  seconds  was  lifted  into  the  boat.  Though 
senseless  and  motionless,  life  seemed  to  be  not  extinct,  and  the  usual  rem- 
edies being  applied,  he  revived,  and  became,  to  use  his  own  phrase,  "  as 
good  as  new,"  when  he  gave  an  account  of  his  singular  escape. 
Suddenly  Dragged  Overboard. 

It  appears  that  in  attempting  to  throw  the  line,  a  turn  caught  his  left 
wrist,  and  he  was  dragged  overboard  by  the  descending  whale.  He  was 
perfectly  conscious  as  he  was  rushing  down  with  great  rapidity,  and  it 
seemed  to  him  as  if  his  arm  would  be  torn  from  its  socket,  from  the  re- 
sistance of  his  body  to  the  water.  Well  aware  of  his  peril,  he  knew  that 
his  only  chance  was  to  cut  the  line,  but  with  his  utmost  efforts  he  could 
not  raise  his  right  hand  from  his  side,  to  which  it  was  pressed  by  the  force 
with  which  he  was  dragged  through  the  water. 

On  first  opening  his  eyes  it  appeared  as  if  a  stream  of  fire  was  passing 
before  them ;  but,  as  he  descended,  it  grew  dark,  and  he  felt  a  terrible 
pressure  on  his  brain,  and  there  was  a  roaring  as  of  thunder  in  his  ears. 
Yet  he  still  remained  conscious,  and  still  made  vain  efforts  to  reach  the 
knife  that  was  in  his  belt.  At  length,  as  he  felt  his  strength  failing,  and 
his  brain  reeling,  the  line  for  an  instant  slackened  by  the  whale's  pausing 
in  its  descent;  he  reached  and  drew  his  knife;  the  line  again  became 
tight,  but  the  edge^of  the  keen  blade  was  across  it,  and  in  an  instant  he 
was  freed.  From  this  moment  he  remembered  nothing,  until  he  awoke 
to  light  and  life  and  agonizing  pain,  in  his  bed. 

Devoured  by  a  Shark.    . 

The  whale  may  cause  the  death  of  the  sailor  who  pursues  him,  yet 
does  not  devour  him.  This,  however,  cannot  be  said  of  the  great  white 
shark,  the  voracity  of  which  is  well  known,  many  instances  of  which  are 
on  record.  About  thirty  natives  of  the  Society  Islands  were  once  pro- 
ceeding from  isle  to  isle  in  one  of  their  large  double  canoes.  A  storm 
coming  on,  the  lashings  of  the  two  canoes  were  torn  apart  by  the  violence 
of  the  sea,  and  they  were  separated.  Their  depth  and  narrowness  ren- 
dered them  incapable  of  floating  upright  when  single ;  and,  though  the 


618 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


crew  strove  hard  to  keep  them  on  an  even  keel  by  balancing  the  weight, 
they  were  every  moment  capsized.  In  these  circumstances,  they  endeav- 
ored to  form  a  raft  of  the  loose  spars  and  beams,  the  boards  and  paddles, 
which  they  could  get  at,  hoping  to  drift  ashore  thereon.  From  their 
numbers,  however,  compared  with  the  small  size  of  the  raft,  the  latter  was 
pressed  so  deep,  that  the  waves  washed  above  their  knees.  At  length  they 
saw  the  horrid  sharks  begin  to  collect  around  them,  which  soon  grew  so 
bold  as  to  seize  one  of  the  shipwrecked  wretches,  and  drag  him  into  the 
abyss. 

Another  and  another  followed;  for  the  poor  islanders,  destitute  of  any 
weapons,  and  almost  exhausted  with  hunger  and  fatigue,  and  crowded 


IN   THE   JAWS    OF   THE   GREAT   WHITE   SHARK. 

together  on  their  submerged  narrow  platform,  could  neither  defend  them- 
selves nor  evade  their  ferocious  assailants.  Every  moment  made  the 
conflict  more  unequal,  for  the  sharks,  attracted  by  the  scent  of  blood, 
gathered  in  greater  numbers  to  the  spot,  and  grew  more  and  more  auda- 
cious, until  two  or  three  of  the  mariners  only  remaining,  the  raft  floated 
so  as  to  elevate  them  beyond  reach  of  the  savage  monsters,  which  con- 
tinued to  threaten  them,  and  lingered  around,  until  the  waves  at  length 
bore  the  survivors  to  the  beach. 

The  white  shark  sometimes  attains  the  length   of  between  twenty  and 
thirty  feet.     His  head  is  of  a  broad  depressed  shape,  terminating  in  an 


MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP.  61  & 

obtusely  pointed  snout;  the  huge  mouth,  capable  of  admitting  the  thigh,, 
or  even  the  body,  of  a  man,  affords  ample  room  for  a  thick  tongue ;  the 
eyes  have  a  bluish  or  greenish  cast,  and  a  peculiar  stony  glare.  The 
stomach  is  of  vast  size,  and  dilates  to  an  extraordinary  degree;  the  brain 
is  small.  Broad,  strong  and  pointed  are  the  pectoral  fins.  The  French, 
name  requin  is  derived,  it  is  said,  from  the  Latin  requiem,  and  signifies 
that  if  a  man  falls  into  the  sea  in  the  presence  of  this  voracious  animal, 
his  comrades  may  repeat  for  him  the  usual  prayers  for  the  dead.  His 
swiftness  of  motion  is  such  that  he  can  outstrip  the  swiftest  vessel,  and 
his  strength  so  great  that  no  unarmed  man  can  cope  with  him  success- 
fully. Observe,  too,  that  his  teeth  are  not  incased  in  bone,  like  those  of 
quadrupeds,  but  in  cartilaginous  sockets,  which  enables  him  to  raise  or 
lower  them  at  his  pleasure.  When,  therefore,  he  seizes  a  victim  of  more 
than  ordinary  vigor,  he  moves  them  all,  either  in  succession  or  simulta- 
neously, and  multiplies  the  number  of  wounds  which  he  inflicts.  With 
one  snap  of  his  powerful  jaws,  a  shark  of  average  size  will  cut  a  man  in 
two.  We  need  not  wonder,  therefore,  that  he  is  more  dreaded  by  sailors 
than  any  other  monster  of  the  monster-haunted  deep. 
A  Creature  with  Fiery  Scales. 

Frequently,  in  the  West  Indian  seas,  the  negro  crew  of  a  boat  will, 
cease  rowing,  and  with  a  significant  air  indicate  to  the  voyager  the  hid- 
eous form  of  a  shark  following  in  the  rear,  and  apparently  waiting  for 
some  false  movement  or  sudden  accident,  which,  by  capsizing  the  frail 
skiff,  may  provide  his  ravenous  maw  with  food.  Frequently,  too,  on  tem- 
pestuous nights,  when  the  wind  and  the  sea  seem  to  howl  a  funeral 
dirge,  the  shark  appears  in  the  midst  of  the  heaving  billows ;  the  seamen 
recognize  his  presence  by  the  phosphorescence — the  "elfish  light" — 

The  flash  of  golden  fire— 

that  glints  from  his  shining  scales,  and  know  that  he  lusts  after  a  victim.. 
In  tropical  waters  he  follows  the  ships  with  indefatigable  patience,  ready 
to  swallow  the  unfortunate  who  may  fall  overboard,  or  the  dead  mariner 
whose  body  is  committed  to  the  deep  as  to  a  last  resting-place.  For  this 
voracious  creature  the  dead  and  the  living  are  equally  satisfactory  prey. 

The  "fierce  joy"  of  a  difficult  and  even  dangerous  struggle,  the  in< 
tense  gratification  of  conquering  a  great  destroyer,  would  be  sufficient 
motives  to  animate  the  sailor  in  hunting  the  shark;  but,  besides,  several 
useful  products  are  obtained  from  the  monster.  His  thick,  hard  skin, 
susceptible  of  a  fine  polish,  is  employed  for  sheaths  and  cases.  His  liver 
yields  an  oil  identical  in  its  properties  with  that  of  the  cod's  liver,  and  ca- 


•620  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

pable  of  being  applied  to  the  dressing  of  skins.     His  flesh  is  leathery,  it 
is  true,  but  eatable  in  extremities. 

We  borrow  from  an  eye-witness  the  story  of  the  capture  of  one  of 
these  destructive  yet  not  wholly  useless  animals :  A  shark  of  great  size, 
certainly  not  less  than  thirty-five  feet  in  length,  had  ventured  to  draw 
near  our  vessel.  As  we  were  then  becalmed,  and  had  nothing  to  do,  we 
hailed  the  pleasant  burst  of  excitement,  the  agreeable  relief  to  our  mon- 
otonous occupations,  which  he  was  likely  to  afford  us.  By  way  of  pre- 
caution, and  to  keep  him  occupied,  we  flung  to  him  a  pair  of  old  boots, 
which  he  conscientiously  swallowed.  However,  he  as  yet  needed  no  en- 
ticement ;  for  while  the  calm  lasted,  and  so  long  as  our  ship  did  not  make 
more  than  three  or  four  knots  per  hour,  the  shark  never  stirred  from  the 
wake  of  our  floating  palace.  While  he  amuses  himself  in  plunging  and 
diving  in  the  wake  of  the  ship,  everybody  is  in  a  state  of  tumult  upon 
deck.  We  arrange  our  warlike  engines,  and  make  ready  for  the  battle. 
An  enormous  fish-hook  is  attached,  by  means  of  a  bit  of  iron  chain,  to 
the  extremity  of  a  long  and  stout  cable.  The  bait  is  a  large  piece  of 
pork,  just  such  another  piece  as  the  monster  has  already  swallowed,  while 
it  lay  soaking  in  the  sea-water  in  readiness  for  the  crew's  dinner. 
Capture  of  a  Ferocious  Shark. 

At  length  all  is  ready.  The  captain  holds  in  his  grasp  a  well  greased 
harpoon ;  the  slip-knots  of  the  cable  glide  with  complete  ease,  and  are 
disposed  within  reach  of  the  hand.  Everybody  has  collected  on  the 
quarter-deck.  A  sailor  flings  the  hook  into  the  sea,  and  the  fishing  be- 
gins. The  shark  now  ceases  to  plunge  and  wheel  about  the  ship ;  he 
smells  the  bait,  and  lazily  swims  towards  the  floating  piece  of  pork.  He 
has  learnt  long  ago  that  so  small  a  prey  cannot  escape  him.  Immediate- 
ly that  he  touches  it  with  his  snout,  he  turns  on  his  side,  opens  his  huge 
mouth,  and  swallows  it.  But  at  this  moment  the  cable  is  violently  jerked, 
forcing  the  fish-hook  into  one  of  his  jaws ;  two  hands  catch  firm  hold  of 
the  rope,  and  begin  to  tighten  it,  while  the  shark  plunges  about  in  wrath 
and  pain,  churning  the  waters  into  foam.  Sometimes  the  hook  breaks  ; 
in  such  cases  the  game  must  be  recommenced.  The  shark,  with  torn 
and  bleeding  throat,  nevertheless  swallows  a  second  bait  with  equal  avid- 
ity, having  been  made  no  wiser  by  wounds  already  received. 

As  soon  as  we  are  satisfied  that  the  hook  is  securely  fixed,  we  draw  the 
animal  alongside.  The  man  placed  at  the  post  of  honor,  generally,  as  in 
the  present  case,  the  captain,  vigorously  darts  the  harpoon  into  his  body. 
It  is  necessary  that  the  iron  should  so  far  penetrate  into  the  flesh  that  the 
movable  portion  form  a  cross  with  the  axis  of  the  lance.  We  have  then 


MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP. 


621 


two  points  of  attachment,  and  raise  the  shark  out  of  the  water  by  means, 
of  the  cable  of  the  fish-hook  and  the  rope  of  the  harpoon,  drawing  up- 
on both  simultaneously.  The  animal  once  lifted  from  the  sea,  loses  a. 
part  of  his  strength  ;  his  fins  and  tail  have  no  longer  any  point  of  sup- 
port. Nothing  is  easier,  while  he  hangs  by  the  ship's  side,  than  to  pass 
a  slip-knot  round  his  tail.  The  three  ropes  which  now  hold  him  fast  run 
quickly  over  pulleys  fixed  to  the  yard-arms,  and  the  shark  is  speedily 
landed  on  the  quarter-deck. 

The  prisoner  is  captured,  and  his  punishment  not  long  delayed.  In 
vain  are  all  his  struggles;  in  vain  the  repeated  and  heavy  blows  of  his 
tail,  which  threaten  to  crush  through  the  planks.  A  sailor  plunges  a. 


THE    HAMMER-HEADED    SHARK. 

hand-spike  into  his  throat,  to  hold  him  down,  while  another  severs  his 
tail  with  an  axe.  In  this  mutilated  condition  he  is  completely  harmless 
and  powerless;  though  a  blow  from  his  tail  would  kill  a  man,  or,  at  all 
events,  break  his  thigh.  The  monster  rendered  defenceless,  we  cut  it 
open  and  extract  the  heart,  which  is  immediately  flung  overboard.  Some- 
times a  portion  of  the  stomach  is  put  aside  to  be  eaten;  sometimes  the 
animal  is  stripped  of  his  skin,  which  is  dried,  while  the  dorsal  spine  is 
fashioned  into  a  handsome  walking-stick.  The  liver,  also,  will  probably 
be  utilized,  being  rich  in  iodized  oil. 

One  species  of  shark  is  called  the  hammer-headed.     It  has  a  head  dila- 
ted on  each  side  to  so  great  an  extent  as  to  resemble  some  colossal  ham- 


622 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


mer ;  such  an  one,  for  instance,  as  may  have  been  wielded  by  the  hand  of 
Thor.  The  eyes,  which  are  very  large,  are  placed  at  each  extremity ;  the 
mouth  beneath,  as  in  others  of  its  tribe.  It  is  a  native  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean and  Indian  Seas;  no  less  formidable  from  its  voracity,  than  fright- 
ful from  its  hideousness.  It  also  frequents  the  blue  waters  of  the  Poly- 
nesian Islands.  Its  usual  length  is  nine  or  ten  feet. 

The  angel  fish,  or  monk-fish,  however,  surpasses  the  former  in  ugliness, 
and  one  could  almost  believe  its  creation  to  have  been  a  freak  of  nature 
in  some  distempered  dream.  It  owes  its  name  to  the  popular  wit  which 

sees  an  admira- 
ble jest  in  the 
name  of  the  crea- 
ture, contradict- 
ing its  appear- 
ance. Or  we 
may  ascribe  it  to 
the  shape  and 
position  of  its 
extended  fins, 
which  may  be 
taken  to  repre- 
sent wings;  just 
as  the  name  of 
monk-fish  refers 
to  its  rounded 
head,  which 
seems  enveloped 
in  a  hood.  Very 
large  is  this  head, 
with  wide  mouth, 
and  small  eyes; 
THE  ANGEL  FISH.  behind  each  an 

orifice  in  the  shape  of  a  crescent; — the  whole  resembling  one  of  those  gro- 
tesque masks  which  a  country  boy  sometimes  forms  out  of  a  hollow  pump- 
kin. The  back  is  of  a  pale  ash  color,  and  extremely  rough,  with  a  prickly 
line  marking  the  centre.  The  belly  is  white  and  smooth;  the  pectoral  fins 
are  large ;  the  ventral  fins  are  also  horizontally  extended.  It  is  satisfactory  to 
add  that  the  animal's  ugliness  by  no  means  belies  its  disposition;  it  is  ex- 
ceedingly fierce,  voracious,  and  dangerous  to  approach.  It  sometimes  at- 
tains the  length  of  seven  or  eight  feet,  and  the  weight  of  a  hundred  pounds. 


MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP.  623 

If  the  seaman's  imagination  could  convert  the  heavy  unwieldy  fins  of 
the  angel-fish  into  supposed  wings,  it  would  certainly  effect  a  similar  trans- 
formation, and  with  much  greater  ease,  for  the  fins  of  the  so-called  flying- 
fish.  Fishes  of  this  genus  are  enabled  to  spring  from  the  water  at  inter- 
vals, and  to  maintain  a  brief  temporary  flight  in  the  air,  through  the 
extraordinary  size  of  their  membraneous  fins.  They  undertake  those 
aerial  escapades  for  the  purpose  of  escaping  from  the  jaws  of  the  dolphin 
and  other  fishes  which  pursue  them,  but  in  avoiding  one  danger  they 
frequently  fall  into  another,  and  become  the  prey  of  the  large  aquatic 
birds.  The  greatest  length  of  time  they  can  keep  on  the  wing  appears  to 
be  about  half  a  minute,  and  their  longest  flight  220  to  250  yards,  while, 
when  hard  pressed,  they  will  rise  as  high  as  twenty  feet.  It  must  not 
be  supposed  that 
they  have  the 
power  of  elevat- 
ing themselves  in 
the  air  after  hav- 
ing left  their  na- 
tive element;  for, 
on  watching  them, 
they  have  often 
been  seen  to  fall 
much  below  the 
elevation  at  which 
they  originally 
rose  from  the  wa- 
ter, but  never  in 
-any  one  instance, 

have    they  been  THE  PEGASUS  DRAGON. 

observed  to  rise  from  the  height  at  which  they  first  sprang;  the  elevation 
they  first  take  depends  on  the  power  of  the  first  spring  or  leap  they  make 
on  leaving  their  native  element.  The  flying-fish,  in  the  tropical  seas,  may 
be  seen  rising  from  the  water  in  countless  shoals,  when  pursued  by  a  foe 
or  disturbed  by  a  passing  ship.  They  leap  from  the  glancing  crest  of  a 
wave,  and,  sweeping  forward,  dive  into  another,  to  wet  the  membrane  of 
their  fins,  and  in  this  manner  continue  their  flights  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance. Several  species  are  found  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  the  Indian 
and  American  seas. 

The  most  extraordinary  genus  is  that  of  the  pegasus,  or  flying  horse. 
They  have  a  snout,  with  a  mouth  beneath  it,  and  movable,  like  that  of  a  stur- 


024  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

geon ;  the  fins  are  large,  and  are  four  in  number.  The  dragon  pegasus  is 
curiously  constructed ;  its  body,  broad  and  flattened,  is  armed  with  sev- 
eral radiated  shields  or  bony  bunches ;  the  diameter  of  the  lower  part  of 
the  body  suddenly  decreases ;  the  tail  is  small  and  slightly  rounded ;  and 
the  whole  posterior  portion  of  this  ungainly  fish  may  be  compared  to 
that  of  a  crocodile.  It  indubitably  belongs  to  the  same  family  as  the 
sea-horse,  pipe-fish.  It  has  a  tubular  jaw,  and  a  short,  deep,  compressed 
body,  invested  in  scales  as  in  a  kind  of  armor.  The  males  have  pouches 
on  their  tails,  in  which  the  eggs  are  carried  until  hatched.  They  swim 
in  a  vertical  position,  with  the  tail  prepared  to  grasp  any  object  it  may 
encounter;  the  horses  with  which  Posidon,  if  you  like,  drives  his  char- 
iot through  the  coral  halls  of  the  deep ! 

A  Hideous  Inhabitant  of  the  Sea. 

If  it  is  true  that  most  marine  shells,  in  the  exquisite  gracefulness  of 
their  design  and  the  intense  glow  of  their  coloring  defy  description  or 
imitation,  and  compel  the  admiration  of  the  most  indifferent,  it  is  equally 
certain,  on  the  other  hand,  that  the  world  of  fishes  offers  a  variety  of  un- 
shapely types  and  of  repulsive  and  hideously  grotesque  physiognomies, 
which  must  equally  be  the  despair  of  the  author  and  the  artist,  while  ex- 
citing a  sense  of  loathing  in  every  mind.  Similar  shapes  could  only  ex- 
ist in  the  disordered  imagination  of  some,  fanciful  painter,  or  some  lunatic 
poet !  And  Boileau  has  proved  his  ignorance  of  icthyology  by  his  asser- 
tion that — 

No  serpent  is  there,  and  no  monster  vile, 

Which,  imitated  by  the  artist's  toil, 

Shall  not  the  well-pleased  eye  of  Taste  beguile. 

Assuredly  he  could  never  have  seen  the  hippocampus,  the  angel-fish, 
the  pegasus,  or,  transcendant  in  its  ugliness,  the  stomias-boa,  which  finds 
a  vigorous  competitor,  however,  in  the  spike  fish.  The  least  ungainly 
and  repellent,  those  which  delight  the  well-pleased  eye  by  their  slender, 
shapely  body — their  scales  shining  with  gleams  of  silver,  pearl,  or  azure 
—do  not  compensate  by  these  advantages  for  the  disgustful  character  of 
the  most  essential  part  in  the  entire  body — the  head.  But  they  win  the 
admiration  of  the  philosopher,  nevertheless,  by  their  admirable  adaptation 
to  the  peculiar  medium  they  inhabit ;  by  that  perfect  branchial  apparatus 
which  enables  them  to  extract  for  breathing  purposes,  the  air  held  in  solution 
in  the  water:  it  is  the  fins,  so  admirably  arranged  for  the  co-ordination  of 
all  its  movements ;  it  is  its  powerful  muscles,  its  strong  and  supple  body ; 
and  it  is  that  peculiar  organ  which,  filling  with  air  or  emptying  at  the  an- 
imal's will,  augments  or  increases  its  specific  lightness,  and  causes  it  to 


MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP. 


625 


rise  or  sink  with  extreme  facility :  in  a  word,  th'e  fish  is,  par  excellence, 
the  aquatic  animal.  And  it  has,  like  all  God's  creatures,  its  own  perfec- 
tion, and  a  beauty  of  its  own,  resulting  from  that  perfection. 

To  sum  up,  this  true  son  of  the  water,  as  mobile  as  its  mother,  glides 
through  it  by  means  of  its  mucus,  cleaves  the  waves  with  its  head, 
clashes  them  with  its  muscles;  in  fine,  with  its  strong  fins  it  cuts,  it 
rows,  it  steers.  The  smallest  of  these  powers  would  suffice.  The  fish, 
uniting  them  all,  is  the  absolute  type  of  movement.  For  this  reason  one 
delights  to  watch  it  swimming,  as  one  delights  to  watch  a  bird  flying ; 
one  sees  so  clearly  that  it  is  in  its  own  element !  And  therefore  people 
say,  naively  but  justly,  "  As  happy  as  a  fish  in  the  water."  As  for  its 
means  of  attack  or  defence,  they  are  worth  but  little.  The  monster 
sharks  —  such  as 
the  white  shark 
and  the  sword- 
fish — are  almost 
the  only  ones  ac- 
tually equipped  for 
combat;  the  first 
with  its  terrible 
movable  arsenal 
of  teeth,  the  sec- 
ond with  its  keen, 
heavy,  and  jagged 
.sword.  Other 
species  are  also 
provided  with  a 
kind  of  beak,  THE  SPIKE  FISH. 

formed  by  the  horizontal  extension  of  the  bones  of  the  head,  which  has 
led  to  their  being  designated  in  all  languages,  ancient  and  modern,  by  the 
expressive  name  of  sword-fish.  But  it  does  not  appear  that  either  their 
bony  lance,  or  the  great  dimensions  of  these  fishes,  which  frequently 
attain  the  length  of  ten  to  thirteen  feet,  renders  them  very  formidable. 
Their  manners  are  inoffensive,  nay,  even  sociable ;  and  it  is  most  often  by 
accident,  or  when  exasperated  that  they  drive  their  weapon  into  the  ship's 
keel,  or  into  other  inert  bodies,  and  by  so  doing  snap  it  off 

Professor  Silliman's  name  is  well  known  as  that  of  an  American  sa- 
vant who  delighted  in  making  the  public  acquainted  with  the  novelties 
that  came  under  his  observation,  and  with  the  discoveries  of  science. 
The  accompanying  engraving  represents  a  double  cat-fish  that  was  pre- 
40 


626 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


sented  to  the  professor  a  few  years  ago.  It  was  taken  alive  in  a  shrimp- 
net  at  the  mouth  of  Cape  Fear  River,  near  Fort  Johnson,  North  Caro- 
lina. The  two  fishes  were  joined  much  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Siam- 
ese twins,  by  a  piece  of  skin  on  the  breast,  the  point  of  union  being 
marked  by  a  dark  streak,  otherwise  the  appearance  of  the  skin  was  not 
found  to  differ  from  that  of  the  fish's  belly.  There  was  no  connection 
between  the  viscera  of  the  fishes,  but  the  integument  was  hollow  or 
double,  so  that  when  an  incision  was  made  in  one  of  the  fishes  and 
the  entrails  taken  out,  a  flexible  probe  could  be  passed  through 
into  the  body  of  the  other.  The  integument  was  thin  and  very  flexi- 
ble, so  that  the  two  fishes  could  almost  swim  together  in  the  natural 

position  at  the  same 
time.  The  difference 
in  the  size  of  the  two 
fishes  is  worth  re- 
marking. It  is  quite 
evident  that  the  larger 
one  must  have  got  the 
start  of  the  other  in 
the  race  of  life,  and 
that  it  continued  to 
appropriate  the  lion's 
share  of  the  good 
things  which  fell  to 
their  joint  lot.  The 
little  fish,  indeed,  must 
have  shown  some 
THE  STOMIAS-BOA.  dexterity  to  live  at 

all,  and  surely  deserved  infinite  credit  as  a  "  snapper  up  of  unconsidered 
trifles." 

The  lowest  of  all,  in  the  tribe  of  fishes,  has  rather  an  ugly  name.  It 
is  more  like  a  worm  than  a  fish;  and  Linnaeus,  the  famous  naturalist  did 
class  it  with  the  worms.  It  has  been  examined  with  great  care,  and  is 
found  to  be  a  relation  of  the  lamprey.  It  has  really  no  skeleton  at  all. 
A  bare  tube,  or  thread,  of  gristle  runs  tbrough  the  body,  and  when 
boiled  the  whole  tube  goes  to  jelly.  It  has  no  eyes,  and  you  would  sup- 
pose it  to  be  the  most  defenceless  of  its  tribe  ;  but  it  is  a  very  unpleas- 
ant neighbor,  and  is  quite  able  to  take  care  of  itself.  Blind  though  it  is, 
it  contrives  to  get  inside  some  other  fish.  How  it  can  do  so  is  not  clear- 
ly known,  but  a  fish  has  been  found  completely  devoured,  the  skin  only 


MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP. 


627 


remaining,  and  the  glutinous  hag  within  it.  The  hag  has  eight  feelers 
around  its  mouth ;  they  have  a  very  acute  sense  of  touch.  As  the  fin- 
gers of  a  blind  man  can  almost  do  the  work  of  eyes,  so  these  feelers 
guide  the  blind  fish,  and  help  it  to  find  its  food.  On  the  palate  there  is 
a  single  tooth  like  a  hook.  The  fish  hooks  on  to  its  prey,  and  is  thought 
by  some  naturalists  to  make  a  hole  for  itself  to  get  in.  It  keeps  hold 
until  the  two  rows  of  teeth  that  are  upon  the  tongue  can  come  into  play. 
It  eats  with  its  head  buried  in  the  fish  it  is  devouring,  so  that  Nature  has 
made  the  same  provision  that  she  has  in  the  case  of  the  lamprey.  The 
breathing  holes  of  this  disagreeable  creature  are  placed  so  far  back  that 
it  can  eat  and  breathe  at  the  same  time. 

It  is  called  the  gluti- 
nous hag  because  there 
are  pores  down  each  side 
of  its  body  that  give 
out  a  glutinous  matter. 
When  the  creature  is  at- 
tacked it  can  throw  out 
a  quantity  of  this  slimy 
secretion,  and  hide  itself 
in  it.  It  is  sometimes 
called  the  borer,  because 
it  bores  or  pierces  into 
its  weaker  neighbors. 

We  have  been  speak- 
ing of  some  of  the  mon- 
.  sters  of  the  great  deep,        PROFESSOR  SILLIMAN'S  DOUBLE  CAT-FISH. 
but  the  sea  itself  is  really  the  great,  unparalleled  monster  of  the  globe. 

Wedges  of  gold,  great  Anchors,  heaps  of  gold, 
Inestimable  stones,  unvalued  jewels, 
All  scattered  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 

Ocean  conceals  under  its  mass  of  waters,  at  variable  depths,  divers 
substances  which  have  appeared  to  man  peculiarly  worthy  of  his  covetous- 
ness.  None  assuredly  are  comparable  in  utility  to  the  flesh  of  fish,  the 
fat  of  the  cetaceans  or  amphibians ;  but  we  are  so  made  that,  under  a 
pretence  of  civilization  and  progress,  we  estimate  things  in  an  inverse  ra- 
tio to  the  services  they  render  us ;  we  value  as  most  precious  those  of 
which  we  have  the  least  need,  and  no  sacrifice  to  obtain  them  appears  too 
great  for  us.  We  scorn  or  waste  the  true  treasures  which  a  bountiful 
Providence  has  placed  liberally  and  lavishly  within  our  reach,  and  we  suf- 


PROFESSIONAL   DIVERS   GATHERING   SPONGE. 


(628) 


MONSTERS  OF  THE  GREAT  DEEP.  629 

fer  poor  wretches  to  dare  death,  and  endure  all  kinds  of  fatigue  and  priva- 
tion in  procuring  for  us  some  gaily-colored  gewgaws  or  glittering  toys, 
which,  far  from  adding  to  our  happiness,  do  but  divert  us  from  the  search 
after  that  which  is  really  desirable. 

Not  content,  then,  with  penetrating  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth  to  se- 
cure those  shining,  gleaming  stones  which  we  dignify  as  "  precious/'  we 
must  also  pierce  beneath  the  liquid  element  to  snatch  from  the  ocean- 
bed  those  intrinsically  valueless  products,  with  which  it  is  so  easy  to  dis- 
pense, and  with  which,  in  effect,  millions  of  persons  do  dispense,  and  yet 
find  themselves  neither  the  poorer  nor  the  less  happy.  The  reader  will 
surmise  that  we  are  referring  to  mother-of-pearl,  pearls,  and  coral.  There  is 
a  fourth  submarine  product  which  merits  a' greater  degree  of  indulgence, 
and  even  whose  utility  we  cannot  wholly  ignore,  while  questioning 
whether  this  utility  is  really  proportionate  to  the  efforts  of  obtaining  it. 
A  Business  that  Shortens  Life. 

There  is  no  work,  however  painful  or  homicidal  it  may  be,  for  which 
we  shall  not  find  the  men.  Thousands  consent  to  bury  themselves  alive 
in  the  dark,  hot,  stifling  galleries  of  mines  sunk  hundreds  of  fathoms 
deep,  to  explore  the  veins  of  coal  or  the  metalliferous  strata.  Others 
make  no  difficulty  of  descending  beneath  the  waves,  for  the  purpose  of 
collecting  on  rock  or  sand  the  sponge,  the  fantastic  coralline  spar,  the 
mother-of-pearl  shells.  These  miners  of  ocean  are  known  by  the  name 
of  divers.  The  incessant  repetition  of  a  violent  and  unwholesome  exer- 
cise, terrible  dangers,  maladies  which  they  contract  almost  infallibly,  and 
which  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  abridge  their  days, — such  are  the  sacri- 
fices, the  martyrdom,  by  which  these  poor  wretches  earn  their  scanty 
pay.  This  they  call  "  gaining  a  livelihood,"  and  the  majority  of  them 
voluntarily  adopt  this  amphibious  existence,  so  antagonistic  to  the  physi- 
cal organization  of  man !  It  should  be  remarked,  nevertheless,  that  the 
diver's  profession  is  not  one  of  those  which  the  first-comer  consents  to 
embrace.  It  has  long  remained  the  occupation  of  certain  populations, 
among  whom  it  is  generally  hereditary,  and  who  are  gradually  inured  to 
it  by  the  force  of  habit,  by  the  difficulty  of  finding  any  other  employ- 
ment of  their  strength  and  faculties,  and  by  the  modifications  which  a-i 
abnormal  kind  of  life  slowly  effects  in  the  temperament  and  physiologi- 
cal functions.  It  is  thus  that  the  sponge-fishery  is  exclusively  practised 
by  the  Greeks  and  Syrians ;  that  of  coral  by  the  Genoese  and  Neapoli- 
tans ;  that  of  pearls  and  mother-of-pearl,  in  Asia  by  the  Cingalese  and 
Malays,  in  South  America  by  the  Indians  and  negroes. 

Sponges  were  formerly  caught  in  the   Red  Sea  and  along  a  great  part 


630  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

of  the  north  coast  of  Africa.  At  present,  the  fishery  is  principally  pur- 
sued in  the  Greek  Archipelago,  and  on  the  Syrian  shores.  It  is  open  to 
all  nations ;  but  the  Greeks  and  Syrians  alone  follow  it  up  as  a  regu- 
lar trade,  and  make  its  products  the  staple  of  a  regular  commerce  with 
the  West.  Operations  ordinarily  begin  early  in  June  and  terminate 
in  October;  but  the  least  favorable  months  are  those  of  July  and 
August.  Each  boat  usually  carries  four  or  six  men.  The  sponges  are 
found  at  a  distance  of  1000  to  2000  yards  out  at  sea,  on  banks  of  rocks 
formed  by  molluscous  debris.  The  finest  specimens  lie  at  a  depth  of 
twelve  to  twenty  fathoms ;  those  collected  in  shallower  waters  are  of  in- 
ferior quality. 

Marvelous  Exploits  of  Sponge-Divers. 

At  the  opening  of  the  fishery,  the  Greeks  and  Syrians  arrive  at  Smyr- 
na, Beyroot,  Latakia,  and  Rhodes  in  large  shallops,  which  they  dismantle 
in  order  to  equip  the  small  craft  suitable  for  their  operations,  and  then  dis- 
perse along  the  coasts.  The  fishery  is  conducted  in  two  ways.  For  the 
common  kinds  they  employ  three-toothed  harpoons,  by  means  of  which 
they  catch  hold  of  the  sponges.  But  this  implement  would  injure  the  fi- 
ner species ;  and  in  quest  of  these  skilful  divers  descend  to  the  bottom  of 
the  sea,  and  carefully  detach  them  with  a  strong  knife.  Hence  the  differ- 
ence of  price  between  the  divers7  sponges  and  the  harpooned  sponges. 

The  Greek  divers  are,  as  a  rule,  bolder  and  more  skilful  than  the  Syr- 
ians. Those  of  Kalminos  and  Psora  are  the  most  renowned.  While 
they  can  remain  in  the  water  longer  than  the  Syrians,  their  fishing  is  gen- 
erally more  abundant.  They  dive  to  a  depth  of  twenty  fathoms,  while 
their  rivals,  for  the  most  part,  cannot  descend  beyond  fifteen  or  twenty 
fathoms  at  the  utmost.  The  Greeks  devote  themselves  more  particularly 
to  the  fishing  of  the  large  sponges  called  "Venetian,"  although  they  sell 
them  by  weight  four  or  five  times  cheaper  than  the  fine  sponges ;  but  the 
inferiority  in  price  is  balanced  by  the  much  greater  facility  of  the  fishing. 
Importers  have  introduced  into  European  commerce,  within  the  last 
few  years,  a  species  of  sponge  collected  on  the  coasts  of  the  Lucayos 
Islands,  in  the  Caribbean  Sea,  which  is  known  as  the  Bahama  sponge. 
It  is  of  a  peculiarly  attractive  appearance,  thanks  to  its  fine  close  tis- 
sue, and  to  the  preparations  which  it  undergoes  in  order  to  give  it  a 
beautiful  pale  blonde  tinge  ;  but  it  is  hard,  strong,  and  without  solidity. 


CHAPTER  II. 
MYSTERIES  OF  THE  OCEAN. 

Chinese  Belief  Respecting  the  Deluge — The  Great  Mexican  Inundation — A  Huge 
Gulf  Swallowing  Rivers — The  World  would  be  Dead  Without  the  Ocean — The 
Race-Course  of  Commerce — Varied  Color  of  the  Sea— Causes  of  the  Different 
Tints— Countless  Myriads  of  Animalcules— Phosphorescence  of  the  Sea — Waves 
Silvered  with  Flashing  Light— A  Magical  Effect— Cyclones  and  Tempests — 
Strange  Story  of  a  Lost  Vessel— Terrible  Fury  of  Ocean  Storms— The  Dreaded 
Water  Spout — Ships  Lifted  Bodily  from  the  Sea  and  Hurled  Back — The  Myster- 
ious Argonaut— A  Creature  that  Sails  in  a  Boat— The  Monstrous  Octopus— An 
Ink-Battery— A  Shot  that  Hit— Dreadful  Encounter  with  a  Cuttle-Fish— A  Pearl- 
Diver  Attacked — Nautilus  of  the  Pre-Historic  Seas. 

|ONFUCIUS,  the  Chinese  philosopher  and  law-giver,  born  more 
than  five  centuries  before  Christ,  begins  his  history  of  China  by 
speaking  of  the  Emperor  named  Jas,  whom  he  represents  as 
making  the  waters  flow  back,  which  then  raised  themselves  to 
the  heavens,  while  they  bathed  the  foot  of  the  highest  mountains,  cover- 
ing the  smaller  hills  and  inundating  the  plains.  This  statement  is  not 
only  from  an  authority  of  high  repute,  but  is  especially  interesting  as 
showing  a  belief  in  an  early  deluge  among  the  people  of  the  "  Flowery 
Kingdom."  Traditions  of  this  are  everywhere  found  in  the  East,  and 
such  evidences  from  marine  shells  and  the  formation  of  the  earth's  sur- 
face as  must  be  considered  more  conclusive  than  tradition. 

A  deluge  of  quite  moderate  date  conveys  a  tolerably  exact  idea  of 
the  phenomena  which  must  have  been  exhibited  in  the  early  time,  and 
we  recall  the  circumstances  as  assisting  us  to  comprehend  the  true  na- 
ture of  the  ravages  the  deluge  inflicted  upon  Asia  in  that  ancient  period. 
At  six  days'  journey  from  the  city  of  Mexico,  there  existed,  in  1759,  a 
fertile  and  well-cultivated  district,  where  abundance  of  rice,  maize  and 
bananas  grew.  In  the  month  of  June  frightful  earthquakes  dis- 
turbed the  soil,  and  were  continued  unceasingly  during  two  whole 
months.  On  the  night  of  the  28th  of  September  the  earth  was  violently 
convulsed,  and  a  region  of  many  leagues  in  extent  was  slowly  raised  un- 
til it  attained  a  height  of  about  500  feet,  forming  a  plateau  many  leagues 
square.  The  earth  undulated  like  the  waves  of  the  sea  in  a  tempest ; 
thousands  of  small  hills  rose  and  disappeared  in  turn,  and,  finally,  an 
immense  gulf  opened,  from  which  smoke,  fire,  red-hot  stones  and  ashes 

(631) 


632  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

were  violently  discharged,  and  darted  to  prodigious  heights.  Six 
mountains  surged  up  from  the  gaping  gulf;  among  which  the  volcanic 
mountain  of  Jorullo,  which  rises  2150  feet  above  the  ancient  plain,  is 
the  most  prominent. 

At  the  moment  when  the  earthquake  commenced  the  two  rivers  of 
Cuitimbo  and  San  Pedro  flowed  backwards,  inundating  all  the  plain 
now  occupied  by  Jorullo ;  but  in  the  upheaving  region,  while  it  con- 
tinued to  rise,  a  gulf  opened  and  swallowed  the  rivers.  They  reap- 
peared to  the  west,  but  at  a  point  very  distant  from  their  ancient  bed. 
This  inundation  reminds  us  on  a  small  scale  of  the  phenomena  which 
attended  the  deluge  described  in  the  Hebrew  annals.  That  period  of 
overwhelming  disaster,  an  overflow  which  buried  hills  and  valleys  alike 
is  past,  and  the  sea  now  knows  its  fixed  bounds,  and  the  land  has  reared 
its  bulwarks,  beyond  which  the  great  floods  do  not  pass. 

The  Sea  a  Great  Fountain  of  Life  and  Health. 

The  ocean  plays  a  very  important  part'  in  the  grand  economy  of  nature. 
Swept  by  the  incessant  winds,  its  vast  surface  continually  inspires  the 
various  gases  which  load  the  atmosphere  ;  in  its  enormous  mass  it  engulfs 
the  debris  carried  down  to  it  by  the  rivers  and  streams  which  have  wash- 
ed the  continents  and  islands,  and  restores  to  the  atmosphere,  in  the  form 
of  vapor,  those  purified  waters  which  descend  upon  the  earth  in  the  shape 
of  rain  or  snow,  or  dew.  These  waters  again  flow  back  into  the  ocean 
through  the  streams,  the  brooks  and  the  rivers ;  and  thus  an  eternal  circle 
is  established,  an  unending  voyage,  which  makes  the  same  waters  serve  for 
the  support  and  renewal  of  the  world's  organic  life. 

The  ocean  by  its  exhalations  which  refresh  and  moisten  the  air,  nour- 
ishes vegetable  life,  and  furnishes  the  necessary  aliment  for  those  admira- 
ble channels  of  running  water  that  are  ever  flowing,  and  yet  never  empty. 
But  for  the  beneficient  influence  of  the  vapors  which  every  moment  escape 
from  the  surface  of  the  sea,  the  whole  earth  would  sicken  and  wither  into 
an  inanimate  desert ;  and  if  the  ocean  slowly  or  suddenly  dried  up,  all  or- 
ganized nature  would  probably  be  annihilated. 

The  World's  Great  Highway  of  Commerce. 

Nevertheless,  the  immense  and  profound  seas  offer  no  obstacles  to  the 
commercial  intercourse  of  nations,  whom  they  only  separate  in  appearance  ; 
the  maritime  highways  now  traversed  by  such  long  processions  of  ships 
are  freer  and  broader  than  those  of  earth  ;  their  maintenance  lays  no  bur- 
den upon  human  communities,  for  they  are  kept  up  by  nature.  One  of 
the  most  remarkable  features  of  the  sea  is  its  continuity.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  some  inland  reservoirs  which  the  ocean  long  ages  ago  abandoned 


MYSTERIES  OF  THE  OCEAN. 

in  the  heart  of  the  continents— such  as  the  Dead  Sea  and  the  Caspian— it  is 
one  and  indivisible.     It  embraces  the  whole  earth  with  uninterrupted  wave. 


The  color  of  the  sea  varies  greatly,  at  least  in  appearance.     According 
to  the  evidence  of  a  host  of  observers,  the  ocean,  when  seen  by  reflection,. 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

presents  a  tint  of  ultramarine  blue,  or  lively  azure.  When  the  air  is  pure, 
the  tranquil  surface  of  the  waters  seems  of  a  brighter  and  more  radiant  blue 
than  the  skies.  In  cloudy  weather  this  passes  into  a  sombre  green ;  which 
becomes  darkly  or  luridly  brown  when  the  sea  is  agitated.  At  sunset  the 
waves  are  kindled  with  glowing  hues  of  purple  and  emerald.  Or,  as  By- 
ron sings — 

O'er  the  hushed  deep  the  yellow  beam  he  throws, 
Gilds  the  green  wave  that  trembles  as  it  grows. 

A  variety  of  local  circumstances  also  influence  the  color  of  the  ocean-wa- 
ters and  sometimes  clothe  them  with  a  marked  and  permanent  hue.  If 
the  bottom  be  of  white  sand,  and  the  water  not  very  deep,  its  tint  will  be 
grayish  or  apple-green  ;  if  the  sand  be  yellow,  the  green  is  deepened  and 
darkened.  The  neighborhood  of  reefs  is  frequently  indicated  by  the 
^'pronounced  color,"  of  the  surrounding  sea.  In  the  Bay  of  Loango  the 
waters  seem  of  a  burning  red,  because  such  is  the  natural  color  of  its  bed. 

At  other  times  a  peculiar  tint  is  given  to  the  waters  by  colored  animal- 
cules. The  Red  Sea  owes  its  coloring  to  a  microscopic  alga.  The  sea- 
waters — condensed  by  the  spontaneous  action  of  the  solar  rays — in  the 
salt-marshes  of  Southern  France  assume,  when  they  have  arrived  at  a 
certain  '  stage  of  condensation,  a  beautiful  red  color,  which  is  owing  to 
some  animalcules  with  a  reddish  shell  that  live  in  sea-water  under  this 
condition,  and  die  (a  strange  and  curious  fact !)  as  soon  as  the  water  be- 
comes more  highly  condensed,  or  is  diluted  by  the  effect  of  rain.  Navi- 
gators frequently  traverse  long  green,  red,  white,  or  yellow  belts  of  water, 
whose  tints  are  derived  from  certain  microscopic  Crustacea,  medusas,  zoo- 
phytes, and  marine  plants.  Such  is  the  case  with  the  "  Sargasso  Sea  "  of 
the  Atlantic,  which  lies  midway  between  the  Azores,  the  Canaries,  and 
the  Cape  de  Verde  islands,  occupying  a  space  equal  in  extent  to  the 
whole  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  Another  Sargasso  Sea  is  found  in  the 
Indian  Ocean;  and  a  third  just  outside  the  Antarctic  Circle. 
The  Light  of  the  Ocean. 

It  is  to  a  similar  cause  we  must  refer  the  magnificent  phenomenon  of 
the  phosphoresence  of  the  sea,  which  delights  and  astonishes  the  voy- 
ager in  the  Indian  Ocean,  the  Baltic,  the  Arabian  Gulf,  and  elsewhere. 
In  the  Indian  Ocean,  Captain  Kingman  traversed  a  zone  fully  twenty-four 
miles  in  width  which  was  so  full  of  phosphorescent  animalcules  as  to  pre- 
sent, at  nightfall,  the  appearance  of  an  immense  field  of  snow.  These 
animals,  nearly  two  inches  long,  were  formed  of  a  transparent  gelatinous 
matter.  The  reflection  of  the  solar  light  upon  this  substance  gave  to  the 
.surface  of  the  water  a  milky  appearance. 


A   PHOSPHORESCENT    SEA. 


(635) 


636  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  phosphoresence  of  the  sea  is  an  imposing  and  magnificent  specta- 
cle. The  ship,  when  cleaving  "  the  liquid  plain,"  seems  to  advance  in  the 
midst  of  golden  and  vermilion  flames,  which  flash  off  from  the  keel  like 
electric  lightnings.  Myriads  of  stars  seem  to  float  and  play  on  the  rip- 
pling tide;  they  multiply — they  unite — they  swell  into  one  vast  field  of 
fire.  The  scene  is  one  which  in  its  fantastic  and  almost  weird  character 
may  well  remind  the  spectator  of  the  sight  that  dazzled  the  Ancient  Mar- 
iner, described  by  Coloridge : 

They  moved  in  tracks  of  shining  white, 
And  when  they  reared,  the  elfish  light 
Fell  off  in  hoary  flakes. 
Within  the  shadow  of  the  ship 
I  watched  their  rich  attire ; 
Blue,  glossy  green,  and  velvet  black, 
They  coiled  and  swam  ;  and  every  track 
Was  a  flash  of  golden  fire. 

That  infusoriae  should  tint  the  sea  is,  undoubtedly,  a  marvelous  phe- 
nomenon ;  but  they  do  more — they  brighten,  they  enkindle  it !  The 
phosphorescence  of  ocean  was  long  a  mystery,  before  which  man's  reason 
stood  confounded,  and  which  inspired  him  with  mingled  feelings  of 
admiration  and  terror.  Luminous  water!  The  sea  on  fire,  and  yet 
harmless,  and  still  preserving  its  cold  or  warm  temperature  !  How  extra- 
ordinary a  mirage !  How  strange  an  anomaly !  It  is  only  in  modern 
times  that  science  has  sought  an  explanation  of  the  miracle ;  and  this 
explanation,  when  at  length  obtained,  reposes  upon  another  prodigy 
not  less  astonishing  than  the  former. 

Waves  Tipped  With  Lightning. 

In  our  temperate  climates,  and  in  that  region  of  the  Atlantic  which 
extends  between  the  English  and  French  coasts,  we  see  the  ocean  phos- 
phorescent only  in  summer,  and  in  seasons  of  great  warmth  and  tran- 
quility.  Then  the  foam  of  the  waves  which  die  upon  the  ribbed  sand, 
the  spray  which  is  churned  up  by  the  boatman's  oar,  or  the  steamer's 
paddle-wheel,  the  wake  of  the  vessel,  the  drops  which  spring  upwards 
when  a  stone  is  flung  into  the  water — all  seem  composed  of  a  luminous 
snow  with  keen  steel-blue  reflections.  But  this  spectacle  may  not  be 
compared  with  the  scenes  presented  by  the  great  tropical  sea,  hot  and 
electric,  and  teeming  with  life.  There  the  phenomenon  occurs  both  in 
bad  and  fair  weather.  In  the  latter  case,  the  waves  seem  to  dart  light- 
nings like  a  storm-cloud.  Cook  and  several  other  navigators  have 
observed  the  phosphorescence  in  these  regions  in  misty  weather  and  on  a 
billowy  sea. 


(637) 


638  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

He  who  has  not  been  a  witness  of  this  phenomenon,  says  Humboldt, 
can  form  but  an  imperfect  idea  of  the  splendors  of  so  grand  a  spectacle. 
When  a  ship  of  war,  driven  by  a  strong  breeze,  ploughs  the  foamy  waves, 
if  one  clings  to  the  halyards,  he  is  a  witness  of  a  scene  of  peculiar  mag- 
nificence. Each  time  that  in  its  rolling  motions  the  vessel's  broadside 
emerges  from  the  waters,  vermilion  flames,  like  lightnings,  seem  to  issue 
from  the  keel,  and  dart  toward  the  liquid  surface. 

Vivid  Jets  of  Flame. 

Two  French  naturalists,  who  have  accompanied  several  expeditions 
round  the  world,  and  traversed  the  ocean  in  every  direction,  have  many 
times  had  occasion  to  admire  this  illumination  of  the  waters.  Scarcely 
has  day  disappeared,  they  say,  before  the  scene  begins,  and  millions  of 
luminous  bodies  seem  to  roll  in  the  midst  of  the  waves.  The  intensity 
of  the  light  increases  on  the  sides  of  the  ship  or  the  rocks  against  which 
the  billow  breaks;  each  stroke  of  a  boat-oar  produces  vivid  flaming 
jets ;  and  the  swiftly-moving  vessel  leaves  behind  her  a  long  furrow  of 
fire,  which  gradually  fades  away  as  it  recedes  in  the  distance. 

Ordinarily,  it  is  through  a  natural  or  artificial  perturbation  of  the 
waters  that  the  phosphorescence  becomes  perceptible;  but  sometimes 
also  the  sea  is  spontaneously  phosphorescent,  and  one  discovers  immense 
luminous  tracts  kindling  over  the  liquid  plain,  extending,  contracting,  or 
elongating,  and  following  all  the  graceful  curves  of  its  undulations. 
Who  cannot  conceive  that  in  the  days  of  ignorance  and  superstition  such 
appearances  would  give  rise  to  numerous  fables?  No  phenomenon  is 
better  calculated  to  inspire  man  with  a  species  of  religious  stupefaction. 
Since  science  has  undertaken  the  task  of  penetrating  the  secrets  of 
nature,  of  discovering  the  key  to  each  of  her  enigmas,  the  phosphores- 
cence of  the  ocean  has  lost  none  of  its  claims  to  our  admiration,  if  we 
refuse  to  regard  it  with  superstitious  awe  or  credulous  terror ;  and,  though 
we  have  succeeded  in  ascertaining  its  cause,  we  are  still  unable  to  explain 
that  cause  itself. 

Every  Wave  a  Light-House. 

In  stormy  weather  the  rolling  billows  are  all  lighted  up,  and  swell  and 
break  in  silver-flashing  foam.  Glittering  bodies,  which  might  be  mistaken 
for  fiery  snakes,  seem  to  pursue  each  other,  to  overtake  each  other,  to  dis- 
appear, and  again  to  flash  forth  in  living  lustre ! 

Known  from  time  immemorial,  the  phenomenon  of  the  phosphorescence 
of  the  sea  has  been  observed  by  all  navigators.  It  is  of  frequent  occur- 
rence in  certain  regions  of  the  ocean,  especially  in  the  Indian  Sea  and 
under  the  tropics.  The  radiance  lights  up  the  crest  of  the  waves  which, 


MYSTERIES  OF  THE  OCEAN. 

as  they  fall  back,  scatter  it  abroad  in  every  direction ;  it  clings  also  to  the 
helm,  and  seems  to  escape  from  the  waves  tossed  off  the  vessel's  bow ;  it 
plays  also  about  the  weedy  rock  and  billow-beaten  reef.  In  the  still,, 
shadowless  nights  of  the  tropic  world  the  effect  produced  by  this  phe- 
nomenon is  truly  magical. 

This  phosphorescent  lustre  originates  in  the  presence  of  a  multitude  of 
molluscs  and  zoophytes  which  glitter  with  a  radiance  originated  by  them- 
selves. They  emit  a  fluid  so  susceptible  of  expansion  that,  when  swim- 
ming zigzag,  they  describe  upon  the  water  a  series  of  brilliant  tracks  which, 
extend  with  singular  rapidity. 

Cyclones  at  Sea. 

We  have  been  describing  one  of  the  milder  phenomena  of  the  ocean.. 
There  are  scenes,  however,  of  a  wild  and  terrible  description  which  neither 
pen  nor  imagination  can  adequately  depict.  The  hurricane,  properly  so 
called,  is  a  cyclone  animated  by  a  gyratory  movement.  Brande,  in  Ger- 
many, and  Redfield,  at  New  York,  demonstrated  that  the  tempest  is 
generally  a  progressive  whirlwind,  which  moves  forward  while  rotating  on 
itself.  Felix  Julien  has  ascertained  the  direction  of  the  gyratory  move- 
ment of  cyclones  from  his  experience  of  a  terrible  hurricane  in  whose 
centre  the  frigate  was  involved  on  which  he  was  sailing. 

The  breeze,  he  says,  blew  from  the  south-east ;  the  sea  rolled  heavily.. 
Towards  evening,  the  barometer  sank  abruptly  beneath  the  lowest  limits 
marked  on  its  scale.  The  wind  as  it  freshened  veered  to  the  south ;  it 
gradually  increased  in  force,  and  ended  by  breaking  loose  with  irresistible 
violence.  At  midnight,  in  spite  of  the  most  energetic  exertions,  the  dis- 
masted frigate,  without  helm,  without  sails,  lay  on  her  broadside,  with  her 
rigging  in  tatters,  and  her  deck  swept  by  a  furious  sea.  It  was  not  until 
two  hours  later  that  we  reached  the  centre  of  the  cyclone.  A  sudden 
calm  succeeded  the  first  crisis  of  this  atmospheric  convulsion,  but  it  was 
of  brief  duration.  The  winds  which  had  abandoned  us  in  the  south  re- 
appeared in  the  west  and  north  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning.  We  entered 
the  second  segment  of  the  circle  of  the  storm.  Caught  this  time  on  the 
left,  our  ship  heeled  over  anew,  unable  to  resist  the  enormous  pressure 

directed  against  her  side. 

A  Strange  Vision. 

The  tempest  just  spoken  of  was  distinguished  by  a  strange  and  gloomy 
episode,  by  one  of  those  scenes  equally  fantastic  and  heart-rending,  which 
the  implacable  ocean  reserves,  with  supreme  irony,  for  the  poor  unfor- 
tunates whom  she  has  overwhelmed  with  sorrow.  The  corvette  which 
accompanied  the  frigate  as  a  tender  had  disappeared  in  the  mttte.  Having: 


640  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

escaped  the  peril,  and,  by  means  of  a  jury-mast,  gained  the  appointed 
rendezvous  at  St.  Mary,  in  the  island  of  Madagascar,  the  seamen  of  the 
frigate  explored  in  vain  all  the  creeks  and  indentations  of  the  coast ;  in 
vain  they  daily  surveyed  the  horizon  in  every  quarter,  hopeful  that  the 
corvette,  only  driven  from  her  route  by  the  tempest,  would  return  into 
port. 

A  month  passed  by,  a  month  of  deep  anxiety,  and  expectation  had  at 
length  given  place  to  the  most  poignant  regret,  when  one  morning  the 
look-out  man  signalled  in  the  west  a  dismasted  vessel  driving  towards  the 
shore.  It  was  not  a  dream,  says  Julien ;  the  sun  was  glowing,  the  sky 
limpid  and  unstained.  The  warm  air  trembled  on  the  horizon.  Every 
telescope,  pointed  in  that  direction,  confirmed  the  exactness  of  the  first 
intimation.  But  our  emotion  soon  became  more  profound.  It  was  no 
longer  a  ship  adrift  which  appeared  to  us,  but  a  raft  loaded  with  men,  and 
towed  by  boats  from  which  signals  of  distress  were  waving.  The  images, 
moreover,  were  clear  and  sharply  defined;  the  lines  perfectly  distinct. 
On  board  the  frigate,  captain,  officers,  sailors,  all,  for  several  hours, 
were  a  prey  to  a  feverish  hallucination,  and  followed  with  eagerly 
wistful  eyes  the  details  of  this  indescribable  ocean-scene.  Admiral  Des- 
fosses,  then  in  command  on  the  Indian  station,  despatched  in  all  haste 
the  first  steamer  which  arrived  in  the  roads  to  the  assistance  of  those 
living  wrecks  that  the  ocean  seemed  to  restore  to  us  from  the  depth  of 

its  abysses. 

The  Delusion  Dissipated. 

The  day  began  to  sink ;  night,  as  is  the  case  in  tropical  climes,  was 
already  gathering  over  the  sea  without  any  interval  of  twilight,  when  the 
Archimedes  arrived  at  the  end  of  her  mission.  She  checked  her  course 
in  the  midst  of  floating  spars,  and  lowered  her  boats.  All  around,  her 
crew  continued  to  descry  masses  of  men  in  a  tumult  of  agitation,  stretch- 
ing their  hands  to  heaven  in  hopeless  entreaty ;  they  could  hear  the  dull 
confused  murmur  of  a  great  number  of  voices  blended  with  the  strokes 
of  oars  in  the  water.  A  few  seconds  more,  and  they  would  clasp  in  their 
arms  their  brothers  snatched  from  the  very  jaws  of  death  ! 

Dreams  of  the  night,  delusions  vain, 
Why  sport  ye  with  the  anxious  brain  ? 

The  boats  plunged  into  the  midst  of  thick  branches  of  trees  torn  away 
from  the  neighboring  shores  and  drifting  with  all  their  foliage  in  the 
counter-currents  which  remount  to  the  north.  Thus  the  strange  vision 
vanished.  Thus  was  dissipated  the  last  hope  which  a  deceitful  mirage 
had,  as  it  were,  evoked  from  the  depth  of  ocean.  Thus  foundered  anew 


MYSTERIES  OF  THE  OCEAN.  641 

under  our  eyes  the  unfortunate  corvette  with  the  three  hundred  victims 
which  she  had  on  board  ! 

Deceived  by  the  resemblance  of  certain  effects,  several  authors  con- 
found the  cyclones  with  the  wind-spouts,  and  indifferently  make  use  of 
one  or  the  other  word  to  designate  the  rotating  tempests,  the  whirlwinds, 
to  which  the  first  alone  can  correctly  be  applied. 

Appalling  Fury  of  the  Tempest. 

Their  ordinary  form,  says  the  eloquent  Michelet,  is  that  of  a  funnel. 
A  seaman  overtaken  by  one  said  to  me :  "  I  saw  myself,  as  it  were,  at 
the  bottom  of  a  crater  of  an  enormous  volcano ;  around  me,  nothing  but 
darkness ;  above,  an  aperture  and  a  gleam  of  light."  This  is  technically 
called  the  eye  of  the  storm.  Once  involved  in  it,  there  is  no  hope  of 
drawing  back  ;  it  holds  you  in  its  grasp.  Savage  roarings,  plaintive  howl- 
ings,  rattling  and  shrieks  of  the  drowned,  the  groans  of  the  unfortunate 
vessel  which,  having  sprung  to  life  again  as  in  her  own  forest,  bewails  her 
approaching  end,  all  this  appalling  tumult  does  not  prevent  you  from 
hearing  the  shrill  hissings  of  serpents  in  the  shrouds  and  rigging.  Sud- 
denly, silence!  The  nucleus  of  the  wind-spout  then  passes  afar  in  a 
burst  of  horrible  thunder,  which  deafens  and  almost  blinds  you.  You 
recover  yourself.  It  has  rent  and  split  the  masts,  and  not  a  sound  was 
heard ! 

The  crew  are  frequently  afflicted  for  a  long  time  afterwards  with  weak- 
ened eyesight  and  blackened  finger-nails.  They  remember  with  horror 
that  at  the  moment  of  the  passage  of  the  wind-spout,  as  it  drew  upwards 
the  water,  it  also  seemed  to  suck  in  the  ship,  and  hold  her  suspended  in 
the  air  and  above  the  sea;  then  letting  her  go,  it  plunged  her  down  again 
into  the  abyss. 

In  this  impressive  picture — a  masterpiece  of  description — we  recognize 
the  cyclone  or  wind-spout.  The  water-spout,  properly  so  called,  some- 
times accompanies  the  cyclone ;  but  it  is  also  produced  independently  of 
that  phenomenon,  and  appears  due  to  a  violent  disturbance  of  equilib- 
rium in  the  electric  condition  of  the  atmosphere.  Of  all  storm-phenom- 
ena, it  is  assuredly  the  most  curious  to  observe,  and  the  most  terrible  in 
its  effects. 

The  Most  Curious  Scene  in  Nature. 

It  consists  of  a  very  dense  cloud,  surcharged  with  the  electric  fluid, 
and  animated  by  irregular  movement  of  extraordinary  rapidity.  This 
cloud  nearly  always  assumes  the  shape  of  a  cone  reversed.  Its  color  is 
a  deep  gray,  its  aspect  frightful,  and  no  less  so  are  the  symptoms  which 
frequently  precede  it.  The  sky  lowers ;  the  day  grows  dark ;  the  sun's 
41 


642  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

light  becomes  sickly  and  yellowish  ,  the  air  a  prey  to  violent  agitation ; 
the  hurricane  sweeps  over  the  fields  or  the  waves  with  ominous  whist- 
lings, accompanied  by  a  dull  hoarse  murmur;  it  seems  as  if  a  volcano 
boiled  and  seethed  in  the  entrails  of  the  earth ;  then  breaks  the  water- 
spout. Flashes  of  lightning  and  bursts  of  thunder  swiftly  succeed  each 
other;  the  hail  falls,  or  rather  hovers,  with  a  perpetual  crash.  But  these 
are  only  accessary  phenomena.  The  most  appalling  circumstance  is  the 


A   WATER-SPOUT    AT   SEA. 

jet  black  cloud  which  stretches  from  above  or  below,  making  a  void  be- 
low and  around  it,  and  attracting,  by  the  force  of  the  fluid  with  which  it 
is  loaded,  trees,  which  it  withers,  wrenches,  and  uproots ;  houses,  which, 
in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  it  shatters  into  ruins  ;  men  and  animals,  whom 
it  carries  off  and  dashes,  stunned  and  bleeding,  against  the  ground,  at 
enormous  distances. 


MYSTERIES  OF  THE  OCEAN.  643 

Between  the  terrestrial  and  the  marine  water-spout  there  is  only  a  dif- 
ference of  effects,  which  naturally  vary,  according  as  the  meteor  encoun- 
ters on  its  passage  the  firm  earth  and  solid  bodies,  or  an  extensive  mass 
of  deep  waters.  The  action  of  the  water-spout  on  the  sea  cannot  be  bet- 
ter compared  than  to  a  kind  of  suction.  Immediately  beneath  the  extrem- 
ity of  the  cloudy  cone  is  formed,  on  the  surface  of  the  waves,  a  symmetri- 
cal cone,  which  rises  so  much  higher,  and  whose  base  is  so  much  larger 
in  proportion  as  the  volume  of  the  water-spout  is  greater,  and  its  electric 
force  more  considerable.  At  the  same  time,  the  sea  rises  in  the  distance  ; 
bottomless  precipices,  white  with  "  wrathful  foam,"  excavate  themselves 
around  the  liquid  mountain ;  the  waves  hustle  and  roll  one  upon  another, 


A  SHIP  IN  DANGER  FROM  WATER-SPOUTS. 

with  a  roar  which  mingles  with  the  rolling  thunder.  Woe  to  the  ship 
which  finds  herself,  not  alone  in  the  track  of  the  scourge — in  such  a  case 
she  is  lost,  without  hope  ! — but  even  at  a  short  distance  from  the  line  which 
it  traverses.  She  also  is  drawn  within  its  influence,  dragged  thither  with- 
out possible  resistance.  Her  masts  are  swept  by  the  board,  the  violence 
of  the  wind  rends  her  sails  to  fragments ;  she  no  longer  obeys  her  helm  ; 
she  must  follow  the  meteor.  Sometimes  the  vessel  is  literally  raised  above 
the  waves,  then  flung  back  into  the  abyss,  and  then  engulfed,  far  from  all 
human  aid.  Yet  it  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  seaman  is  not  always  defence- 
less against  his  formidable  enemy.  Authorities  not  unworthy  of  credit  af- 


644  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

firm  that  the  discharge  of  a  cannon,  aimed  directly  at  the  flank  of  this 
mountain  of  water,  cuts  it  into  two  parts.  The  lower  sinks  back  again 
into  the  bosom  of  the  sea ;  the  upper  trunk  is  carried  away  by  the  cloud, 
nnd  at  some  short  distance  redescends  in  rain.  But  it  is  difficult  for  ships 
to  take  up  such  a  position  that  they  can  bring  their  broadsides  to  bear  on 
the  spout,  without  approaching  so  near  as  to  fall  within  its  influence. 

The  water-spout  dissipates  like  ordinary  storms,  when  the  electric  equi- 
librium is  re-established  in  the  atmosphere.  Fortunately,  it  is  of  rare  oc- 
currence, even  in  the  tropics,  where  it  may  frequently  traverse  a  wide  area 
without  encountering  a  single  vessel.  Falconer's  description  of  this  phe- 
nomenon may  here  appropriately  be  given. 

Now  on  the  larboard  quarter  they  descry 

A  liquid  column  towering  shoot  on  high  ; 

The  foaming  base  the  angry  whirlwinds  sweep, 

Where  curling  billows  rouse  the  fearful  deep  : 

Still  round  and  round  the  fluid  vortex  flies, 

Diffusing  briny  vapors  o'er  the  skies. 

The  guns  wt  re  primed  ;  the  vessel  northward  veers, 

Till  her  black  battery  on  the  column  bears  : 

The  nitre  fired  ;  and,  while  the  dreadful  sound 

Convulsive  shook  the  slumbering  air  around, 

The  watery  volume,  trembling  to  the  sky, 

Burst  down,  a  dreadful  deluge,  from  on  high  ! 

The  expanding  ocean  trembled  as  it  fell, 

And  felt  with  swift  recoil  her  surges  swell  ; 

But  soon,  this  transient  undulation  o'er, 

The  sea  subsides,  the  whirlwinds  rage  no  more. 

Not  alone  in  tempests,  water-spouts,  and  flaming  phosphorescent  light 
do  we  discover  the  wonders  of  the  great  deep  ;  there  are  creatures  which 
make  the  unexplored  depths  their  habitation,  whose  singular  construction 
and  habits  will  never  cease  to  excite  our  interest  and  surprise. 
A  Mysterious  Inhabitant  of  the  Sea. 

The  paper  nautilus,  or  argonaut,  has  been  for  ages  a  marvel  to  the  nat- 
uralist, and  even  the  ancients  gave  graphic  descriptions  of  it  in  both  prose 
and  poetry.  It  is  a  kind  of  poulpe  or  cuttle-fish,  without  any  internal 
skeleton;  it  has  eight  arms,  provided  with  suckers;  two  of  them  are  ex- 
panded into  broad  membraneous  webs,  with  which  the  animal  grasps  its 
shell  when  it  is  swimming,  and  by  means  of  which  it  forms  and  secretes 
its  shell.  This  is  deeply  grooved,  and  is  very  thin,  transparent,  and  so 
flexible  when  wet  that  the  sides  may  be  pressed  together.  The  form  is 
exceedingly  beautiful,  being  somewhat  boat-shaped,  and  the  creature 
floats  in  it  in  such  a  manner  that  some  authors  have  supposed  the  art  of 


IRONT  VIEW   OF    AN   IMMENSE    OCTOPUS. 


(645) 


646  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

navigation  was  derived  from  it.     When  the  creature  sinks  to  the  bottom 
it  crawls  upon  its  legs,  carrying  its  house  on  its  back,  like  a  snail. 

It  has  been  discovered  that  if  the  shell  be  broken,  the  animal  will  set 
to  work  with  its  two  hands  or  trowels  to  mend  it ;  that  it  will  not  only 
close  up  cracks,  but  supply  parts  that  are  broken  away,  with  the  same 
material  as  that  which  composed  the  original  fabric.  In  repairing  its 
shell  it  will  even  take  advantage  of  pieces  of  shell  that  come  in  its  way, 
and  solder  them  in  to  fill  up  a  crevice.  It  appears  that  the  animal  is 
extremely  sensitive,  and  sometimes  in  fright  it  becomes  separated  from 
the  shell,  and  consequently  dies ;  it  however  occasionally  quits  its  tene- 
ment voluntarily,  and  again  resumes  it.  When  in  its  shell  there  is  a 
considerable  vacuum  at  the  bottom. 

We  are  indebted  for  some  careful  and  curious  observations  on  this 
interesting  species  to  Madame  Power,  who  resided  at  Messina,  and  for 
several  years  devoted  herself  to  the  study  of  these  animals.  In  order  to 
determine  whether  the  shells  really  were  produced  by  these  creatures,  she 
placed  twenty-six  of  them  in  a  vessel  and  broke  the  shells  in  different 
ways.  She  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  them  immediately  proceed  to 
cover  the  broken  parts  with  the  sails,  and  by  wrinkling  them  upon  the 
parts,  close  the  fractures.  The  first  day  the  new  substance  was  thin  and 
delicate  as  a  cobweb,  but  it  thickened  and  hardened  gradually,  until  in 
about  thirteen  days  it  had  become  perfectly  firm,  and  shelly  as  the  un- 
wounded  part,  though  somewhat  more  opaque. 

The  Ink-Bottle  of  the  Ocean. 

The  argonaut  is  a  native  of  various  seas,  but  it  is  most  common  in  the 
Mediterranean,  and  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  Messina;  here  it  is  found, 
even  in  the  port,  all  the  year,  but  is  most  abundant  in  autumn,  and  in  the 
muddy  parts  of  the  bay,  where  the  boats  lie  thickest.  When  on  the 
surface,  if  they  observe  any  person,  they  fold  the  sail-arms  over  the  shell, 
dispose  the  rowing  arms  within  it,  and  sink.  If  they  happen  to  be 
beneath,  when  alarmed,  they  eject  their  ink,  to  gain  time  to  hide  them- 
selves in  the  mud.  Those  in  the  cages  of  Madame  Power,  after  the  ink- 
bag  was  emptied,  would,  if  still  pursued,  spirt  water  from  the  funnel,  then 
shrink  within  the  shell,  covered  with  the  sails.  When  calm  and  quiet, 
and  unconscious  of  being  observed,  they  would  exhibit  their  many  beau- 
ties, rowing  along  with  their  arms,  their  full  sails  tinged  with  elegant 
colors,  resting  their  extremities  on  the  two  sides  of  the  shell,  or  embracing 
it  'with  them.  When  pressed  by  hunger  they  would  come  almost  to  the 
surface,  and  when  Madame  Power  offered  them  food,  they  would  snatch, 
it  out  of  her  hands  and  greedily  devour  it. 


GLUTINOUS   JELLY-FISHES. 


(647) 


648  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  eggs  are  like  millet-seeds,  perfectly  transparent,  attached  by  fila- 
ments of  brilliant  gluten  to  a  common  stem  of  the  same.  Three  days 
after  the  eggs  had  been  discovered,  the  little  poulpes  were  observed  in 
the  shell  of  the  parent,  without  any  shell,  like  small  worms.  Soon  after 
they  began  to  show  buds  with  two  rows  of  points  on  them,  the  rudiments 
of  the  arms  and  suckers ;  the  sail  arms  appeared  first  by  several  days. 
On  the  sixth  day  the  first  vestige  of  a  shell  was  seen,  very  thin  and 
flexible.  The  eggs  are  found  in  the  interior  of  the  spire  of  the  parent, 
the  young  between  the  roof  of  the  spire  and  the  mantle ;  the  infant  shell 
seems  to  be  first  deposited  in  the  end  of  its  parent's  spire,  whose  form  it 
thus  assumes ;  but  after  a  while  it  carries  on  the  process  without  aid. 
Two  or  three  eggs  are  developed  at  a  time ;  when  the  young  are  about 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  in  length,  they  inclose  themselves  in  the  spire 
of  the  parent,  where  they  remain  four  days  to  acquire  the  shell ;  three 
days  more  they  remain  under  the  body  of  the  old  one,  and  are  then 
ejected.  It  is  a  very  curious  fact  that  all  the  argonauts  hitherto  found 
are  females,  whence  it  is  supposed  that  the  males  are  of  a  different  form, 

and  without  shells. 

The  Hideous  Octopus. 

Four  species  of  argonaut  are  known,  all,  however,  closely  resembling 
this  which  we  have  described :  they  inhabit  the  open  sea  throughout  the 
warm  parts  of  the  globe.  This  includes  the  eight-armed  cuttle-fish, 
anciently  called  polypus,  which  has  been  abbreviated  into  the  popular 
title  of  poulpe.  It  has  no  shell,  and  no  skeleton,  but  has  two  conical 
pieces  of  horny  substances  imbedded  in  the  back,  one  on  each  side.  The 
body,  which  has  a  globular  form,  is  a  soft,  jelly-like  substance,  covered 
with  a  thick,  dark-colored,  leathery  skin.  The  arms  or  legs  are  eight  in 
number,  and  are  many  feet  in  length.  The  animal  moves  with  its  head 
either  up  or  down ;  when  it  walks  on  the  ground  or  on  the  bottom  of  the 
sea,  it  is  in  the  latter  position.  The  arms  are  each  furnished  with  one 
hundred  and  twenty  pairs  of  sucking-cups,  making  nearly  two  thousand 
in  all ;  by  means  of  these  they  are  able  to  maintain  a  powerful  grasp  upon 
their  prey  ;  indeed  the  arms  may  sooner  be  wrenched  off  than  forced  to 
loose  their  hold.  If,  however,  they  are  thus  torn  asunder,  they  are  soon 
replaced  by  spontaneous  growth.  The  arms  of  this  species  are  esteemed 
good  food  by  some  of  the  people  around  the  Mediterranean,  where  it  is 
common. 

The.  eye  of  the  cuttle-fish  is  large  and  exceedingly  keen-sighted; 
the  whole  body  of  the  creature  is  phosphorescent  in  the  dark,  and  the 
eyes  shine  like  those  of  a  cat.  The  mouth  is  placed  in  the  space  inclosed 


MYSTERIES  OF  THE  OCEAN. 


649 


"by  the  arms ;  it  consists  of  a  thick  circular  lip  around  an  orifice ;  beneath 
this  lip,  and  partially  appearing  through  the  orifice  is  a  beak  like  that  of  a 
parrot,  excepting  that  the  short  mandible  is  the  uppermost;  these  mandi- 
bles do  not  cover  bone,  but  their  interior  is  filled  with  a  fibrous  substance 
of  great  strength  and  solidity.  The  muscles  in  which  the  jaws  are 
imbedded,  and  by  which  they  ate  worked,  are  extremely  powerful ;  the 
jaws  are,  in  fact,  capable  of  stripping  off  the  armor  from  crabs  and 
lobsters,  and  of  cutting  up  the  flesh  of  fishes.  It  has  a  strong,  muscular 


BEAUTIFUL    SPECIMENS    OF    STAR-FISH. 

gizzard,  lined  with  a  leathery  skin.     In  this  gizzard  the  food  is  ground  to 
pulp.     It  may  be  termed  the  mill-hopper  where  the  grist  is  ground. 

In  addition  to  its  other  extraordinary  endowments,  the  cuttle-fish  is 
.supplied  with  an  ink-bag  enfolded  in  the  mass  of  the  liver,  containing 
the  substance  called  sepia,  and  formerly  used,  it  is  said,  by  the  Chinese, 
in  making  Indian-ink.  The  creature  has  the  power  of  ejecting  this 
through  its  siphons  placed  on  the  left  side  of  the  abdomen,  so  as  to  ren- 


650  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

der  it  an  effectual  means  of  defense.  Powerful  as  it  is,  however,  for  the 
destruction  of  various  kinds  of  sea  animals,  it  has  enemies  superior  irt 
strength  to  itself,  such  as  the  grampus  and  the  cachalot.  When  its- 
quick  eyes  perceive  one  of  these  huge  monsters  approaching,  it  ejects  a 
quantity  of  its  inky  fluid  into  the  water,  which  immediately  spreads 
around  into  a  dark  cloud;  while  the  enemy  is  floundering  about,  be- 
wildered and  astonished,  in  this  murky  fog,  the  nimble  cuttle  darts  away 
and  conceals  himself  in  the  mud  at  the  bottom,  or  the  safe  fissure  of 
some  neighboring  rock. 

The  use  of  this  ink-battery  as  a  means  alike  of  defensive  and  offensive 
warfare,  is  evinced  by  an  anecdote  of  a  British  officer,  who  on  a  certain* 


THE    CRESTED    SEAL. 

occasion,  had  gone  ashore  to  collect  shells,  happening  to  be  attired  in  a 
pair  cf  snow-white  pantaloons.  As  he  was  walking  about,  he  suddenly 
came  upon  a  cuttle-fish,  snugly  harbored  in  the  recess  of  a  rock.  For 
a  moment  the  two  stared  at  each  other  with  mutual  surprise:  after  a 
time  the  officer  advanced  a  little,  when,  quick  as  thought,  the  poulpe 
discharged  a  spray  of  ink,  and  taking  igood  aim  at  the  snowy  pants, 
spattered  them  with  indelible  stains,  which  rendered  them,  ever  after, 
unpresentable. 

This  species  seems  to  be  widely  distributed  in  almost  all  seas.  In  the 
North  Atlantic  it  is  usually  of  small  size,  but  in  the  Mediterranean  it  is 
sometimes  so  large  as  to  weigh  a  hundred  pounds;  the  body  of  one  has 
been  seen  of  the  size  of  a  barrel,  and  with  arms  as  thick  as  those  of  a 


MYSTERIES  OF  THE  OCEAN. 


651 


man.  In  the  tropical  seas  they  are  said  to  be  much  larger,  and  so  fierce 
as  sometimes  to  attack  boats  and  drag  them  under  water.  We  are  told 
that  in  the  Indian  waters,  such  things  have  actually  happened,  and  in 
certain  localities  the  boatmen  always  keep  themselves  supplied  with  axes 
to  cut  off  the  arms  of  these  monsters,  in  case  of  an  attack. 

Their  remarkable  spirit,  as  well  as  their  strength,  is  evinced  by  an 
adventure  which  Mr.  Beale,  an  Englishman,  had  with  one  of  them  among 
the  rocks  of  the  Bonin  Islands,  where  he  had  gone  ashore  to  seek  for 
shells.  As  he  was  moving  about,  he  was  suddenly  arrested  by  seeing 
at  his  feet  a  most  extraordinary  looking  animal,  crawling  toward  the 

surf,  which  it  had  only 
just  left.  It  was  creep- 
ing on  its  eight  legs, 
which,  from  their  soft 
and  flexible  nature,  bent 
considerably  under  the 
weight  of  its  body,  so- 
that  it  was  lifted  by  the 
efforts  of  its  limbs  only 
a  small  distance  from 
the  rocks.  It  appeared 
much  alarmed  at  seeing 
him,  and  made  every 
effort  to  escape.  A  mo- 
ment after,  the  appar- 
ently enraged  animal 
lifted  its  head  with  its 
large  projecting  eyes, 
A  SAVAGE  FOE.  and  loosing  its  hold  of 

the  rocks,  suddenly  sprang  upon  Mr.  Beale,  and  clung  to  him  by 
means  of  its  suckers  with  great  power,  endeavoring  to  get  its  beak,  which 
could  now  be  seen  between  the  roots  of  its  arms,  in  a  position  to  bite.. 
A  sensation  of  horror  pervaded  his  whole  frame,  when  he  found  that  this 
hideous  animal  had  fixed  itself  to  him  so  firmly.  Its  cold,  slimy  grasp 
was  extremely  sickening ;  and  he  loudly  called  to  the  captain,  who  was 
at  some  distance,  to  come  and  release  him  from  his  dangerous  assailant.. 
The  captain  quickly  came,  and  soon  released  him,  by  destroying  his 
tormentor  with  the  boat-knife,  which  he  accomplished  by  cutting  away 
portions  at  a  time. 

The  presence  of  this  monster  in  the  tropical  seas  often  adds  a  fresh 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


danger  to  the  ordinary  perils  of  pearl-diving.  It  has  been  known  to  at- 
tack men  under  water,  and  numerous  instances  are  recorded  of  its  fatal 
.assault.  Once  within  its  powerful  grasp,  the  situation  is  extremely  criti- 
cal. It  has  no  mercy  on  its  victim,  and  when  it  throws  about  him  its 
immense  arms  he  is  in  the  jaws  of  an  embrace  that  means  death.  The 
natives  are  compelled  to  arm  themselves  with  the  most  effective  weapons 
against  a  foe  so  ferocious  and  hard  to  overcome. 

The  ammonites,  a  curious  genera  of  mollusks,  become  quite  special  in 
the  secondary  epoch,  and  disappear  altogether  before  our  age.  They  are 
characteristic  of  a  very  early  period,  and  each  zone  is  characterized  by  its 
peculiar  species.  The  name  is  taken  from  the  resemblance  of  the  shell  to 
the  ram's-horn  ornaments  which  decorated  the  front  of  the  temple  of  Jup- 
iter Ammon  and  the  bas-re-  .  ; 
liefs  of  the  statues  of  this 
pagan  deity.  They  were  ce- 
phalopode  mollusks  with  cir- 
cular shells,  winding  in  spirals 
on  the  same  plane,  and  divided 
into  a  series  of  chambers. 

The  animal  only  occupied 
the  outer  cavities  of  the  shell ; 
all  the  others  were  void.  A 
tube  issuing  from  the  first  tra- 
versed all  the  cavities.  This 
enabled  the  animal  to  rise  to 
the  surface,  or  sink  to  the  bot- 
tom, for  the  ammonite  could 
.at  pleasure  fill  the  chambers 
•or  expel  the  water,  thus  rendering  it  lighter  or  heavier  as  occasion 
required.  The  nautilus  of  our  seas  is  provided  with  the  same  curious 
organization,  and  reminds  us  forcibly  of  the  ammonites  of  geological 
times.  Shells  are  the  only  traces  which  remain  of  the  ammonites.  Like 
a  little  sculler,  the  ammonite  floated  on  the  surface  of  the  water ;  like 
the  nautilus,  the  shell  was  an  animated  skiff.  What  a  curious  aspect 
these  primitive  seas  must  have  presented,  covered  by  myriads  of  these 
mollusks  of  all  sizes,  rowing  about  in  eager  pursuit  of  their  prey ! 


THE    ANCIENT    AMMONITE. 


CHAPTER  III. 
THE  WORKMEN  OF  THE  SEA. 

The  Ocean  a  Nursery  of  Life — World-Makers—Destruction  of  the  Weaker  Marine 
Tribes— Half  Plants  and  Half  Animals— Graceful  Forms  and  Brilliant  Hues- 
Flowers  of  Ocean — Astounding  Multitude  of  Infusoria — Mountains  Formed  from 
Tiny  Shells — Islands  Built  by  Coral  Insects— Magnificent  Paris  Built  by  Animal- 
cules—Coral Forests  in  the  Sea -Coral  Islands  Hundreds  of  Miles  in  Extent — 
Ships  in  Danger— The  Birth  of  New  Lands— The  Marvelous  Actinia— Plants  of 
Living  Stone — Myriad  Forms  of  Life  in  the  Sea — Depths  of  Amazing  Splendor — 
The  Humming  Birds  of  the  Ocean. 


HE  circulation  of  the  ocean,  its  phosphorescence,  and  the  tints  of 
color  belonging  to  certain  seas,  make  known  but  imperfectly 
what  can  be  accomplished  by  the  incalculable  numbers,  the 
prodigious  fecundity,  and  the  devouring  activity  of  the  minute 
animals,  scarcely  perceptible  individually,  with  which  it  teems.  Yet  geol- 
ogy demonstrates  that  it  was  they  which  laid  the  foundation  of  animal 
life  in  that  immense  cradle,  that  inexhaustible  "  nursery  "  as  Maury  calls 
it ;  it  is  they  which  maintain  a  never-varying  identity  in  the  composition 
of  its  waters,  absorbing  and  changing  the  mineral  and  organic  properties 
with  which  these  are  incessantly  loaded. 

There  are  some  which  serve  as  the  food  of  stronger  and  superior  spe- 
cies ;  these,  in  their  turn,  nourish  the  fish  and  crustaceans,  which  are 
themselves  devoured  by  far  larger  fishes.  There  are  others  which  are  in- 
defatigable architects. 

A  myriad  laborers  ply  their  task, 

And  what  it  tends  to  never  ask. 

The  work  how  grand  !  the  means  how  small ! 

What  wondrous  order  reigns  o'er  all ! 

They  construct  the  fantastic  edifices  that  from  the  depths  of  ocean 
mount  to  its  very  surface,  and  spread  afar,  ramify,  and  terminate  in  coral 
reefs  and  islands.  Michelet  calls  them  "  world-makers."  Others,  finally, 
by  dying,  have  accumulated  at  certain  points  their  skeleton  wrecks,  and 
have  formed  numerous  banks,  and  shallows,  and  entire  beds  of  deposit, 
where  the  geologist  to-day  may  study  these  first-born  of  creation.  These 
infusoria,  these  polypes,  were  preceded,  in  the  primeval  sea,  in  the 
universal  ocean,  by  vegetables  properly  so  called,  similar  to  those  which,. 
at  the  present  time,  are  met  with  in  the  torrid  zone. 

(653) 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

These  vegetable  species,  then,  have  remained  almost  stationary ;  their 
number  is  now  confined  within  comparatively  narrow  limits,  and  we  see 
nothing  in  this  Neptunian  flora  which  at  all  approaches  the  astonishing 
variety  of  the  terrestrial,  although  there  are  flowers  of  the  ocean  whose 
beauty  rivals  that  of  the  lily  and  rose.  The  genera  or  tribes  which  really 
.compose  the  flora  of  the  sea  are  those  zoophytes  (half  plants,  half  animals), 
those  lithophytes  (half  plants,  half  stones),  which  cover  its  mountains  and 
valleys  with  forests  of  coral  and  madrepore  with  gigantic  and  inextricably 
inter-woven  branches :  such  are  the  anemones,  the  actinias,  the  marvelous 
shells  which,  thanks  to  their  graceful  forms  and  brilliant  hues,  are  orna- 
ments no  less  rich  and  curious  for  the  submarine  meadow  and  plain,  than 
for  our  terrestrial  fields  the  flowers  are  that  expand  in  the  sunshine  and 
.are  fed  by  the  morning  dew. 

Plants  and  Animals  Combined. 

These  mixed  beings,  with  a  vegetative  life,  yet  provided  with  organs 
proper  to  the  animal  kingdom,  and  endowed  with  instincts  and  faculties, 
rudimentary,  it  is  true,  but  clearly  manifest,  are  one  of  the  most  charac- 
teristic features  of  the  Neptunian  creation.  It  is  not  even  certain  whether 
this  creation  has  really  produced  any  plants,  properly  so  called,  and 
whether  the  weeds,  so  long  and  so  unhesitatingly  classed  in  the  vegetable 
kingdom,  are  not  also  produced  like  the  corals  and  lithophytes,  by  the 
polypes,  or  living  creatures,  inhabiting  them,  which  there  develop  and  re- 
produce themselves  indefinitely. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  infusoria,  the  world  makers,  whose  debris  are 
discovered  in  prodigious  quantities  among  the  remains  of  the  primitive 
creation.  The  name  "infusorise"  has  been  given  to  them  because  they 
were  first  observed  in  liquids  holding  in  dissolution  or  in  infusion  particles 
of  matter.  The  accumulated  spoils  of  these  infinitely  small  organisms 
constitute  a  notable  part  of  the  solid  crust  of  our  globe;  and  we  our- 
selves are  eye-witnesses  of  the  phenomena  of  continual  reproduction  and 
destruction  by  which  they  made  ready,  at  the  epoch  of  the  ancient  geo- 
logical formations,  the  habitation  of  man. 

Astonishing  Multitude  of  Animalcules. 

According  to  Ehrenberg,  a  cubic  inch  of  the  Tripoli  sand  which  is 
still  in  the  course  of  formation  in  the  environs  of  Bilin,  in  Bohemia,  con- 
tains thousands  of  shells  of  the  infusoria  which  produce  this  friable  sub- 
stance. The  same  naturalist  states  that,  so  great  is  their  power  of  repro- 
duction, one  million  of  these  animalcules  are  born  in  a  few  days.  Bear- 
ing these  facts  in  mind,  it  is  not  difficult  to  understand  what  immense 
masses  of  matter  must  have  been  deposited  by  the  innumerable  genera- 


THE  WORKMEN  OF  THE  SEA. 


655 


tions  which  have  succeeded  one  another  during  the  long  periods  of  the 
primitive  epochs,  and  which  have  covered  with  accumulated  sediment  the 
rocks  of  fiery  origin  that  formed  the  first  crust  of  the  earth.  The  fossil 
debris  of  larger  shells  are  also  found  in  vast  masses,  which  sufficiently 
indicate  the  infinite  multiplication  of  life  in  the  dense  warm  waters  of  the 
primeval  seas. 

The  illustrious  geologist,  Buckland,  affirms  that  the  shells  of  infusoria 
form  a  considerable  portion  of  the  entire  mass  of  several  mountains ;  as, 
for  instance,  the  formations  of  the  Alps,  the  Carpathians,  and  the  Pyre- 
nees. The  famous  colossal  Sphinx,  and  the  hugest  of  the  Egyptian  pyr- 


AN    ISLAND    IN    MID-OCEAN    FORMED    BY    CORAL    INSECTS. 

amids — that  which  is  generally  distinguished  by  the  name  of  Cheops — 
are  constructed  of  a  limestone  wholly  composed  of  these  minute  crea- 
tures which  are  everywhere  widely  distributed,  and  which,  by  their  count- 
less legions,  seem  to  have  sought  a  compensation  for  their  extreme  dim- 
inutiveness.  The  sand  of  the  sea-shore  is  so  filled  with  them  that  one 
may  justly  say  it  is  half  composed  of  them.  In  an  ounce  of  sand,  in 
the  West  Indies,  it  was  estimated  that  there  were  nearly  four  thousand  of 
individuals. 

The  banks  formed  by  the  remains  of  these  beings  impede  navigation 
and  render  it  dangerous,  obstruct  the  gulfs,  fill  up  the  harbors,  and,  in 


656 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


conjunction  with  the  madrepores,  construct  those  islands  which  from 
time  to  time  emerge  in  the  warm  regions  of  the  great  ocean;  and  this 
role,  actually  played  out  to-day  by  living  species,  was  formerly  filled  by 
those  which  are  now  found  only  in  a  fossil  condition. 

At  the  epoch  of  the  coal  formation  a  single  species  built  up  in  Russia 
enormous  beds  of  lime-stone.  The  deposits  reveal  an  immense  quantity  in 
the  white  chalk  in  England.  Finally,  in  numerous  localities,  and  especial- 
ly in  the  environs  of  Paris,  the  limestone-grit  encloses  an  infinite  number. 


A   CORAL   SHRUB. 

Paris,  as  well  as  many  neighboring  towns  and  villages,  is  almost  wholly 
built  with  these  infusoria.  Thus,  then,  animals,  hardly  perceptible  to  the 
unassisted  eye,  change  to-day  the  depths  of  the  waters,  and  have,  at  var- 
ious geological  epochs,  filled  up  basins  of  a  considerable  area.  This  fact 
shows  us  that  each  animal  has  its  allotted  task,  and  that  with  time — time, 
of  which  nature  takes  no  count — the  animals  which  appear  to  us  so  con- 
temptible on  account  of  their  smallness,  might  change  the  aspect  of  the 
globe. 


THE  WORKMEN  OF  THE  SEA. 


657 


This  is  not  the  only,  nor  is  it  the  most  curious  example,  that  we  might 
put  forward  of  the  immense  share  given  to  the  zoophites  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  earth's  crust  and  the  ocean's  bed.  One  species  has  only  played 
a  passive  part  in  this  phenomenon,  consisting  simply  in  the  accumulation 
of  shells  over  places  long  covered  by  the  waters.  This  is  not  the  case 
with  another  species,  the  polypes,  whose  astounding  labors  are  almost  in- 
credible. Not  only  are  these  remarkable  for  their  rapid  increase  but  they 
are  admirable  workmen,  skillful  engineers,  building  up  in  the  liquid  depths, 
with  the  materials  there  held  in  suspension,  massive  monuments  which 


I 


A   SPONGE   WITH    CORALLINE    ATTACHED. 

dwarf  into  the  work  of  pigmies  the  most  gigantic  constructions  of  ancient 
and  modern  peoples. 

In  the  torrid  zone,  says  Cuvier,  where  the  lithophytes  are  numerous  in 
species  and  propagate  abundantly,  their  stony  trunks  intertwine  themselves 
into  rocks  and  reefs,  which,  rising  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  close  up  the 
mouth  of  harbors,  and  lay  the  most  terrible  snares  for  navigators.  The 
sea  throwing  up  sand  and  mud  on  the  summit  of  these  reefs,  sometimes 
raises  their  surface  above  its  own  level,  and  forms  them  into  level  islands, 
which  in  due  time  rich  vegetation  vivifies.  These  polypids  belong  exclu- 
42 


658  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

sively  to  tropical  regions,  and  rarely  overpass  the  2/th  parallels  of  north 
and  south  latitude,  unless  in  localities  marked  by  special  conditions,  as 
where  the  Atlantic  is  warmed  by  the  Gulf  Stream. 

They  are   also   found   among   the   Bermuda  Islands — Shakespeare's 
"still-vext  Bermoothes."     The   tropical    regions    of  the   Pacific   Ocean 
abound  in  prodigious  quantities  of  coral,  which  have  been  converted  into 
Summer-isles  of  Eden,  lying  in  dark  purple  spheres  of  sea. 

We  know  that  these  lithophytes  have  given  the  name  of  the  "  Coral 
Sea  "  to  the  "  glowing  tracts  "  comprised  between  the  north-east  coast 
of  New  Holland,  the  south-east  coast  of  New  Guinea,  the  Solomon 
Islands,  the  New  Hebrides,  and  New  Caledonia.  They  abound,  more- 
over, in  the  Persian  and  Arabian  Gulfs,  as  well  as  in  the  part  of  the  In- 
dian Ocean  comprised  between  the  Malabar  coast  and  the  Island  of  Mada- 
gascar. Flinders  computes  a  reef  of  polypids  situated  on  the  east  coast 
of  Australia,  and  known  as  the  Great  Barrier  Reef,  at  a  length  of  1086 
miles,  and  he  describes  it  as  without  gap  or  break  over  an  extent  of  380 
miles.  Groups  of  coral  islands  exist  in  the  Pacific,  which  spread  over 
an  area  of  1080  to  1300  miles  in  length,  and  330  to  435  miles  in  breadth : 
such  are  the  dangerous  Archipelago,  and  those  which  the  Russian  navi- 
gator, Kotzebue,  named  Radack. 

Vast  Beds  of  Irving  Stone. 

These  lithophytic,  or  coral  banks,  are  generally  developed  with 
extreme  slowness.  Ehrenberg  ascribes  to  certain  isolated  polypids  in 
the  Arabian  Gulf,  which  measure  only  two  to  four  yards  in  diameter,  an 
antiquity  of  several  thousands  of  years.  The  coral  reefs  affect  various 
forms;  nevertheless,  the  most  general  consist,  at  least  in  the  Pacific,  of  a 
ring  or  belt  of  dry  ground,  circular  or  oval,  enclosing  a  lagoon  of  shallow 
and  tranquil  water,  abounding  with  zoophytes  and  mollusks.  These 
islands  scarcely  rise  above  the  level  of  the  water,  and  the  sea  surround- 
ing them  is  often  of  unfathomable  depth.  Out  of  thirty-two  examined 
by  Beechey,  twenty-nine  had  lakes  or  lagoons  in  the  centre,  the  bases 
formed  of  coral;  and  as  these  are  gradually  filling  up  by  the  labors  of 
the  insects,  and  the  deposition  of  sand  and  lithophytic  matters,  they  will 
in  due  time  vanish,  and  a  uniform  mass  of  land  present  itself.  At  Durie's 
Island,  the  central  lagoon  was  partly  enclosed  by  trees,  and  the  water 
being  exquisitely  transparent,  the  reflected  picture  was  one  of  extreme 
beauty.  The  corallines  were  of  various  colors — rose,  pink,  azure,  yellow, 
lilac,  snow-white;  and  numerous  small  fish  of  brilliant  hues,  darting 
rapidly  to  and  fro  among  the  coral  labyrinth,  produced  an  effect  of 
extremely  fantastic  character. 


THE  WORKMEN  OF  THE  SEA. 


659 


The  examination  of  a  coral  reef,  says  Captain  Basil  Hall,  during  the 
different  stages  of  one  tide,  is  particularly  interesting.  When  the  sea 
has  left  it  for  some  time,  it  becomes  dry,  and  appears  to  be  a  compact 
rock,  exceedingly  hard  and  ragged ;  but  no  sooner  does  the  tide  rise 
again,  and  the  waves  begin  to  wash  over  it,  than  millions  of  coral  worms 
protrude  themselves  from  holes  on  the  surface  which  were  before  quite 
invisible. 

These  animals  are  of  a  great  variety  of  shapes  and  sizes,  and  in  such 
prodigious  numbers,  that  in  a  short  time  the  whole  surface  of  the  rock 
appears  to  be  alive  and  in  motion.  The  most  common  of  the  worms  at 


SCALY-CLAWED    CRUSTACEAN. 

Loo  Chop  was  in  the  form  of  a  star,  with  arms  from  four  to  six  inches  long, 
which  it  moved  about  with  a  rapid  motion  in  all  directions,  probably  in 
search  of  food.  Others  were  so  sluggish  that  they  were  often  mistaken  for 
pieces  of  the  rock ;  these  were  generally  of  a  dark  color,  and  from  four 
to  five  inches  long,  and  two  or  three  round.  When  the  rock  was  broken 
from  a  spot  near  the  level  of  high  water,  it  was  found  to  be  a  hard  solid 
stone;  but  if  any  part  of  it  were  detached  at  a  level  to  which  the  tide 
reached  every  day,  it  was  discovered  to  be  full  of  worms  of  all  different 
lengths  and  colors,  some  being  as  fine  as  a  thread,  and  several  feet  long, 


660 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


generally  of  a  very  bright  yellow,  and  sometimes  of  a  blue  color ;  while 
others  resembled  snails,  and  some  were  not  unlike  lobsters  and  prawns 
in  shape,  but  soft,  and  not  above  two  inches  long. 

The  growth  of  coral  ceases  when  the  worm  which  creates  it  is  no 
longer  exposed  to  the  washing  of  the  tide.  Thus  a  reef  rises  in  the  form 
of  a  gigantic  cauliflower,  till  its  top  has  gained  the  level  of  the  highest 
tides,  above  which  the  worm  has  no  power  to  carry  its  operations,  and 
the  reef,  consequently,  no  longer  extends  itself  upwards.  The  surround- 
ing parts,  however,  advance  in  succession  till  they  reach  the  surface, 
where  they  also  must  stop.  Thus,  as  the  level  of  the  highest  tide  is  the 
eventual  limit  to  every  part  of  the  reef,  a  horizontal  field  comes  to  be 
formed  coincident  with  that  plane,  and  perpendicular  on  all  sides. 


SPECIMENS    OF    BIVALVE    AND    UNIVALVE    SHELLS. 

The  reef,  however,  continually  increases,  and  being  prevented  from  go- 
ing higher,  must  extend  itself  laterally  in  all  directions ;  and  this  growth 
being  probably  as  rapid  at  the  upper  edge  as  it  is  lower  down,  the  steep- 
ness of  the  face  of  the  reef  is  preserved  ;  and  it  is  this  circumstance  which 
renders  this  species  of  rock  so  dangerous  in  navigation.  In  the  first  place, 
they  are  seldom  seen  above  the  water ;  and  in  the  next,  their  sides  are  so 
abrupt  that  a  ship's  bows  may  strike  against  the  rock  before  any  change 
of  soundings  indicates  the  approach  of  danger. 

When  the  reef  is  of  such  a  height  as  to  be  almost  wholly  uncovered  at 


THE  WORKMEN  OF  THE  SEA.  661 

low  water,  the  zoophytes  discontinue  their  toils.  Below  the  line  which 
they  have  traced,  you  then  discover  a  continuous  stony  mass,  composed 
of  shells  and  mollusks,  with  their  bristling  spikes,  and  fragments  of  coral 
connected  by  a  calcareous  sand,  proceeding  from  the  pulverization  of  the 
shells.  It  often  happens  that  the  heat  of  the  sun  penetrates  this  mass 
when  it  is  dry,  and  causes  it  to  split  open  in  many  places ;  the  waves 
then  possess  sufficient  force  to  divide  it  into  blocks  of  coral  about  six  feet 
long  by  three  or  four  and  a  half  feet  broad,  and  to  hurl  them  upon  the 
reef;  this  operation  terminates  in  the  elevation  of  such  a  crest  that  the 
high  tides  only  wash  over  it  at  certain  periods  of  the  year. 

The  sand  does  not  experience  any  further  change,  and  offers  to  the 
seeds  brought  thither  by  the  waves  a  soil  wherein  vegetation  flourishes 
with  sufficient  rapidity  to  speedily  overshadow  its  dazzling  white  surface. 
Whole  trunks  of  trees,  transported  by  the  rivers  from  other  countries  and 
other  islands,  find  there  at  length,  after  a  protracted  voyage,  a  resting- 
place.  Some  small  animals,  such  as  insects  or  lizards,  are  conveyed 
among  them,  and  usually  become  the  first  inhabitants  of  these  reefs. 
Even  before  the  trees  are  thick  and  leafy  enough  to  form  a  wood,  the 
sea-birds  build  their  nests  among  them;  stray  terrestrial  birds  seek  refuge 
in  the  copses ;  and  finally,  long  after  the  polypes  have  accomplished  their 
work,  man  appears,  and  erects  his  hut  on  the  fertile  soil. 

Millions  of  millions  thus,  from  age  to  age, 

With  simplest  skill  and  toil  unweariable, 

No  moment  and  no  movement  unimproved, 

Laid  line  on  line,  on  terrace  terrace  spread, 

To  swell  the  heightening,  brightening,  gradual  mound, 

By  marvellous  structure  climbing  towards  the  day. 

Each  wrought  alone,  yet  all  together  wrought, 

Unconscious,  not  unworthy,  instruments, 

By  which  a  Hand  invisible  was  rearing 

A  new  creation  in  the  secret  deep. 

Omnipotence  wrought  in  them,  with  them,  by  them  ; 

Hence,  what  omnipotence  alone  could  do, 

Worms  did.     I  saw  the  living  pile  ascend, 

The  mausoleum  of  its  architects, 

Still  dying  upwards  as  their  labors  closed  ; 

Slime  the  material,  but  the  slime  was  turned 

To  adamant  by  their  petrific  touch  ; 

Frail  were  their  frames,  ephemeral  their  lives, 

Their  masonry  imperishable.     All 

Life's  needful  functions,  food,  exertion,  rest, 

By  nice  economy  of  Providence, 

Were  overruled  to  carry  on  the  process 

Which  out  of  water  brought  forth  solid  rock. 


662  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Atom  by  atom  thus  the  burthen  grew, 
Even  like  an  infant  in  its  growth,  till  Time 
Delivered  ocean  of  that  monstrous  birth — 
A  coral  island  stretching  east  and  west. 

But  there  are  coral  formations  even  exceeding  in  wonder  anything  we 
have  yet  observed.  There  are  plants  and  living  stones  rivalling  the 
beauty  of  any  flower  garden  blooming  upon  the  land.  The  little  insects 
appear  to  have  an  eye  for  symmetry  and  exquisite  colors. 

The  flowering  actinia  has  long  flexible  branches  ramified  towards  the 
extremity,  which  resemble  the  branches  of  a  tree. 

There  is  also  an  actinia  called  the  plumosa  which  is  generally  white, 
but  is  sometimes  yellow  or  orange,  the  mouth  of  which  is  surrounded  by 
lobes,  furnished  with  numerous  tentacles,  or  branches.  Both  of  these 


WHITE    ACTINIA   OF   ST.    HELENA. 

forms  are  presented  in  the  engravings  which  are  annexed.     These  are 
simply  animated  stones. 

Thus  under  a  surface  much  less  varied  than  that  of  the  mainland, 
remarks  Humboldt,  the  sea  contains  in  its  bosom  an  exuberance  of  life  of 
which  no  other  region  of  the  globe  affords  any  idea.  Charles  Darwin 
justly  observes  that  our  terrestrial  forests  do  not  afford  an  asylum  to 
nearly  so  many  animals  as  do  those  of  ocean.  For  the  sea  has  likewise 
its  forests,  consisting  of  the  long  marine  herbs  which  flourish  in  shoal 
and  shallow,  or  the  floating  banks  of  fucus  which  the  waves  and  cur- 
rents have  detached,  and  whose  loose  and  slender  branches  are  raised  to 
the  surface  by  their  air-swollen  cells,  consisting,  moreover,  of  those  stony 
plants,  embracing  immense  areas  both  in  height  and  breadth,  whose 
encroachments  would  become  formidable  were  it  not  for  the  extreme 
slowness  with  which  the  polypes  accomplish  their  indestructible  work. 


THE  WORKMEN  OF  THE  SEA. 


663 


There  are  glorious  forests,  as  well  as  the  superb  gardens  where  ocean 
displays  all  the  gorgeous  treasures  of  its  living  flora,  and  there  are 
animated  plants  which  have  long  perplexed  and  embarrassed  our  scien- 
'tific  men;  embarrassed  them  not  unreasonably,  nor  are  they  yet  free 
from  trouble,  only  the  trouble  has  changed  its  direction — for  to-day  our 
naturalists,  having  recognized  as  animals  the  strange  half-formed  beings 
which  they  formerly  took  for  plants,  have  begun  to  ask  if  those  other 


CATCHING   A    HUGE   TURTLE. 

so-called  plants  may  not  also  be  animals,  or  at  least  polypes ;  whether,  in 
a  word,  the  whole  vegetable  kingdom  is  not  a  fiction ! 

What  hidest  thou  in  thy  treasure-caves  and  cells, 
Thou  hollow-sounding  and  mysterious  main  ? 

The  sea  conceals  arcana  in  its  depths  which  no  glance  can  penetrate, 
which  no  genius  can  depict  except  with  the  help  of  imagination.  In  the 
aerial  and  terrestrial  worlds,  and  even  in  the  celestial  space,  nature 
liberally  unrolls  before  our  eyes  her  marvelous  pictures.  From  one 


664  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

pole  to  the  other  we  may  explore  all  the  parts  of  our  domain  ;  we  may 
ransack  the  very  bowels  of  earth;  or,  raising  our  gaze  towards  the 
firmament,  contemplate  the  immense  panorama  of  the  worlds,  measure 
the  dimensions  and  the  distances  of  the  stars,  follow  them  in  their 
courses,  calculate  their  orbits  and  even  their  densities ;  but  of  this  ocean, 
this  thin  stratum  of  water  a  few  thousand  yards  in  thickness,  stretched 
over  our  planet,  we  know  by  sight  only  the  surface  and  the  borders. 
There  only  can  man  grapple  with  Neptunian  nature ;  and  so  much  as  he 
is  permitted  to  embrace — the  strange,  grand,  and  diversified  character  of 
the  scenes  which  ocean  presents  in  certain  regions  and  under  favorable 


A   SEA-FLOWER    IN    LIVING    STONE. 

conditions — increases  our  regret  that  we  are  reduced  to  such  limited  and 
fugitive  glimpses,  by  leading  us  to  presume,  from  the  little  we  can  see, 
the  splendor  of  that  which  remains  unseen. 

A  seaman  placed  in  the  midst  of  the  ocean,  says  Maury,  experiences,  on 
contemplating  its  surface,  sentiments  similar  to  those  of  the  astronomer 
when  he  observes  the  stars,  and  interrogates  the  night  upon  the  profun- 
dities of  the  skies.  We  may  judge  what  his  feelings  are,  in  fact,  from  the 
following  description,  which  a  learned  German  traveller,  Schleiden,  has 
given  of  the  spectacle  presented  to  the  navigator  in  the  boundless  plains 
of  the  tropical  sea :  If  we  plunge  our  glances  into  the  liquid  crystal  of  the 
Indian  Ocean,  we  shall  see  realized  therein  the  marvelous  appearances  of 


THE  WORKMEN  OF  THE  SEA. 

the  fairy  tales  01  our  infancy.  Fantastic  shrubs  are  decked  with  living 
flowers.  Everywhere  glow  the  most  brilliant  colors ;  glaucous  greens 
alternate  with  brown  and  yellow  ;  rich  purple  tints  subside  into  the  liveliest 
red  or  intensest  blue. 

Rosy,  yellow,  or  peach-colored  crusts  cover  the  decayed  plants,  and  are 
themselves  enveloped  in  black  tissue  which  resembles  the  most  delicate, 
carved  ivory.  By  their  side  waver  to  and  fro  the  yellow  and  blue  fans  of 


m 


A   STONE   WITH  STAR    CLUSTERS. 

the  gorgons,  richly  wrought  like  jewels  of  filigree.  The  sand  is  besprinkled 
with  sea-hedgehogs  and  sea-stars,  of  fantastic  forms  and  varied  colors. 
Resembling  gigantic  cactus  flowers,  glittering  with  glowing  hues,  the  sea- 
anemones  adorn  the  rocks  with  their  crowns,  or  spread  over  the  ocean-bed 
like  a  growth  of  brilliant  vines.  The  humming-birds  of  ocean — small 
gleaming  fishes,  some  bright  with  a  metallic  splendor  of  azure  or  vermilion, 
some  with  a  gilded  green  or  dazzling  silver  lustre — play  around  the  coral 

bushes. 

Each  moss, 

Each  shell,  each  crawling  insect,  holds  a  rank 
Important  in  the  plan  of  Him  who  framed 
This  scale  of  beings  ;  holds  a  rank  which,  lost, 
Would  break  the  chain,  and  leave  behind  a  gap 
Which  nature's  self  would  rue. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
RARE  SPECIMENS  OF  OCEAN  LIFE. 

"The  Famous  Narwhal — Many  Teeth  in  One — Strange  Superstitions  as  to  the  Sea- 
Unicorn — A  Formidable  Weapon — The  Best  Kind  of  Ivory — Narwhal  Fishing — 
An  Arctic  Black  Hole  of  Calcutta — Immense  Size  of  the  Narwhal — The  Huge 
Grampus— "  The  Killer  "  Capturing  Seals— Story  of  the  Whale— Flashes  like 
Lightning  from  the  Waves — The  Hairy  Medusae — A  Wake  of  Silvery  Light — 
"All  Hands  Ahoy !  "—Whale  Fishing  and  its  Dangers— Sea-Birds  and  Their 
Curious  Habits— The  Elegant  Black-Backed  Gull— Laughing  Gull— "Haw,  ha, 
ha,  Haw  '."—Birds  that  are  Pirates—The  Sea-Mew  and  its  Island  Home— The 
Wonderful  Island  of  Saint  Kilda — Humming-Birds  of  the  Ocean — Colors  that 
Dazzle  the  Eye —Beautiful  Specimens  of  Scaly-Finned  Fishes— Flag-Fish — 
Coral-Fish  —  Rock-Fish  —Whip-Fish— Duke-Fish— Emperor-Fish— The  Sharp- 
shooter of  the  Sea— Good  Aim  and  Successful  Shot— A  Fish  With  Two  Lungs- 
Burrowing  in  the  Mud— Savage  Fighters — A  Fish  that  Hisses — The  Frog- 
Catcher — Curious  Climbing  Fish — Experiments  with  the  Mud-Jumper— A  Slug- 
gard that  Proves  to  be  Swifter  than  an  Arrow. 


ARWHALS  differ  very  little  from  porpoises  in  their  general  form 
and  the  color  of  their  bodies ;  but  at  the  first  glance  they  are 
easily  to  be  distinguished  from  all  other  cetaceans  by  the  singu- 
lar tusk  with  which  nature  has  provided  them.  Of  the  two 
incisive  teeth  implanted  in  the  upper  jaw  of  the  narwhal,  one  is  almost 
entirely  wanting,  whilst  the  other  is  prodigiously  lengthened  in  a  straight 
line,  and  is  simply  an  enormous  stiletto,  which  is  rounded  with  a  spiral 
fluting,  a  sharp  point  at  the  extremity,  and  which  is  of  one-third  or  half 
the  length  of  the  animal.  This  strange  creature  has  then  but  one  tooth — 
•and  what  a  tooth !  It  is,  in  fact,  a  sword  of  ivory.  In  the  Museum  of 
Natural  History  at  Amsterdam  and  other  collections,  there  is  a  narwhal 
skull  with  two  fully  developed  tusks. 

There  have  been,  both  among  the  ancients  and  the  moderns,  many  stories 
about  the  narwhal's  tooth.  It  was  formerly  considered  to  be  like  the  horn 
of  the  unicorn,  which  was  situated  on  the  middle  of  the  forehead.  This 
fabulous  being  resembled,  they  said,  the  horse  and  the  stag.  Aristotle 
and  Pliny  have  described  it,  and  it  is  represented  on  many  ancient  monu- 
ments. It  was  adopted  by  the  chivalry  of  the  middle  ages,  and  has  often 
decorated  the  trophies  in  military  fetes. 

In  former  times  people   attributed  to  the  tooth  of  the  narwhal,  which 
they  called  the  tooth  of  the  unicorn,  marvelous  medicinal  virtues.     They 
(666) 


RARE  SPECIMENS  OF  OCEAN  LIFE.  667 

considered  it  an  infallible  antidote  to  all  poisonous  compounds  ;  they  were 
persuaded  that  it  counteracted  all  the  hurtful  properties  of  venomous  sub- 
stances. Charles  IX.,  dreading  lest  he  should  be  poisoned,  was  very 
•careful  to  put  into  his  cup  of  wine  a  piece  of  the  sea-unicorn's  tooth. 
Ambroise  Par6  was  the  first  who  dared  to  lift  up  his  voice  against  such 
errors.  Very  soon  after  the  unicorn  ceased  to  be  an  object  of  exorbitant 
price  on  account  of  its  supposed  virtues.  It  then  passed  from  the  apoth- 
ecary's laboratory  to  the  naturalist's  collection,  where  it  was  long  preserved 
under  the  name  of  horn  or  tusk  of  the  unicorn. 

The  true  nature  of  this  horn  was  shown  for  the  first  time  by  a  naturalist 
who  had  found  it  affixed  in  its  socket  in  a  skull  similar  to  that  of  a  whale. 
But  it  was  not  till  167 1  that  Frederick  Martens  gave  a  tolerably  correct 
description  of  the  narwhal.  These  narwhal  live  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Iceland  and  in  the  seas  which  wash  the  shores  of  Greenland.  They  gather 
together  in  the  creeks  of  the  ice  islands,  and  travel  in  bands.  It  would  be 
very  difficult  to  take  them  if  they  did  not  live  in  troops ;  for,  when  isolated, 
they  swim  with  such  rapidity  as  to  escape  from  all  pursuit.  But  when 
they  are  near  together  they  mutually  embrace  each  other,  and  are  easily 
caught.  When  the  fishing-boats  glide  cautiously  in  between  their  long  files 
they  close  their  ranks,  and  press  against  each  other  so  much  that  they  par- 
alyze each  other's  movements  ;  they  become  entangled  in  the  tusks  of 
those  near  them,  or  else,  lifting  their  heads  in  the  air,  they  rest  their  tusks 
on  the  backs  of  those  which  are  in  front  of  them.  They  can  from  that 
minute  neither  retreat,  nor  advance,  nor  fight,  and  they  fall  under  the 
blows  of  the  sailors,  who  are  in  the  boats. 

How  the  Narwhal  Obtained  its  Name. 

The  Icelanders  manufacture  with  the  narwhal's  tusks  their  arrows  for 
the  chase,  and  the  poles  which  they  use  in  the  construction  of  their  huts  ;  but 
they  do  not  eat  its  flesh,  because  they  believe  it  to  be  venomous.  The 
name  this  animal  bears  was  given  to  it  by  the  Icelanders.  The  meaning 
of  the  word  is,  "  Whale  that  feeds  on  dead  bodies  ;"  for  the  word  nor  in 
their  language  means  dead  body  or  carcass,  and  the  word  what,  whale. 
This  is  not  the  case,  however,  with  the  Greenlanders,  and  other  inhabitants 
of  the  North,  who  esteem  it  excellent.  They  dry  it  by  exposing  it  to 
smoke.  The  oil  furnished  by  the  narwhal  is,  it  is  said,  preferable  to  that 
of  the  whale. 

Naturalists  are  not  agreed  as  to  the  use  of  the  narwhal's  formidable 
weapon.  They  say  that  they  use  it  in  their  attacks  on  the  whale,  and  that 
they  kill  this  monster  by  running  their  sword  into  its  belly.  Lacepede 
says  that  their  tusks  have  been  found  deeply  implanted  in  the  bodies  of 


668  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

whales ;  but  other  authors  formally  deny  that  battles  ever  take  place  be- 
tween these  two  terrible  combatants.  Narwhals  sometimes  rush  with 
prodigious  speed  and  force  against  vessels,  which  they  no  doubt  take  for 
some  gigantic  prey.  If  the  animal  attack  the  ship  on  the  side  as  it  is 
sailing,  the  tooth,  imbedded  in  the  wood,  breaks  off;  but  if  it  attack  it  from 
behind,  the  narwhal  remains  fixed  to  the  ship ;  it  is  then  dragged  along 

and  towed  till  it  dies. 

A  Savag-e  Weapon. 

Certain  naturalists,  relying  on  the  fact  that  the  narwhal's  tusk  is  smooth 
towards  the  end,  which  is  sometimes  rounded,  and,  as  it  were,  worn  away, 
have  concluded  that  the  animal  uses  its  horn  for  piercing  ice,  when  it 
wants  to  come  up  and  breathe  and  to  save  itself  a  long  journey  to  the 
open  water.  Others  have  thought  that  these  traces  of  wear  and  tear  of 
its  weapon  arise  from  the  friction  of  it  in  sand  or  against  rocks,  when  the 
animal  is  looking  there  for  its  food,  which  consists  of  cuttle-fish,  flat-fish,. 
cod,  ray,  oysters,  and  other  mollusks.  And,  lastly,  it  has  been  stated 
that  the  narwhal  uses  its  natural  lance  for  attacking  its  prey,  for  killing  it,. 
and  perhaps  also  for  tearing  it  up  before  it  devours  it.  Thus  the  nar- 
whal's tooth  would  seem  to  be  at  the  same  time  an  instrument  which 
serves  to  satisfy  the  wants  of  the  ordinary  life  of  the  animal,  useful  to  it 
for  its  respiration,  its  nutrition,  and,  at  the  same  time,  an  offensive  and 
defensive  weapon. 

Narwhals  are  not  always  brutal  and  warlike.  Scoresby  saw  some  very 
merry  bands  of  these  marine  animals;  they  raised  their  horns  and  crossed 
them,  as  if  they  were  going  to  fence,  and  they  followed  the  ship  with  a 
sort  of  wild  curiosity.  The  ivory  of  the  narwhal's  tusk  is  an  object  of 
value ;  it  is  more  compact,  harder,  and  susceptible  of  a  finer  polish  than 
that  of  the  elephant.  It  is  on  this  account  that  visitors  to  the  library  of 
Versailles  are  shown  a  walking-stick  made  of  narwhal  ivory  inlaid  with 
mother-of-pearl.  Of  this  ivory  is  made  an  ancient  throne  of  the  kings  of 
Denmark,  which  is  to  be  seen  in  the  Castle  of  Rosenberg. 

A  most  excellent  observer  remarks  that  the  narwhal  is  gregarious,  gen- 
erally travelling  in  great  herds.  I  have  seen,  he  relates,  a  herd  of  many 
thousands  travelling  north  in  their  summer  migrations,  tusk  to  tusk 
and  tail  to  tail,  like  a  regiment  of  cavalry,  so  regularly  did  they  rise  and 
sink  into  the  water  in  their  undulatory  movements  in  swimming.  It  is 
very  active,  and  will  often  dive  with  the  rapidity  of  the  right  whale,  tak- 
ing out  thirty  or  forty  fathoms  of  line.  These  schools  are  not  all  of  one 
sex,  but  consist  of  males  and  females  mixed.  The  use  of  the  tusk  has 
long  been  a  matter  of  dispute :  it  has  been  supposed  to  use  it  to  stir  up 


RARE  SPECIMENS  OF  OCEAN  LIFE.  669 

its  food  from  the  bottom  ;  but  if  such  were  the  case,  the  females  would  be 
sadly  at  a  loss.  They  seem  to  fight  with  them  ;  for  it  is  rarely  that  an 
unbroken  one  is  obtained,  and  occasionally  one  may  be  found  with  the 
point  of  another  jammed  into  the  broken  place,  where  the  tusk  is  young 
enough  to  be  hollow,  or  entirely  lost  close  to  the  skull. 
A  Popular  Breathing-  Place. 

Fabricus  thought  that  these  horns  were  to  keep  the  holes  open  in  the 
ice  during  the  winter ;  and  the  following  occurrence  seems  to  support  his 
view:  In  April,  1860,  a  Greenlander  was  travelling  along  the  ice  in  the 
vicinity  of  Christianshaab,  and  discovered  one  of  those  open  places  in  the 
ice  which,  even  in  the  most  severe  winters,  remain  unfrozen.  In  this  hole 
hundreds  of  narwhals  were  protruding  their  heads  to  breathe,  no  other 
open  spot  presenting  itself  for  miles  around.  It  was  described  as  akin  to 
•an  Arctic  Black  Hole  in  Calcutta,  from  the  crowding  of  the  narwhals  in 
their  eagerness  to  keep  to  the  place.  Hundreds  of  Eskimo  and  Danes 
resorted  thither  with  their  dogs  and  sledges  and  while  one  shot  the  ani- 
mal another  harpooned  it,  to  prevent  its  being  pushed  aside  by  the  anx- 
ious crowd  of  fishermen.  Dozens  of  narwhals  were  killed,  but  many 
were  lost  before  they  were  brought  home,  the  ice  breaking  up  soon  after. 
In  the  ensuing  summer  the  natives  found  many  dead  washed  up  in  the 
bays  and  inlets  around.  Neither  the  narwhal  nor  the  whale  are  timid 
animals,  but  will  approach  close  to,  and  gambol  for  hours  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  a  ship. 

In  the  female  of  the  narwhal  the  tusks  are  rudimentary,  but  are  about 
ten  inches  long,  rough,  and  with  no  inclination  to  spire ;  in  fact,  not  un- 
like a  miniature  piece  of  pig-iron.  On  the  other  hand,  the  undeveloped 
tusk  in  the  male  is  smooth  and  tapering,  and  wrinkled  longitudinally. 
Double-tusked  narwhals  are  not  uncommon.  They  have  been  seen  swim- 
ming about  among  the  herd,  and  several  such  skulls  have  been  pre- 
served. The  color  of  the  animal  is  grayish,  or  velvet-black,  with  white 
spots,  sometimes  roundish,  but  more  frequently  irregular  blotches  of  no 
certain  outline,  running  into  one  another.  There  are  no  spots  on  the  tail 
or  flippers,  but  waxy-like  streaks  shade  off  on  each  side  at  the  junction  of 
the  tail,  which  is  white  at  the  line  of  indentation.  The  female  is  more 
spotted  than  the  male.  The  young  is,  again,  much  darker ;  and  individ- 
uals have  been  seen  which  were  almost  white,  like  the  one  Anderson 
describes  as  having  come  ashore  at  the  mouth  of  the  Elbe.  In  a  female, 
killed  at  Pond's  Bay,  the  stomach  was  corrugated  in  complicated  folds, 
as  were  also  the  small  intestines.  It  contained  crustaceans,  bones  of 
fishes,  and  an  immense  quantity  of  the  horny  jaws  of  some  species  of 


(670) 


RARE  SPECIMENS  OF  OCEAN  LIFE. 


671 


cuttle  firmly  packed  one  within  the  other.  The  narwhal  is  chiefly  an  in- 
habitant of  the  Polar  regions,  and  very  rarely  strays  to  temperate  lati- 
tudes ;  still  fossil  remains  of  it  have  been  found  both  in  England  and 
France.  A  male  taken  entangled  among  the  rocks  at  the  entrance  of  the 
sound  of  Weesdale,  in  Zetland,  measured  twelve  feet,  exclusive  of  the 
tusk.  Such  is  the  velocity  of  this  animal  and  the  impetus  of  its  course, 
that  it  has  been  known  to  plunge  its  tusk  through  the  side  of  a  vessel, 
which  has  been  snapped  off  in  the  timbers  by  the  violence  of  the 
blow. 

We  must  allude,  in  passing,  to  one  or  two  other  animals  belonging  to 
this  group. 
Among  the 
most  remark- 
able is  the 
grampus,  a 
huge  creature 
from  twenty 
to  thirty  feet 
in  length, 
with  his  jaws 
armed  with  a  - 
row  of  for- 
midable teeth. 
H  i  s  voracity 
is  such,  that 
he  is  called 
"the  killer," 
and  wonderful 
stories  are  told  HAIRY  MEDUSAE. 

of  him  by  the  Greenland  whalers.  One  of  them  says,  "  Where  these- 
appear  all  the  seals  disappear,  else  they  make  desperate  slaughter  among 
them,  for  they  have  such  sagacity  and  skill  in  catching  them  with  the 
mouth  and  fins,  that  they  are  sometimes  seen  loaded  with  five  at  a  time — 
one  in  the  mouth,  a  couple  under  each  fin,  and  one  under  the  back  fin!" 

Another  enormous  creature  belonging  to  this  group  is  the  whale,  of 
which  a  further  description  is  not  needed  here,  but  which  furnishes  an  in- 
teresting incident,  related  by  a  traveller,  and  one  worth  reproducing.  The 
ship's  crew  had  been  compelled  to  abandon  their  vessel,  and  what  followed 
is  told  in  the  graphic  language  of  the  narrator :  The  night  following  our 
abandonment  of  the  ship  was  made  memorable  by  a  remarkable  specta- 


<672  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

cle.  Slumbering  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  Jarl  and  I  were  suddenly 
awakened  by  Samoa.  (Jarl  and  Samoa  were  two  of  the  ship's  crew.) 
Starting,  we  beheld  the  ocean  of  a  pallid  white  color,  coruscating  all  over 
with  tiny  golden  sparkles.  But  the  pervading  hue  of  the  water  cast  a 
cadaverous  gloom  upon  the  boat,  so  that  we  looked  to  each  other  like 
ghosts.  For  many  rods  astern,  our  wake  was  revealed  in  a  line  of  rushing 
illuminated  foam ;  while,  here  and  there  beneath  the  surface,  the  tracks  of 
sharks  were  denoted  by  vivid,  greenish  trails,  crossing  and  recrossing  each 
other  in  every  direction.  Further  away,  and  distributed  in  clusters,  floated 
on  the  sea,  like  constellations  in  the  heavens,  innumerable  medusae,  a 
species  of  small,  round,  refulgent  fish,  only  to  be  met  with  in  the  South 
Seas  and  the  Indian  Ocean. 

Suddenly,  as  we  gazed,  there  shot  high  into  the  air  a  bushy  jet  of 
flashes,  accompanied  by  the  unmistakeable  deep-breathing  sound  of  a 
sperm  whale.  Soon  the  sea  all  round  us  spouted  in  fountains  of  fire; 
.and  vast  forms,  emitting  a  glare  from  their  flanks,  and  ever  and  anon 
raising  their  heads  above  water,  and  shaking  off  the  sparkles,  showed 
where  an  immense  shoal  of  cachalots  had  risen  from  below,  to  sport  in 
these  phosphorescent  billows. 

A  Sudden  Plunge  and  Silvery  Wake. 

The  vapor  jetted  forth  was  far  more  radiant  than  any  portion  of  the 
sea ;  ascribable,  perhaps,  to  the  originally  luminous  fluid,  contracting 
still  more  brilliancy  from  its  passage  through  the  spouting  canal  of  the 
whales.  We  were  in  great  fear  lest,  without  any  vicious  intention,  the 
leviathans  might  destroy  us  by  coming  into  close  contact  with  our  boat. 
We  would  have  shunned  them,  but  they  were  all  round  and  round  us. 
Nevertheless  we  were  safe ;  for,  as  we  parted  the  pallid  brine,  the  peculiar 
irradiation  which  shot  from  about  our  keel  seemed  to  deter  them. 
Apparently  discovering  us  of  a  sudden,  many  of  them  plunged  headlong 
down  into  the  water,  tossing  their  fiery  tails  high  into  the  air,  and  leaving 
the  sea  still  more  sparkling  from  the  violent  surging  of  their  descent. 
Their  general  course  seemed  the  same  as  our  own ;  to  the  westward. 
To  remove  from  them,  we  put  out  oars,  and  pulled  towards  the  north. 
So  doing,  we  were  steadily  pursued  by  a  solitary  whale  that  must  have 
taken  our  boat  for  a  kindred  fish.  Spite  of  all  our  efforts,  he  drew 
near  and  nearer ;  at  length  rubbing  his  fiery  flank  against  the  gunwhale, 
here  and  there  leaving  long  strips  of  the  glossy  transparent  substance, 
which,  thin  as  a  gossamer,  invests  the  body  of  the  cachalot. 

In  terror  at  a  sight  so  new,  Samoa  shrank.  But  Jarl  and  I,  more 
aised  to  the  intimate  companionship  of  the  whales,  pushed  the  boat  away 


RARE  SPECIMENS  OF  OCEAN  LIFE. 


673 


from  it  with  our  oars,  a  thing  often  done  in  the  fishery.  But,  to  my 
great  joy,  the  monster  at  last  departed,  rejoining  the  shoal,  whose  lofty 
spoutings  of  flame  were  still  visible  upon  the  distant  line  of  the  horizon, 
showing  there  like  the  fitful  starts  of  the  aurora  borealis. 

The  sea  retained  its  luminosity  for  about  three  hours,  at  the  expiration 
of  half  that  period  beginning  to  fade;  and,  excepting  occasional  faint 
illuminations,  consequent  upon  the  rapid  darting  of  fish  under  water,  the 
phenomenon  at  last  wholly  disappeared.  Heretofore,  I  had  beheld  several 
exhibitions  of  marine  phosphorescence,  both  in  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific ; 
but  nothing  in  comparison  with  what  was  seen  that  night.  In  the 


PERILOUS    ENCOUNTER    WITH    A   WHALE. 

Atlantic  there  is  very  seldom  any  portion  of  the  ocean  luminous,  except 
the  crests  of  the  waves,  and  these  mostly  appear  so  during  wet  murky 
weather.  Whereas,  in  the  Pacific,  all  instances  of  the  sort  previously 
coming  under  my  notice  had  been  marked  by  patches  of  greenish  light, 
unattended  with  any  pallidness  of  the  sea.  Save  twice  on  the  coast 
of  Peru,  when  I  was  summoned  from  my  hammock  by  the  alarming 
cry  of  "  All  hands  ahoy !  tack  ship ! "  and  rushing  on  deck,  beheld 
the  sea  white  as  a  shroud ;  for  which  reason  it  was  feared  we  were  on 
soundings.  , 

It  appears,  on  the  whole,  that  the  Norwegians  were  the  first  to  capture 
43 


674  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  whale,  and  that  as  early  as  the  ninth  century.  We  next  find  the  Bis- 
cayans  so  actively  engaged  in  the  business  as  to  furnish  harpooners  to  the 
English,  Dutch,  and  Flemings,  who,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  commenced 
the  whale  fishery  near  Newfoundland.  The  Dutch  were  at  first  far  more 
successful  than  the  English  ;  but  towards  the  close  of  the  last  century,  the 
latter  girded  themselves  to  the  task,  and  soon  outstripped  all  their  com- 
petitors. Whale-fishing  is  undertaken  in  boats,  which  approach  as  near 
^  as  possible  to  the  animal.  The  harpooner  strikes  his  weapon  into  the 
back,  either  by  hand,  or  by  firing  it  from  a  gun.  The  former  method,  if 
adroitly  practised,  is  effective  at  the  distance  of  eight  or  ten  yards,  the 
latter  at  the  distance  of  thirty  yards. 

Frantic  Efforts  to  Escape. 

The  wounded  whale  makes  a  convulsive  effort  to  escape,  and  this  is  the 
moment  of  danger  to  the  pursuers,  for  it  inflicts  the  most  violent  blows  on 
the  boat  from  its  head,  tail,  or  fin,  as  it  dives — its  favorite  method  of 
attempting  to  escape.  Its  average  stay  under  water  is  about  thirty 
minutes.  On  its  re-appearance,  the  boat  that  harpooned  it,  together  with 
the  others  that  have  come  to  assist  their  comrades,  start  in  pursuit,  and 
each  harpooner,  as  he  comes  up  to  the  whale,  plunges  his  weapon  into  its 
back.  The  time  occupied  in  the  capture  of  course  varies  with  the  powers 
of  endurance  of  the  whale.  Scoresby  says  he  has  known  a  whale  killed 
in  twenty-eight  minutes,  while  in  the  chase  of  others  sixteen  hours  have 
been  fruitlessly  employed.  After  the  capture  the  carcass  is  towed  along- 
side the  whaler's  ship,  and  "  flensed  " — that  is,  its  blubber  and  whale- 
bone stripped  off;  the  bones  and  refuse  are  thrown  into  the  sea. 

But  what  may  properly  be  called  the  inhabitants  of  the  sea  are  not  all 
rrfonsters  of  the  deep,  nor  fishes  less  in  size,  and  less  formidable  in  appear- 
ance. There  are  sea-fowls,  birds  of  air  and  water,  which  excite  our  won- 
der by  their  beauty,  daring  exploits,  great  strength  of  wing,  and  curious 
instincts.  Whoever  has  seen  these  attractive  sea-birds  near  the  shore,  or 
far  out  upon  the  deep,  must  have  been  struck  with  their  appearance,  and 
their  manner  of  life  upon  the  great  world  of  waters. 

There  are  several  species  of  gull,  a  very  numerous  race,  dispersed 
along  the  shores  of  the  ocean  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  world.  These 
are  exceedingly  voracious  birds,  continually  skimming  over  the  surface 
of  the  waves  in  search  of  their  finny  prey,  and  often  following  the  shoals 
of  fish  to  great  distances.  They  generally  congregate  in  vast  numbers 
at  their  breeding-places,  which  are  most  frequently  rocky  islands  or 
"headlands  in  the  ocean.  Most  of  them  are  somewhat  migratory, 
usually  visiting  northern  regions  during  the  summer  for  the  purpose  of 


RARE  SPECIMENS  OF  OCEAN  LIFE.  675 

incubation.     The  following  lines  give  an  accurate  picture  of  these  re- 
markable birds : 

On  nimble  wing  the  gull 

Sweeps  booming  by,  intent  to  cull, 

Voracious,  from  the  billow's  breast,  . 

Mark'd  far  away,  his  destined  feast. 

Behold  him  now,  deep  plunging,  dip 

His  sunny  pinion's  sable  tip 

In  the  green  wave  ;  now  lightly  skim 

With  wheeling  flight  the  water's  brim  ; 

Wave  in  blue  sky  his  silver  sail 

Aloft,  and  frolic  with  the  gale, 

Or  sink  again  his  breast  to  lave, 

And  float  upon  the  foaming  wave.  ' 

The  great  black-backed  gull  is  about  thirty  inches  long ;  back  lead- 
gray,  head,  neck,  and  lower  parts  white ;  breeds  in  marshes ;  male  and 
female  assist  in  making  the  nest,  which  is  of  grass  ;  the  eggs  are  three. 
This  bird  flies  with  great  ease,  and  swims  buoyantly  on  the  water.  It 
feeds  chiefly  on  fish,  and  also  sometimes  on  small  birds.  It  has  been 
known  to  destroy  weak  lambs  ;  it  is  common  in  the  European  and  Ameri- 
can seas.  The  laughing  or  black-headed  gull  is  seventeen  inches  long, 
and,  according  to  Wilson,  is  one  of  "  the  most  beautiful  and  sociable  of 
its  genus."  They  make  their  appearance  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  late 
in  April,  and  do  not  fail  to  give  notice  of  the  arrival  by  their  familiarity 
and  loquacity.  The  inhabitants  treat  them  with  the  same  indifference 
that  they  manifest  toward  all  those  harmless  birds  which  do  not  minister 
either  to  their  appetite  or  their  avarice,  and  hence  the  black-heads  may 
be  seen  in  companies  around  the  farm-house,  coursing  along  the  river 
shores,  gleaning  up  the  refuse  of  the  fishermen,  and  the  animal  sub- 
stances left  by  the  tide ;  or  scattered  over  the  marshes  and  newly-plowed 
fields,  regaling  on  the  worms,  insects,  and  their  larvae,  which,  the  bounty 
of  nature  provides  for  the  sustenance  of  myriads  of  the  feathered  race. 

A  Babel  of  Birds. 

On  the  Jersey  side  of  Delaware  Bay,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fishing 
Creek,  about  the  middle  of  May,  the  black-headed  gulls  assemble  in 
great  multitudes,  to  feed  upon  the  remains  of  the  king-crabs  which  the 
hogs  have  left,  or  upon  the  spawn  which  those  curious  animals  deposit  in 
the  sand,  and  which  is  scattered  along  the  shore  by  the  waves.  At  such 
times,  if  any  one  approach  to  disturb  them,  the  gulls  will  rise  up  in  clouds, 
every  individual  squalling  so  loud  that  the  roar  may  be  heard  at  the  dis- 
tance of  two  or  three  miles.  It  is  an  interesting  spectacle  to  behold  this- 
species  when  about  recommencing  their  migrations.  If  the  weather  be 


676 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


calm,  they  will  rise  up  in  the  air,  spirally,  chattering  all  the  while  to  each 
other  in  the  most  sprightly  manner,  their  notes  at  such  times  resembling 
the  cackling  of  a  hen,  but  far  louder,  changing  often  into  a  haw,  ha,  ha,  ha, 
haw  !  the  last  syllable  lengthened  out  like  the  excessive  laugh  of  a  ne- 
gro. When  mounting  and  mingling  together,  like  motes  in  the  sun- 
beams, their  black  heads  and  wing-tips,  and  snow-white  plumage,  give 


A   FLOCK   OF   SEA-GULLS. 

them  a  very  beautiful  appearance.  After  gaining  an  immense  height, 
they  all  move  off,  with  one  consent,  in  a  direct  line  toward  the  point  of 
their  destination.  This  bird  breeds  in  the  marshes.  The  eggs  are  three 
in  number,  of  a  dun,  clay  color,  thinly  marked  with  small,  irregular 
touches  of  a  pale  purple,  and  pale  brown  ;  some  are  of  a  deeper  dun,  with 


RARE  SPECIMENS  OF  OCEAN  LIFE. 


677 


larger  marks,  and  less  tapering  than  others  ;  the  egg  measures  two  inches 
and  a  quarter  by  one  inch  and  a  half. 

The  larger  gulls  are  rarely  seen  except  on  the  high  seas.  They  lead 
the  life  of  pirates.  They  cannot  dive  or  plunge  on  account  of  the  size  of 
their  feathers.  So  they  plunder  their  neighbors,  and  snatch  the  fish  out 
of  their  mouths.  The  smaller  gulls  are  often  near  the  shore.  They  wheel 
about,  or  skim  on  the  waters,  their  silvery  wings  shining  in  the  sun. 
Sometimes  they  seem  to  tread  or  walk  on  the  waves,  upheld  by  their 
strong  pinions.  They  will  even  ascend  the  rivers  in  search  of  prey.  They 
are  noisy,  greedy,  and  rapacious.  They  feed  on  all  kinds  of  creatures, 


THE    SINGULAR    ISLAND    OF    SAINT    KILDA. 

dead  or  alive,  even  pursuing  the  shoals  of  herrings  on  their  way  to  and 
from  the  sea,  and  thinning  their  ranks.  They  plunge  headlong  on  the 
fish,  and  snatch  it  from  the  waters. 

It  happens,  now  and  then,  that  the  gull  does  not  succeed  in  carrying  off 
the  prey.  The  frigate-bird,  if  he  chance  to  be  near,  will  take  a  fancy  to 
the  fish  himself.  He  will  dart  upon  the  gull,  and  force  him  to  drop  it. 
Then,  by  a  dexterous  swoop,  he  will  catch  it  in  his  beak  and  devour  it. 
The  gulls  have  all  the  fierce  nature  of  the  sea-birds,  and  it  is  not  safe  to 
be  at  their  mercy. 

Once  it  happened  that  a  fishing-boat  was  upset  near  to  the  seaport  town 


678  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

of  Yarmouth.  All  the  men  on  board  were  drowned  except  one.  He  was 
a  good  swimmer,  and  tried  hard  to  reach  the  shore,  but  the  tide  was 
against  him,  and  he  drifted  out  a  long  way  from  land.  As  he  floated, 
exhausted,  and  almost  hopeless  on  the  water,  he  heard  a  flapping  of  wings. 
It  was  a  party  of  sea-gulls  coming  to  seize  him  for  their  prey.  He  could 
feel  their  wings  touch  his  face,  and  he  tried  to  strike  at  them  with  his 
arms,  and  drive  them  away.  Happily,  at  this  very  moment  a  ship  came 
in  sight.  He  cried  out  with  all  his  might,  the  man  at  the  helm  heard  him, 
and  soon  after,  a  boat  came  to  rescue  him. 

The  family  of  the  gulls  is  a  very  large  one,  including  all  kinds  of 
varieties.  There  is  the  black  gull,  the  herring  gull,  the  Iceland  gull,  and 
many  others  ;  and  there  is  the  green-billed  gull,  or  the  sea-mew ;  the  sea- 
mew  has  a  hoarse,  harsh  voice,  between  a  laugh  and  a  scream ;  on  wild 
rocky  coasts  the  strange  note  of  the  bird  is  often  heard. 
A  Bleak  Bird-Station. 

Ocean  birds  have  places  of  resort  where  they  are  sometimes  found  in 
immense  numbers.  Saint  Kilda  is  an  island  which  is  only  six  miles  round. 
Great  rocks  shoot  up  all  along  the  coast,  and  there  is  only  one  place 
where  people  can  land.  Indeed,  they  cannot  land  at  all  unless  the  weather 
happens  to  be  fine.  It  is  one  of  the  group  of  islands  on  the  coast  of  Scot- 
land, called  the  Hebrides.  There  is  one  rock,  or  precipice,  which  is  the 
highest  in  all  Britain ;  the  view  from  the  top  is  grand.  Far  below,  the 
white  foam  of  the  ocean  dashes  about ;  you  are  thirteen  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

In  this  wild  lonely  spot  the  sea-birds  love  to  dwell,  and  the  bare  naked 
rock  is  covered  with  them  ;  the  air  is  darkened  by  them ;  the  waves  below 
are  alive  with  them.  Every  narrow  ledge  is  crowded  with  birds.  If  you 
were  to  roll  down  a  stone,  a  strange  confusion  would  happen.  Down  it 
would  go  among  the  thousands  of  birds  sitting  on  their  nests,  and  clouds 
would  fly  out  and  darken  the  air.  But  when  the  stone  reached  the  bot- 
tom of  the  rock,  and  lay  there  quite  still,  the  panic  would  be  over.  The 
frightened  birds  would  come  back  to  their  nests,  and  begin  to  sit  again. 

There  is  the  great  auk,  which  is  a  little  like  the  penguin.  The  mother 
auk  does  not  sit  on  her  eggs,  but  holds  them  close  to  her  body  till  they 
are  hatched.  If  she  is  disturbed,  she  waddles  away,  taking  her  eggs  with 
her.  Her  mate  all  the  time  is  very  busy.  He  goes  fishing  every  day, 
and  brings  her  home  plenty  of  food.  When  the  young  bird  is  hatched, 
both  parents  fish  for  it,  and  it  gets  so  fat  that  it  can  hardly  stir.  But  the 
parent  birds  get  thin  with  the  hard  work  they  are  doing.  There  are  a 
great  many  gulls  at  Saint  Kilda.  One  of  them  is  called  the  kittiwake.  If 


(679) 


680  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

you  go  near  the  nests  of  the  kittiwakes.  they  will  all  fly  out,  and  begin  to> 
cry  "  Kitti-wake  !  Kitti-wake  ! "  till  you  are  nearly  deafened. 

Saint  Kilda^  is  not  a  pleasant  spot  to  live  in.  The  wind  blows  so  fiercely 
that  people  cannot  build  houses  more  than  four  feet  high.  If  they  did,, 
the  house  would  be  blown  down.  They  make  as  much  room  as  they  canr 
by  digging  into  the  ground,  but  it  is  like  living  in  a  cellar.  They  have 
no  windows,  but  only  holes  in  the  roofs  of  their  houses.  And  there  are 
little  places  round  the  walls,  something  like  ovens  to  look  at ;  these  are 
the  bedrooms.  There  are  not  more  than  a  hundred  people  living  en  the 
island.  They  are  not  unhappy,  though  the  place  is  so  dreary.  They 
keep  a  few  sheep,  to  eat  the  patches  of  grass  which  gVow  here  and  there 
among  the  rocks.  And  in  one  place,  which  is  a  little  sheltered  from  the- 
wind,  they  can  till  the  ground.  But  their  great  riches  are  on  the  ledges 
and  among  the  crevices  of  the  rocks.  Here  live  the  birds  of  Saint  Kilda^ 
including  the  fulmer,  which  give  them  food,  and  light,  and  medicine,  and 
warm  beds  to  lie  upon  in  the  cold  winter  nights. 

Humming1  Birds  of  the  Sea. 

There  is  one  class  of  fishes  which  must  be  mentioned  on  account  of 
the  peculiarity  of  their  fins  and  their  beautiful  colors.  The  technical 
name  of  them  is  the  chaetodon ;  a  name  at  once  descriptive  and  more 
readily  comprehended  would  be  scaly-finned.  The  head  and  mouth  of 
the  chaetodon,  or  scaly-finned  fishes,  are  small,  and  they  have  the  power 
of  pushing  out  and  retracting  the  lips  so  as  to  make  a  tubular  orifice. 
The  teeth  are  mostly  bristle-shaped,  flexible,  moveable  and  very  numer- 
ous. The  gill  membrane  has  from  three  to  six  rays.  The  body  is  scaly, 
broad  and  compressed,  and  the  fins  are  generally  terminated  with  prickles. 

The  reader  will  observe  in  the  annexed  engraving  six  specimens  of 
chaetodons.  Their  names,  as  numbered  in  the  illustration,  are  as  follows : 
I,  the  flag  fish;  2,  the  coral  fish;  3,  the  rock  fish;  4,  the  whip  fish; 
5,  the  duke  fish  ;  6,  the  emperor  fish. 

In  beauty  and  variety  of  colors  the  scaly-finned  fishes  are  not  inferior  to 
the  most  beautiful  birds  or  butterflies.  On  account  of  their  brilliant  colors 
they  can  be  called  the  humming  birds  of  the  sea.  Rings,  stripes,  spots 
of  the  most  intensive  blue,  purple  and  velvet  black,  gold  and  silver,  pink, 
in  short  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow  are  represented.  This  fish  feeds 
principally  on  insects  that  hover  about  the  water  it  inhabits. 

The  flag  fish  frequents  the  Red  Sea,  the  Indian  Ocean  and  the  Western 
part  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Its  colors  are  black,  white  and  orange  yellow. 
The  coral  fish  is  found  in  the  ocean  between  the  Red  Sea  and  the  Chinese 
waters.  White,  black,  yellow  and  pink  are  its  hues.  In  the  rock  fish 


THE   SHOOTING-FISH    CATCHING  A  BEE. 


(681) 


<J82  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

white,  black,  lemon  yellow  and  orange  are  represented.  It  frequents  the 
ocean  between  Eastern  Africa  and  Otahaiti.  The  whip  fish  is  found  in  the 
Indian  Ocean.  Its  colors  are  yellowish  gray,  black,  and  silver  white  with 
lemon-yellow  fins. 

The  duke  fish  and  the  emperor  fish  (chaetodon  dux  and  imperator) 
also  frequent  the  Indian  Ocean.  Their  colors  are  black,  white,  gray, 
yellow,  deep  blue  violet  and  greenish  brown.  The  shooting  fish  is  found  in 
Java,  where  it  is  kept  in  tubs  and  aquaria  for  pleasure.  The  flesh  of  this 
species  is  white  and  savory.  The  bat  chaetodon  found  near  Ceylon  is  a 
large  species  with  very  broad  fins. 

The  Sharp-Shooter  of  the  Sea. 

One  of  this  species  is  the  shooting  fish.  When  it  sees  a  fly  at  a  distance 
on  any  of  the  plants  in  the  shallow  water,  it  approaches  very  cautiously, 
coming  as  much  as  possible  perpendicularly  under  the  object,  then  putting 
its  body  in  an  oblique  direction  with  mouth  and  eyes  near  the  surface,  it 
remains  for  a  moment  immovable.  It  then  shoots  a  drop  of  water  from  its 
snout  with  such  dexterity  that,  though  at  the  distance  of  several  feet,  it 
seldom  fails  to  bring  the  fly  or  bee  into  the  water. 

In  countries  where  this  fish  abounds,  it  is  frequently  kept  in  vessels  of 
water,  and  affords  much  entertainment  by  the  dexterity  displayed  in 
shooting  at  the  flies,  which  are  placed  on  the  vessel  for  the  purpose  ;  it 
generally  approaches  to  within  five  or  six  inches  before  the  drop  of  water 
is  ejected.  A  Javanese  species  exhibits  the  same  curious  instinct.  It  has 
a  wide  mouth,  with  a  lower  jaw  considerably  projecting  ;  it  throws  a  large 
jet  of  water  with  such  force  and  precision  as  almost  invariably  to  bring 
down  a  fly  at  the  distance  of  two  or  three  feet. 

The  Frog"  Catcher  or  Doko, 

The  African  lung-fish  has  two  lungs  and  is  probably  a  connecting  link 
between  the  vertebrata  and  the  leptocardii.  It  is  found  in  the  White 
Nile  and  its  tributaries,  generally  in  the  mud.  During  the  dry  season  it 
buries  itself  in  holes  three  or  more  feet  deep,  which  it  digs  itself,  and  leaves 
its  hiding  place  at  night  to  catch  frogs  and  crabs,  which  are  its  main  food. 
During  the  rainy  season  it  builds  long  walks  or  grooves  in  the  mud.  Its 
movements  are  rather  slow  and  like  those  of  a  snake  or  a  worm. 

Dokos  are  seldom  found  in  pairs  ;  and  are  very  quarrelsome.  If  they 
meet  by  accident,  they  forthwith  commence  fighting;  the  consequence  of 
which  is,  that  we  rarely  find  a  specimen  whose  tail  is  intact.  If  a  man 
treads  on  its  tail  the  doko  shows  fight,  hisses  like  a  snake  and  tries  to 
bite.  On  account  of  its  savory  meat  the  negroes  kill  it  either  with  spears 
or  catch  it  with  hook  and  tackle. 


RARE  SPECIMENS  OF  OCEAN  LIFE. 


683 


If  the  water,  which  the  doko  has  chosen  for  its  habitation  becomes 
dried  up,  it  wraps  itself  in  a  kind  of  a  capsule  of  mud  and  remains  there 
during  the  dry  season.  Living  dokos  have  been  brought  to  Europe  in 
such  a  state.  How  long  they  sleep  is  not  known,  but  it  is  a  fact  that  they 
can  remain  in  this  condition  for  several  months  without  injury.  As 
soon  as  one  of  these  capsules  is  put  in  water  of  the  temperature  of 
middle  African  rivers  the  doko  shows  signs  of  life ;  it  commences  to 
move,  first  as  if  it  were  drowsy,  but  after  an  hour  it  becomes  lively,  al- 


THE    DOKO    OR   SALAMANDER   FISH. 

though  it  seeks  dark  places  and  generally  remains  at  the  bottom  of  the 
basin.  After  a  few  days  hunger  makes  itself  felt,  and  then  it  pays  atten- 
tion to  every  movement  near  the  surface  of  the  water  in  the  hope  of  cap- 
turing some  prey.  Meandering,  it  comes  to  the  surface,  takes  the  piece 
of  meat  or  the  frog  offered  and  returns  to  its  former  place.  Dokos  have 
been  kept  for  several  years  at  the  aquaria  of  London  and  Berlin. 

If  there  is  a  fish,  which  deserves  the  name  of  climber,  it  is  the  mud- 
jumper,  or  mud-puppy.  Its  pectoral  fins  seem  to  be  constructed  to  en- 
able it  to  climb.  These  fins  are  more  like  feet  than  fins,  and  are  gener- 


684 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


ally  used  like  feet.  The  mud-puppies  live  more  in  and  on  the  mud  than 
in  the  water.  They  hunt  for  their  prey  on  land,  mostly  lay,  like  salaman- 
ders on  the  mud,  run  around  like  the  lizards  and  fall  upon  their  prey  so 
suddenly  that  they  very  seldom  miss  it.  If  they  are  threatened  by  an 


THE    MUD-JUMPER    OR    CLIMBING    FISH. 

enemy  they  shoot  across  the  mud  like  an  arrow,  bury  themselves  in  it 
and  hide  themselves  in  that  way.  They  often  climb  up  the  roots  of  man- 
grove trees  and  are  able  to  remain  out  of  water  for  several  hours. 

The  superintendent  of  the  Natural  History  Department  of  the  Crystal 
Palace,  London,  received  from  Western  Africa  four  blocks  of  hard,  dry, 


RARE  SPECIMENS  OF  OCEAN  LIFE.  685 

muddy  clay,  sewn  up  carefully  in  a  canvas  wrapper.  The  directions  were 
that  they  should  be  placed  in  a  tank  of  fresh  water,  at  the  temperature 
of  eighty-three  degrees.  This  was  done,  and  in  a  short  time  the  clay  be- 
came softened,  and  crumbled  away,  and  the  inner  case  or  cocoon,  in 
which  a  climbing  fish  was  inclosed,  floated  motionless  to  the  surface.  This 
case,  or  cocoon,  is  probably  nothing  more  than  the. layer  of  mud  mixed 
with  the  mucous  exuding  from  the  body  of  the  creature.  The  cavity  is 
moulded  by  the  coiled-up  body,  and  often,  perhaps  usually,  bears  the  im- 
pression of  the  scales. 

It  was  not  long  before  this  cocoon  became  agitated :  it  was  evident 
that  the  fish  was  endeavoring  to  extricate  itself ;  a  few  struggles,  and  it 
had  burst  away ;  immediately  it  began  to  swim  about,  and  then  diving 
into  the  mud  at  the  bottom  of  the  tank,  sheltered  itself  from  further  ob- 
servation. The  next  morning  two  more  emerged  from  their  cocoons,  and 
in  the  course  of  the  following  day  the  fourth  of  the  party  floated  to  the 
surface,  but  it  was  dead. 

The  three  living  ones  were  supplied  with  earth  worms,  small  frogs,  fish, 
and  occasionally  with  raw  flesh,  and  began  very  eagerly  to  feed.  They 
did  not,  however,  live  together  in  peace,  for  they  were  seen  at  times  to 
assault  each  other.  One  of  them,  probably  in  an  effort  to  escape  from 
its  antagonist,  leaped  out  of  the  tank,  and  got  into  the  large  fountain- 
basin,  where  it  remained  among  the  gold-fish  and  the  water-lilies.  The 
two  others  lived  on  for  some  time,  apparently  agreed,  when  it  was 
suddenly  discovered  that  only  one  survived,  having  actually  killed  its 
companion,  and,  with  the  voracity  of  a  cannibal,  had  left  only  the 
head  and  some  part  of  the  body,  probably  that  which  it  liked  least, 
undevoured.  In  three  months  it  grew  rapidly,  actually  doubling  its 

length. 

Death  of  the  Fish-Cannibal. 

It  was  now  transferred  to  the  basin  from  which  the  other — the  com- 
panion of  the  lilies  and  gold-fish — was  withdrawn,  and  placed  again  in  the 
tank,  where  it  suddenly  died;  and  thus  the  destroyer  of  his  fellow  alone 
survived.  Here  it  continued  to  thrive  at  liberty,  but  was  rarely  seen,  and 
when  observed  near  the  surface,  it  was  apparently  sick,  and  finally  was 
taken  out  dead.  The  exterior  of  the  animal  has  been  carefully  preserved, 
and  may  be  seen  by  any  visitor  to  the  Reptile  Department  of  the  British 
Museum.  This  creature  masticates  the  food  much,  frequently  putting  it 
forward,  almost  quite  out  of  its  mouth,  and  then  gradually  chewing  it 
back  again.  It  rises  frequently  to  the  surface  of  the  water  to  breathe, 
and  at  other  times  supports  itself  on  its  fin-like  appendages,  and  with  the 


686  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

aid  of  its  tail,  raises  its  body  from  the  ground,  the  fins  being  bent  or 
curved  backwards. 

The  movement  of  this  animal  is  generally  very  slow,  and  would  give 
one  an  idea  that  it  was  very  sluggish  ;  this,  however,  says  a  well  known 
naturalist,  I  have  good  reason  to  know  is  not  the  case,  as,  in  attempting 
to  capture  the  one  at  liberty  in  the  large  basin,  it  darted  away  with  the 
rapidity  of  an  arrow.  I  have  reason  also  to  believe  that  the  animal  finds 
its  food  as  much  by  scent  as  sight.  With  reference  to  the  cocoon,  the 
end  covering  the  nose  of  the  animal  is  rather  pointed,  and  has  an  aperture 
about  the  size  of  a  pin's  head,  which  I  have  no  doubt  enables  it  to  breathe 
during  its  state  of  torpor.  The  animal,  when  in  its  case,  is  coiled  nearly 
twice  round ;  and  I  observed  in  each  of  the  blocks  of  clay  a  small  hole,, 
about  the  size  of  a  mouse-hole,  which  was  quite  smooth  on  the  inside,  as 
though  the  fish  had  crept  through  it. 

The  Savory  Shad. 

The  American  shad  is  one  of  the  most  abundant  of  our  American  fishes,, 
and  is  held  by  many  authorities,  among  them  Frank  Forester,  as  "  the  most 
delicate  of  existing  fishes,"  though  its  numerous  sharp  bones  are  an 
admitted  drawback.  It  is  from  one  to  two  feet  long,  appears  along  our 
coasts  in  the  spring,  and  entering  the  rivers,  ascends  them  for  the  purpose 
of  depositing  its  spawn  along  the  banks.  At  this  season  they  are  caught 
in  large  numbers  by  nets.  They  will  also  take  the  hook  bated  with  a 
gaudy  fly,  and  afford  good  sport  to  the  fisher.  Those  of  the  New  England 
rivers  are  deemed  the  best,  those  of  the  Connecticut  taking  the  first  rank. 
They  are  eaten  fresh,  and  are  also  extensively  put  down  in  barrels.  When 
this  country  was  first  settled  they  were  more  abundant  than  at  present, 
and  afforded  the  natives  a  large  part  of  their  subsistence.  At  that  period 
the  salmon  was  very  abundant  in  the  northern  rivers,  and  less  esteemed 
than  the  shad  ;  it  was  therefore  customary  for  the  fishermen,  who  caught 
both  kinds  in  their  seines,  to  require  the  people  who  came  down  from  the 
country  to  buy  shad,  to  take  a  certain  portion  of  salmon. 

The  American  alewive,  is  eight  to  ten  inches  long,  appears  like  a  small 
shad,  and  was  formerly  held  in  New  England  to  be  the  young  of  that  fish. 
It  is  taken  in  considerable  numbers  with  the  shad,  and  has  similar  habits ; 
it  is  put  down  in  barrels,  and  commands  a  good  price. 


CHAPTER  V. 
BUTTERFLIES  OF  THE  OCEAN. 

Beautiful  Dwellers  in  the  Sea — Fishes  with  Wings — Both  Water  and  Air  their  Ele- 
ments— Alighting  on  Ships — Curious  Formation  of  Fins — The  Flying  Gurnard 
of  the  Mediterranean — Sailing  Through  the  Air — Mounting  on  Wings  to  Leave 
Enemies  Behind — Prey  for  Sea-Gulls — Swallows  of  the  Ocean — The  Growling 
Gurnard — Strange  Noises— The  Gurnard's  Greediness — The  Marvelous  Red 
Fire-Fish — The  Terror  of  Arabian  Fishermen— The  King-Fish — Great  Size  and 
Beauty — Savory  Meat — The  Drum-Fish — An  Orchestra  in  the  Sea— Narratives 
by  Humboldt  and  Tennent— Tinkling  Sounds  of  Great  Sweetness — Paradise 
Fish  and  its  Singular  Habits — A  Haughty  Male  and  His  Brutality — The  Sea  But- 
terfly— The  Bridegroom — Winged  Insects  of  the  Deep. 

HERE  are  beautiful  creatures  in  the  great  deep  with  colors  as 
gorgeous  as  those  of  butterflies;  moreover,  like  butterflies, 
some  of  them  have  wings  and  rise  like  birds  from  the  surface 
of  the  sea.  The  flying  fishes,  when  in  their  own  element,  are 
constantly  harassed  by  various  fishes  of  prey,  and  it  is  supposed  that 
their  flights  are  performed  for  the  purpose  of  escaping  from  these  ene- 
mies; when  in  the  air,  however,  they  are  subject  to  the  attacks  of  various 
species  of  gulls. 

Whether  these  fishes  possess  the  power  of  flying,  in  the  true  sense  of 
the  term — that  is,  by  beating  the  air  with  their  members — or  whether 
their  large  fins  merely  serve  as  parachutes  to  sustain  them  in  the  air  for  a 
time,  after  a  leap  from  the  water,  is  not  yet  fully  ascertained,  observers 
having  given  different  accounts.  The  latter  is,  perhaps,  the  prevailing 
opinion  of  naturalists,  and  is  that  of  the  more  recent  investigators. 

I  have  never,  says  Bennett,  the  naturalist,  been  able  to  see  any  percus- 
sion of  the  wings  during  flight,  and  the  greatest  length  of  time  that  I  have 
seen  this  volatile  fish  on  the  fin  has  been  thirty  seconds  by  the  watch,  and 
their  longest  flight  mentioned  has  been  a  few  hundred  yards.  The  most 
usual  height  of  flight,  as  seen  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  is  from  two 
to  three  feet ;  but  I  have  known  them  come  on  board  ship  at  a  height  of 
fourteen  feet  and  upwards ;  and  they  have  been  well  ascertained  to  come 
into  the  the  channels  of  a  line-of-battle  ship,  which  is  considered  as  high 
as  twenty  feet  and  upwards.  But  it  must  not  be  supposed  they  have  the 
power  of  elevating  themselves  in  the  air  after  having  left  their  native 
element ;  for,  on  watching  them,  I  have  often  seen  them  fall  much  below 

(687) 


€88  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  elevation  at  which  they  first  rose  from  the  water,  but  never,  in  any 
•one  instance,  could  I  observe  them  ,rise  from  the  height  at  which  they 
first  sprang ;  for  I  regard  the  elevation  they  take  to  depend  on  the  power 
•of  the  first  spring  or  leap  they  make  on  leaving  the  water. 

Judging  from  the  foregoing  and  similar  accounts,  it  would  appear  that 
something  beyond  the  mere  leap  of  the  fish  would  be  required  to  account 
for  such  great  heights  as  fourteen  or  twenty  feet,  at  which  these  fishes 
have  been  seen.  If  they  cannot  fly,  as  might  be  supposed  on  examining 
the  structure  and  position  of  their  fins,  it  seems  probable  that  they  take 
advantage  of  the  wind  at  times,  and  so  adjust  their  fins  as  to  be  carried 
upwards  by  it.  Two  species  are  very  abundant — the  former  in  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  and  the  latter  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

The  common  flying  fish  is  twelve  to  fourteen  inches  long,  and  has 
the  ventral  fins  placed  anterior  to  the  middle  part  of  the  body;  it  may 
thus  be  distinguished  from  the  flying  gurnard  of  the  Mediterranean, 
which  has  the  fins  placed  behind  the  middle  of  the  body.  These  fins  are 
.also  much  smaller  in  the  true  flying-fishes.  The  species  now  under  con- 
sideration belongs  to  the  Atlantic,  and  is  most  common  in  the  tropical 
portions,  though  occasionally  found  on  the  European  and  North  American 
coasts.  They  are  often  seen  to  leap  by  hundreds  and  even  thousands 
from  the  water,  chased  by  other  fishes.  They  have  the  power  of  flight 
by  beating  the  air  and  rising  upon  it  with  their  fins,  and  sail  along,  sus- 
taining and  prolonging  their  course  by  spreading  their  fins.  They  rise 
into  the  air  by  vigorous  leaps,  and  occasionally  have  fallen  on  the  decks 

of  ships. 

The  Flying-  Gurnard. 

The  flying  fishes  generally  inhabit  the  seas  of  hot  climates;  but  they 
.are  occasionally  found  within  the  temperate  regions.  The  flying  gurnard  in- 
habits the  Mediterranean  Sea.  The  flying  fish  has  numerous  enemies  in 
its  own  element  and  to  aid  its  escape,  it  is  furnished  with  its  long  pectoral 
fins,  by  means  of  which  it  is  able  to  raise  itself  into  the  air,  where  it 
is  often  seized  by  the  albatross  and  the  sea-gull.  Its  flight  is  short,  about 
.a  hundred  yards,  but  by  touching  the  surface  of  the  sea  at  intervals  to 
moisten  its  fins  and  to  take  fresh  force  and  vigor,  it  is  able  to  greatly  in- 
crease this  distance. 

Flying  fishes  are  seldom  seen  to  rise  singly  from  the  water ;  they  gen- 
erally appear  in  large  shoals.  Navigators  in  all  tropical  seas  are  familiar 
with  these  sprightly  fishes,  which  relieve  the  monotony  of  ocean  life  as 
birds  do  the  silence  of  the  forest.  The  character  of  the  long  pectorals, 
the  strength  of  the  muscles  which  move  them,  and  the  size  of  the  long 


44 


A   SCHOOL   OF   FLYING-FISHES. 


(689) 


690 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


arch,  to  which  they  are  attached,  are  the  essential  conditions  of  their 
flight.  The  common  flying  fish  of  the  Mediterranean  is  rarely  more  than 
sixteen  inches  long,  and  is  found  in  all  parts  of  that  sea.  There  are  five 
species  on  the  coast  of  North  America. 


GURNARDS    OR    FISHES   THAT   GROWL. 

The  eyes  of  these  fish  are  so  prominent,  as  to  admit  of  their  seeing  dan- 
ger from  whatever  quarter  it  may  come,  but  in  case  of  emergency,  they 
are  able  to  push  them  somewhat  beyond  the  sockets,  so  as  to  consider- 
ably enlarge  their  usual  sphere  of  vision.  They  are  frequently  either 
unable  to  direct  their  flight  out  of  a  straight  line,  or  they  suddenly  be- 


BUTTERFLIES  OF  THE  OCEAN. 

come  exhausted,  for  sometimes  whole  shoals  of  them  fall  on  board  of 
ships.  They  have  somewhat  the  manner  of  the  swallow  in  the  air,  except 
that  they  fly  in  straight  lines,  and  their  black  backs,  their  white  bellies, 
and  their  forked  and  expanded  sails,  give  them  much  the  same  appear- 
ance as  that  of  these  birds. 

The  Growling1  Gurnard. 

The  gurnards,  or  sea-cocks,  have  always  attracted  attention  on  account 
of  the  grumbling  noise  which  they  make  when  taken  out  of  the  water. 
They  are  carnivorous  and  predatory  fishes.  They  inhabit  the  North  Sea 
and  the  Baltic,  but  are  also  found  in  various  other  parts  of  the  ocean. 
Their  weapons  of  defence  are  their  sharp  dorsel  fins,  with  which  they  at- 
tempt to  inflict  a  wound.  The  grumbling  noise  they  produce  by  com- 
pressing their  bodies  and  expelling  the  air  through  their  gills. 

They  chiefly  reside  in  the  depths  of  the  sea,  where  they  have  a  plentiful 
supply  of  food  in  crabs,  lobsters  and  crustaceous  animals.  While  it  is  in 
the  water,  the  colors  of  the  gurnard  are  brilliant  and  beautiful,  especially 
in  the  broad  sunshine,  as  they  then  vary  with  every  motion  of  the  fish. 
It  is  very  voracious,  and  devours  almost  everything  eatable  that  comes 

in  its  way. 

A  Fish  with  Fiery  Colors. 

The  most  beautiful  fishes,  as  far  as  colors  are  concerned,  are  the  ptervides, 
although  their  form,  especially  the  head  with  its  prickles,  gills  or  spires, 
has  no  claim  to  beauty  whatever.  About  twenty-two  bands,  of  a  pink  hue, 
run  in  pairs  and  nearly  parallel  to  each  other  across  the  body,  while,  where 
the  breast  fins  are  connected  with  the  body  there  is  a  large  white  spot. 
Similar  white  spots  are  distributed  on  the  fins.  This  fish  is  found  all  over 
the  Indian  Ocean,  from  the  coast  of  Africa  to  Australia.  The  red  fire-fish 
is  not  a  flying  fish,  neither  is  it  a  fast  swimmer;  the  points  of  its  finbones 
easily  break  off,  and  for  that  reason  the  fish  is  greatly  feared  by  the 

Arabian  fishermen. 

The  Opah  or  King-Fish. 

The  opah  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  specimens  of  the  varieties  we  are 
considering.  Under  favorable  circumstances  it  attains  a  length  of  six  feet 
and  a  weight  of  nearly  two  hundred  pounds.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful fishes  in  existence,  steel-blue,  violet  and  pink  hues  being  prevalent. 
Its  flesh  is  very  savory,  being  considered  as  good  as  that  of  salmon.  The 
Icelanders  value  it  on  account  of  its  alleged  great  medicinal  qualities. 

The  Drum-Fish. 

As  we  have  already  described  the  gurnard,  or  growling  fish,  it  will  be 
interesting  to  the  reader  to  take  a  glance  at  another  tenant  of  the  sea, 


692 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


which  is  also  remarkable  for  the  sound  it  produces.  The  gurnards  are 
wonderfully  colored,  but  the  drum-fish  surprises  us  by  the  singular  sound 
it  makes.  This  fish,  the  maigre,  is  most  abundant  along  the  southern 
side  of  the  Mediterranean,  but  is  taken  orT  the  shores  of  Spain,  France, 
and  Italy.  The  maigre  is  gregarious  in  its  habits,  swimming  in  shoals, 
which  utter  a  purring  noise  so  loud  as  to  be  heard  from  a  depth  of  twenty 
fathoms ;  and  from  this  circumstance,  the  fishermen  are  often  enabled  to 


THE  RED  FIRE-FISH. 

take  several  in  their  net  with  certainty,  their  noise  betraying  their  exact 
locality.  Their  capture,  however,  is  not  a  very  safe  or  easy  task,  for  the 
maigre  is  from  three  to  six  feet  and  upwards  in  length,  very  strong  and 
resolute,  and  it  struggles  with  the  utmost  desperation,  knocking  the  men 
about,  till  one  of  them  can  manage  to  strike  it  a  heavy  blow  on  the  head, 
and  so  deprive  it  of  life.  It  appears  always  to  have  been  in  great  request 
with  epicures ;  and  as,  on  account  of  its  large  size,  it  was  always  sold  in 
pieces,  the  fishermen  of  Rome  were  in  the  habit  of  presenting  the  head, 


BUTTERFLIES  OF  THE  OCEAN. 


693 


which  was  considered  the  finest  part,  as  a  sort  of  tribute  to  the  three 
local  magistrates,  who  acted  for  the  time  as  conservators  of  the  city.  It 
is  the  umbrina  of  the  ancient  Romans,  and  is  of  a  general  silvery  gray, 
inclining  to  brown  on  the  back,  and  pure  silver  on  the  under  parts. 

Allied  to  the  maigre  are  some  fish  remarkable  for  their  great  size,  and 
the  noise  they  send  forth,  and  which  has  led  to  their  being  called  "  drums." 
According  to  Mitchill,  it  is  when  they  are  taken  out  of  the  water  that  they 
send  forth  this  noise ;  but  Schcepf  says  that  it  is  under  the  water ;  that 


THE   OPAH    OR    KING   FISH. 

this  noise  is  dull  and  hollow ;  that  several  individuals  assemble  round  the 
keel  of  ships  at  anchor,  and  that  then  their  noise  is  most  sensible  and  con- 
tinuous. This  account  may  seem  extraordinary,  yet  it  is  perfectly  con- 
formable with  the  following  statement:  Lieutenant  White  relates,  that 
being  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  Cambodia,  his  crew  and  himself  were 
astonished  by  some  extraordinary  sounds  which  were  heard  around  the 
bottom  of  their  vessel.  It  was  like  a  mixture  of  the  bass  of  the  organ, 
the  sound  of  bells,  the  guttural  cries  of  a  large  frog,  and  the  tones  which 


694  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

imagination  might  attribute  to  the  largest  harp ;  one  might  have  said  the 
vessel  trembled  with  it.  These  noises  increased,  and  finally  formed  a 
universal  chorus  over  the  entire  length  of  the  vessel  and  the  two  sides. 
In  proportion  as  they  went  up  the  river,  the  sounds  diminished,  and  finally 
ceased  altogether.  The  interpreter  told  Lieutenant  White  that  they  were 
produced  by  a  troop  of  fishes  of  an  oval  and  flattened  form,  which  have 
the  faculty  of  strongly  adhering  to  various  bodies  by  the  mouth. 
Strange  Noises  Heard  on  Shipboard. 

Humboldt  met  with  a  similar  fact,  but  without  suspecting  the  cause. 
One  evening,  towards  seven  o'clock,  the  whole  crew  were  astonished  by 
an  extraordinary  noise,  which  resembled  that  of  drums  beating  in  the  air. 
At  first  it  was  attributed  to  the  breakers.  It  was  like  the  noise  of  the  air 
which  escapes  from  fluid  in  a  state  of  ebullition.  Those  on  board  began 
then  to  fear  there  was  a  leak  in  the  vessel.  The  noise  was  heard  unceas- 
ingly in  all  parts  of  the  ship,  till  about  nine  o'clock  it  ceased  altogether. 
The  drums,  according  to  Mitchill,  swim  in  numerous  troops,  in  the  shal- 
low bays  on  the  south  coast  of  Long  Island,  where  the  fishermen  find 
them  during  the  summer.  Schcepf  says  that  they  are  found  in  still  greater 
abundance,  and  during  the  whole  year,  along  the  coasts  of  the  Carolinas 
and  Florida. 

Some  other  creatures,  having  a  similar  power,  are  alluded  to  by  Sir 
Emerson  Tennent.  He  states  that  when  visiting  Batticaloa,  on  the  north 
of  Ceylon,  he  made  inquiries  relative  to  the  musical  sounds  alleged  to  issue 
from  the  bottom  of  the  lake.  The  fishermen  vouched  for  the  truth  of  the 
story,  stating  that  the  sounds  are  heard  only  during  the  dry  season,  and 
cease  when  the  lake  is  swollen  by  rains.  In  the  evening,  says  Sir  Emer- 
son, when  the  moon  had  risen,  I  took  a  boat  and  accompanied  the  fisher- 
men to  the  spot.  We  rowed  about  two  hundred  yards  north-east  of  the 
jetty,  by  the  fort  gate.  There  was  not  a  breath  of  wind,  and  not  a  ripple, 
but  that  caused  by  the  dip  of  our  oars ;  and  on  coming  to  the  point  already 
mentioned,  I  distinctly  heard  the  sounds  in  question. 

They  came  up  from  the  water  like  the  gentle  trills  of  a  musical  chord 
or  the  faint  vibrations  of  a  wine-glass  when  the  rim  is  rubbed  with  a  wet 
finger.  It  was  not  one  sustained  note,  but  a  multitude  of  tiny  sounds, 
each  clear  and  distinct  in  itself;  the  sweetest  treble  mingling  with  the 
lowest  bass.  On  applying  the  ear  to  the  wood-work  of  the  boat,  the 
sound  was  greatly  increased  in  volume  by  its  conductor.  They  varied 
considerably  at  different  points  as  we  moved  across  the  lake,  as  if  the 
number  of  animals  from  which  they  proceeded  was  greater  in  particular 
spots ;  and  occasionally  we  rowed  out  of  hearing  of  them  altogether, 


(695) 


096 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


until,  on  returning  to  the  original  locality,  the  sounds  were  at  once  re- 
newed. 

The  beautiful  paradise  fish,  which  in  China  is  kept,  like  the  gold  fish, 
in  aquaria,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  the  finny  tribe.  They 
spawn  in  captivity  much  more  readily  than  gold  fishes. 

For  experiment  two  females  and  one  male  were  put  in  a  tank.  The 
former  soon  selected  for  themselves  certain  corners,  where  they  received 
the  visits  of  the  male.  Soon  the  females  commenced  to  play  with  each 
other.  When  the  male  approaches  the  female  it  spreads  its  tail  and  fins,  as 
can  be  seen  in  our  illustration,  and  takes  a  darker  hue,  while  the  female 
adopts  a  nearly  perpendicular  position,  holds  up  its  fins  as  far  as  possible, 


THE    SEA-BUTTERFLY. 

and  turns  around  on  its  own  axis,  after  the  male  takes  a  similar  position, 
but  in  the  opposite  direction  as  the  left  part  of  our  illustration  shows.  In 
this  case  they  playfully  turn  around  each  other,  and  the  male  trembles  ; 
often  the  female  imitates  these  trembling  motions. 

Sometimes  a  disagreement  occurs  between  the  male  and  female,  and 
then  the  male  treats  the  latter  in  a  most  cruel  and  brutal  manner,  biting 
her  fins,  tearing  out  her  eyes  and  even  killing  her.  The  paradise  fish  is 
of  a  reddish  and  greenish  hue. 

In  the  Mediterranean,  wherever  the  coast  is  rocky,  the  sea-butterfly  is 
never  missed  ;  it  is  occasionally  found  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Its  flesh  is 
without  a  taste  and  is  therefore  only  eaten  by  the  poorer  classes.  The 


BUTTERFLIES  OF  THE  OCEAN. 


697 


head  and  fore-part  are  large,  and  somewhat  blunt  in  appearance.  It  has 
a  large  dorsal  fin,  with  a  large  colored  mark  like  that  of  a  butterfly ;  and 
other  parts  of  the  body  are  embellished  with  variegated  colors,  combining 
to  make  this  one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  the  finny  tribes.  It  may 
properly  be  classed  among  the  butterflies  of  the  ocean. 

Fishermen  have  given  several  names  to  another  beautiful  fish,  one  of 
which,  the  bridegroom,  proves  that  they  recognize  its  beauty.  It  is  found 
in  deep  water ;  it  very  seldom  leaves  its  regular  place,  and  if  it  does  so,  it 
soon  returns  to  it.  Like  the  cat,  it  lays  in  wait  for  its  prey,  then  suddenly 
attacks  it,  and  never  undertakes  a  second  attack,  if  it  misses  the  first  time. 
The  fish  has  a  very  savory  meat  and  is  generally  caught  with  drag  nets. 


THE    BRIDEGROOM    FISH. 

There  are  countless  swarms  of  moths  which  come  out,  on  a  summer's 
evening,  when  it  is  getting  dusk.  They  have  lain  hidden  all  day;  butna 
sooner  is  the  sun  down,  than  myriads  issue  forth  to  look  for  prey.  They 
are  called  night-flying  insects. 

There  are  some  little  creatures  in  the  sea,  that  are  very  much  like  in- 
sects, and  have  the  same  habits  as  the  moths ;  they  have  been  called  the 
winged  insects  of  the  deep.  And  another  name  has  been  given  to  them  ; 
they  are  called  wing-footers,  because  they  whirl  about,  as  if  they  had 
wings.  These  wings  are  two  fin-like  flaps,  which  proceed  from  the  fore- 
most part  of  the  body.  In  reality  the  flaps  are  only  one  organ.  A  bun- 
dle of  muscular  fibre  passes  through  the  neck,  and  spreads  out  at  each 
side  like  a  paddle. 


698  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

These  little  creatures  have  no  foot  to  creep  on,  or  arms  to  seize  their 
prey.  But  they  have  a  distinct  head,  as  the  cuttle-fish  has.  Sometimes 
the  head  is  hidden  in  a  thin  transparent  shell.  When  the  animal  is 
alarmed,  it  draws  its  wings,  and,  indeed,  its  whole  body,  into  the  shell. 
But  though  the  wing-footer  seems  to  sport  about,  and  be  so  innocent  and 
harmless,  it  is  furnished  with  an  array  of  weapons  that  can  scarcely  be 
surpassed.  Let  us  take  one  of  the  tribe — the  little  clio,  on  which  the 
whale  feeds — and  look  at  it  through  a  microscope.  What  are  those  six 
feelers  that  project  from  its  head  ?  And  why  are  they  of  that  red  and 
.speckled  hue  ?  Look  more  closely,  and  you  will  see  that  a  number  of 
tiny  points  are  dotted  all  over  them.  There  may  be  thousands  of  these 
points.  Each  point  or  speck  is  a  sucker,  like  that  of  the  star-fish.  And 
it  can  be  pushed  out,  and  can  seize  hold  of  its  prey  in  the  same  manner. 
When  the  little  clio  does  not  want  its  weapons,  it  draws  them  in,  and 
they  lie  hidden  and  protected  by  a  kind  of  sheath  that  covers  them. 

Look  a  little  further,  and  you  will  see  a  mouth  furnished  with  sharp 
horny  teeth,  that  have  a  metallic  lustre,  and  shine  in  the  sun.  The  tongue 
has  hooked  spines  on  it,  that  curve  backwards,  like  those  of  the  cuttle- 
fish, and  help  to  drag  the  food  down  into  the  stomach.  The  merry  little 
clio  is  terribly  armed,  and  when  twilight  comes,  hosts  of  these  little  crea- 
tures whirl  about  in  search  of  prey.  They  dance  merrily  on  the  waves, 
sinking  and  rising,  and  seeming  to  be  full  of  gambols.  The  sea  is  alive 
with  them,  but  their  gambols  do  not  last  long.  Before  the  morning 
dawns,  they  have  disappeared,  and  no  trace  of  them  is  to  be  seen. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
SINGULAR  VARIETIES  OF  FISHES. 

Amazing  Contrasts  in  Ocean  Life  —The  Great  Sword  Fish— Vast  Si/e  and  Power— A 
Creature  Armed  for  Destruction — Formidable  Weapon  of  the  Sword  Fish — A 
Sword  Left  in  the  Timber  of  a  Ship — The  Whale's  Great  Enemy — The  Ocean 
Bat- -Peculiar  Attitude  in  the  Water — Arms  and  Fins  Combined— A  Creature  of 
Hideous  Ugliness — The  Slender  Pipe  Fish — The  Needle  of  the  Sea — Strange 
Pouch  for  Carrying  Eggs— Color  of  the  Pipe  Fish — A  Dried  Curiosity— Sea- 
Horse—Body  Clad  with  Mail — Tail  that  Grasps— Short-Nosed  Hippocampus — 
Peculiarities  of  the  Short-Nose— The  Skate — An  Enterprising  Digger— Elegant 
White  Fins— The  European  Sting  Ray — A  Bag  for  the  Infant  Fish — The  Sea- 
Devil  —A  Fish  that  Angles— Singular  Method  of  Capturing  Prey — The  Extraor- 
dinary Tape  Fish— A  Beautiful  Marine  Animal — Great  Length  of  the  Tape  Fish 
—The  Sea  Cat— Silvery  Color— Wonderful  Healing  Oil— Flat  Fish— Turbot— 
Plaice— Flounder— Sole — Spiny  Sea-Porcupine — Globe  Fish — Sun  Fish — The 
Sturgeon — An  Ocean  Delicacy — A  Fish  Fond  of  Mud. 

O  one  can  examine  the  forms  of  life  in  the  mighty  ocean  with- 
out being  impressed  with  the  marked  varieties  and  contrasts 
constantly  presented.  Fishes  of  every  shape,  size,  and  manner 
of  existence,  have  engaged  the  attention  of  the  naturalist,  and 


here,  as  everywhere  in  the  great  realm  of  nature,  the  farther  he  pursues 
his  investigations  the  more  wonderful  do  the  discoveries  become.  One 
of  the  singular  creatures  of  the  sea,  concerning  which  a  volume  might  be 
written,  is  the  sword-fish. 

Sword-fishes  are  very  large  and  powerful  animals ;  they  often  grow  to 
the  length  of  twenty  feet  and  more.  They  are  very  voracious  and  attack 
and  destroy  almost  every  living  thing  that  comes  in  their  way.  They 
belong  to  a  family  of  marine  spiny-rayed  fishes,  allied  to  the  mackerels, 
and  are  so  called  from  the  prolongation  of  the  snout  into  a  long  horizon- 
tally flattened  sword-like  weapon.  The  sword  consists  of  a  long,  strong 
bone,  projecting  from  the  nasal  part  of  the  head,  and  is  capable  of  doing 
immense  damage  to  any  animal  which  is  so  unfortunate  as  to  cross  the 
path  of  this  savage  monster  of  the  sea. 

The  common  sword  fish  is  found  in  the  Mediterranean  and  on  both 
sides  of  the  Atlantic;  it  uses  its  sword  to  destroy  its  enemies  and 
sometimes  strikes  at  vessels,  burying  its  weapon  deep  in  their  timber. 
When  the  British  ship  "  Leopard,"  after  her  return  from  the  coasts  of 
•Guinea  and  the  West  Indies,  was  being,  refitted  and  cleaned,  the  ship- 

(699) 


(700)  SWORD-FISH    CAPTURING   HIS    PREY. 


SINGULAR  VARIETIES  OF  FISHES. 


701 


wrights  found  in  her  bottom,  pointing  in  the  direction  from  the  stern 
towards  the  head,  part  of  the  sword  or  snout  of  one  of  these  fishes.  On 
the  outside  it  was  rough  and  the  end,  where  it  was  broken  off,  appeared 
like  a  coarse  kind  of  ivory.  The  fish  is  supposed  to  have  followed  the 
ship  when  under  sail.  The  sword  had  penetrated  the  sheathing,  which 
was  one  inch  thick,  had  then  passed  through  three  inches  of  plank,  and 
beyond  that  four  inches  and  a  half  into  the  timber.  The  force  requisite 
to  effect  this  must  have  been  very  great,  especially  as  the  shock  was  not 
felt  by  the  persons  on  board. 

A  few  years  ago  the  captain  of  an  East  Indiaman  reported  another 
instance  of  the  wonderful  strength  which  the  sword  fish  occasionally 
exhibits.  The  bottom  of  his  ship  had  been  peirced  through  in  such  a 


THE   SEA-BAT. 

manner  that  the  sword  was  completely  imbedded  and  the  fish  killed  by 
the  violence  of  the  effort. 

The  sword  fishes  and  the  whales  are  great  enemies.  They  never 
meet  without  coming  to  battle.  Sometimes  two  sword  fishes  make 
common  cause  against  a  whale,  and  the  battle  often  lasts  until  the  sword 
fish  loses  sight  of  the  whale,  which  is  at  length  compelled  to  swim  off, 
his  superior  agility  enabling  him  to  do  this.  In  the  sword-fish  piercing 
the  whale's  body  with  its  sword,  it  seldom  does  great  harm  to  the  animal 
from  not  being  able  to  penetrate  much  beyond  the  blubber. 

The  above  illustration  does  not  represent  the  peculiar  attitude,  which 


702 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


the  bat-fish  assumes  when  upon  the  sea-bottom,  for  which  its  feet  or 
flipper-like  pectoral  fins  well  adapt  it.  This  attitude  is  somewhat  like 
that  of  a  frog,  but  the  entire  body  is  supported  by  the  pectorals  and  bal- 
anced in  an  oblique  position  by  the  caudal  fin.  When  the  bats  wish  to 
move,  they  hop  along  from  point  to  point  by  using  the  pectorals  as  feet, 
aided  to  a  certain  extent  by  the  buoyant  action  of  the  surrounding  water. 
When  not  upon  the  bottom  they  move  about  in  a  manner  similar  to  other 
fishes,  by  the  action  of  the  caudal  fin,  balancing  themselves  by  move- 
ments of  the  pectorals. 


PIPE  FISH  AND   SEA-HORSE. 

This  animal  is  one  of  the  ugliest  of  the  finny  tribe.  It  belongs  to  the 
family  of  anglers  or  sea-devils.  Its  pectoral  fins  are  attached  to  an  up- 
per arm.  It  is  very  voracious  and  its  flesh  is  eaten  by  the  poor  along 
the  coast  of  the  Mediterranean. 

About  twenty  species,  to  which  these  specimens  belong,  are  described,  of 
which  in  Europe  the  best  known  is  the  great  pipe  fish,  sometimes  called 
needle  fish.  In  the  male  the  posterior  part  is  broader  than  the  rest,  with 
two  soft  flaps  folding  together  and  forming  a  kind  of  pouch  for  the  recep- 


SINGULAR  VARIETIES  OF  FISHES.  70S 

tion  of  the  eggs,  which,  it  is  believed,  are  placed  there  by  the  female.  Its 
color  is  pale  brown,  transversely  barred  with  darker  brown.  The  serrated 
pipe  fish  attains  a  length  of  twenty-eight  to  thirty  inches  of  which  the 
caudal  filament  is  ten  or  twelve  inches.  The  color  is  light  drab  with  a 
narrow  brownish-blue  band  along  the  sides,  the  throat  white  and  the 
sides  silvery.  It  is  found  from  Massachusetts  to  the  coast  of  Brazil. 
Fisli  Resembling-  a  Horse. 

This  fish  is  one  of  the  most  common,  and  is  often  kept  by  the  fishermen 
in  a  dried  state  to  sell  as  a  curiosity  to  seaside  visitors.  This  species,  says 
Couch,  may  be  seen  slowly  moving  about,  in  a  singular  manner,  horizont- 
ally or  perpendicularly,  with  the  head  downwards  or  upwards,  and  in  every 
attitude  of  contortion,  in  search  of  food,  which  seems  chiefly  to  be  water 
insects.  Yarrell  observes,  that  these  fishes  are  supposed  to  be  able,  by 
dilating  their  throat  at  pleasure,  to  draw  their  food  up  their  cylindrical 
beak-like  mouth,  as  water  is  drawn  up  the  pipe  of  a  syringe.  The  sea- 
horse is  an  osseous  fish  with  tufted  gills,  of  the  family  of  pipe-fishes. 
The  snout  is  prolonged  and  the  head  elevated  posteriorly,  somewhat 
resembling  a  horse's  head.  The  body  is  mailed  and  spiry.  The  tail  is 
without  a  fin  and  prehensile,  and  by  means  of  it  they  suspend  themselves 
to  sea-weeds  and  other  submarine  objects.  The  eyes  are  prominent;  the 
pouch,  in  which  the  mates  carry  the  eggs  till  they  are  hatched,  opens  at 
the  commencement  of  the  tail.  They  exist  in  all  parts  of  the  temperate 
and  abundantly  in  the  tropical  oceans. 

Specimens  of  this  fish  have,  it  is  said,  been  occasionally  found  curled 
up  in  oyster-shells ;  but  of  their  general  habits  little  is  known :  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  Yarrell's  work  is  therefore  the  more  interesting :  I 
had  two  female  specimens  of  hippocampus,  or  sea-horse,  healthy  and 
active,  which  had  been  living  twelve  days  in  a  glass  vessel;  their  actions 
being  equally  novel  and  amusing.  An  appearance  of  search  for  a  rest- 
ing place  induced  me  to  consult  their  wishes  by  placing  sea-weed  and 
straws  in  the  vessel ;  the  desired  effect  was  attained,  and  has  afforded  me 
much  to  reflect  upon  in  their  habits.  They  now  exhibit  many  of  their 
peculiarities,  and  few  subjects  of  the  deep  have  displayed  in  prison  more 
sport  or  more  intelligence. 

When  swimming  about  they  maintain  a  vertical  position,  but  the  tail 
is  ready  to  grasp  whatever  it  meets  in  the  water,  quickly  entwines  in  any 
direction  round  the  weeds,  and  when  fixed  the  animal  intently  watches 
the  surrounding  objects,  and  darts  at  its  prey  with  great  dexterity. 
When  both  approach  each  other,  they  often  twist  their  tails  together, 
and  struggle  to  separate  or  attach  themselves  to  the  weeds ;  this  is  done 


704 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


by  the  hinder  part  of  their  cheeks,  or  chin,  which  is  also  used  for  raising 
the  body  when  a  new  spot  is  wanted  for  the  tail  to  entwine  afresh.  The 
eyes  move  independently,  as  in  the  chameleon ;  this,  with  the  brilliant 
iridescence  about  the  head,  and  its  blue  bands,  forcibly  remind  the 
observer  of  that  animal. 

The  ray,  a  cartilaginous  fish,  is  popularly  called  skate.  The  smooth 
ray,  or  common  skate,  of  the  northern  coast  of  America  is  of  a  uniform 
light  brownish  color  above,  and  dingy  white  below.  It  attains  a  length 
of  from  three  to  five  feet,  and  a  weight  of  two  hundred  pounds,  and  is 
found  from  New  York  to  the  British  provinces. 

Its  flesh  is  being  extensively  consumed,  and  the  fleshy  parts  of  the 
pectorals  are  said  to  be  beautifully  white  and  delicious.  It  feeds  on  fish, 
crustaceans  and  mollusks,  and  is  very  voracious.  It  digs  up  clams  with 
its  powerful  spade-like  snout,  crushing  them  easily  with  its  flattened 

teeth.  There  are 
eight  or  nine  species 
in  European  waters, 
some  attaining  a 
weight  of  several 
hundred  pounds. 
Several  species  are 
common  in  the  Lon- 
don market,  where 
the  females  are 
known  as  maids. 
The  American  whip 
States,  and  attains  a 
the  tail.  It  is  not 


SHORT-NOSED  HIPPOCAMPUS. 

sting-ray   occurs    on   the   coast   of  the    Middle 

length    of  from   five   to    eight   feet,    including 

uncommon  on  the  shores  of  New  Jersey,  and  is  caught  both  by  hook 

and  seine. 

The  principal  use  made  of  this  species  and  of  all  the  rays  in  this  coun- 
try is  to  extract  the  oil  from  the  liver,  which  is  employed  for  various  do- 
mestic and  medicinal  purposes.  The  European  sting-ray  is  common  in 
the  Mediterranean  and  on  the  southern  Atlantic  coast.  It  twists  its  long 
tail  around  its  prey  and  its  enemies,  causing  very  severe  lacerated  wounds. 
Its  flesh  is  not  eatable.  From  the  month  of  May  until  the  beginning  of 
September  the  females  are  occupied  in  producing  their  offspring.  This 
they  usually  do  on  crafts  and  in  places  where  they  are  liable  to  little  in- 
terruption. Each  of  the  young  ones  is  enclosed  in  an  oblong  angular 
bag,  about  half  an  inch  thick  in  the  middle.  These  are  called  purses  by 


SINGULAR  VARIETIES  OF  FISHES.  705 

the  fishermen  and  after  the  fish  have  escaped,  are  frequently   cast  ashore 
by  the  tide. 

The  common  angler,  or  fishing  frog,  also  called  the  sea-devil,  is  taken 
In  a  calm  from  boats  or  vessels  at  sea,  on  the  hooks  of  long  lines,  with  a 


THE    SHARP-NOSED    SKATE. 

piece  of  dog-fish  or  a  herring  for  a  bait.  This  very  curious  fish  is  usually 
about  three  feet  in  length,  but  has  been  known  to  measure  five  feet.  The 
head  is  wide,  and  the  mouth  nearly  as  wide  as  the  head;  the  eyes  are 
large,  the  pupils  black ;  the  lower  jaw  which  is  the  longer,  is  bearded  or 


45 


706 


EARTH.  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


fringed  all  round  the  edge  ;  and  both  jaws  are  armed  with  numerous 
teeth ;  the  body  is  narrow,  compared  with  the  breadth  of  the  head,  and 
tapers  gradually  to  the  tail.  The  whole  fish  is  covered  with  a  loose  skin. 
The  color  cf  the  upper  surface  of  the  body  is  uniform  brown ;  the  under 
surface  of  the  body,  the  ventral  and  pectoral  fins  white,  and  the  tail  almost 
black. 

On  the  top  of  the  head  are  three  long  filaments  ;  of  these,  two  are 
seated  just  above  the  muzzle,  the  other  rises  from  the  back  of  the  head. 
These  filaments  are  supported  by  bone,  and  movable  in  all  directions,  es- 
pecially the  first,  which,  tapering  like  the  finest  fishing-rod,  ends  in  a 
broad,  flattened,  silvery  tip.  The  pectoral  fins  are  broad  and  thick,  and 
serve  the  place  of  hind  feet,  for  the  ventral  fins  are  placed  far  anterior  to 
—__  them  on  the  body. 


^=™_  =s=?v. 


The  angler  is  in- 
satiably voracious, 
but    it    is    a   slow 
swimmer;    it   is 
formed,  in  fact,  for 
taking  its  prey  in 
ambush.  It  reposes 
on  the  soft  mud  or 
sand,  in  some  favor- 
^fg^  able  lurking-place, 
'•-  and,  stirring  up  the 
"~    mud  with  its  pec- 
toral fins,  thus  ob- 
scures   itself   in    a 
murky    cloud    be- 

LOON    IN   THE   JAWS    OF    AN    ANGLER-FISH.  yond  whjch  appear 

its  long  filaments,  and,  especially  the  first,  with  its  glittering  tip, 
offering  an  attractive  bait  to  other  fish.  Thus  stationed,  this  crea- 
ture quietly  expects  its  victim.  On  rove  the  shoals  of  fish,  eager 
in  quest  of  food.  They  pass  one  after  another  in  succession,  till  at 
length  one  espies  the  bait.  Forward  the  fish  darts,  either  to  exam- 
ine or  seize  the  expected  prize;  but  at  that  instant,  aided  by  the  broad, 
feet-like  pectoral  fins,  the  watchful  angler  springs  up,  and  captures  his 
prey.  Such  is  the  success  cf  this  voracious  tyrant,  that  the  fishermen  ex 
amine  its  stomach,  and  sometimes  obtain  from  it  a  considerable  number 
of  serviceable  fish  yet  alive,  which  it  had  just  swallowed.  It  is  not,  how- 
ever, always  that  the  angler  thus  obtains  his  food  ;  he  is  sometimes  seen 


SINGULAR  VARIETIES  OF  FISHES. 


707 


floating  on  the  surface,  ready  to  snap  at  whatever  prey  comes  within  his 
sudden  dart.     Even  the  broad-winged  loon  is  made  his  victim. 

The  immense  voracity  of  the  "  angler  "  is  one  reason  why  he  is  sought 
by  fishermen,  who  desire  him  not  for  the  sake  of  himself  but  of  the  small 
fish  which  cram  his  stomach  till  it  is  puffed  out  of  all  due  size.  The 
angler-fish's  fishing-line  is  a  unique  contrivance.  It  is  one  of  several 
movable  spines  rising  from  the  back  of  the  head,  arranged  somewhat  on 
the  plan  of  a  hook,  and  it  can  be  swayed  in  any  direction  at  the  will  of  the 


THE    TAPE    FISH. 

fish.  So,  if  it  is  tired  and  lazy,  the  fish  does  not  need  to  go  prowling 
and  hunting  for  a  meal,  but  takes  it  easy  in  the  ambuscade  of  mud  in 
which  it  hides,  and  waves  the  bait  temptingly  back  and  forth.  The 
beautiful  adaptation  of  nature  in  this  bony  apparatus  to  help  the  ugly 
fellow  to  a  dinner  without  putting  him  to  any  trouble  is  a  most  curious 
fact.  The  angler-fish  is  only  found  north  of  the  capes  of  the  Delaware. 
On  the  23rd  day  of  February,  1788,  a  fish  more  than  thirty-three  feet 
in  length,  a  foot  high,  three  inches  broad,  and  four  hundred  pounds  in 
weight  which  never  had  been  seen  before  by  the  fishermen,  was  thrown 


708 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


upon  the  coast  of  England.  It  was  called  the  tape  fish.  Eight  years 
later  another  fish  of  this  kind  was  found  by  several  women  and  since  then 
several  tape  fishes  have  been  thrown  upon  the  shore,  one  of  which  was 
seventy-eight  feet  in  length.  This  fish  is  said  to  be  very  beautiful,  and 
its  flesh  is  very  savory. 

Sea-cat  is  the  common  name  of  certain  cartilaginous  fishes  which 
form  a  group  intermediate  between  the  sturgeons  and  the  sharks.  They 
are  oviparous,  the  large  eggs  being  enclosed  in  a  leathery  capsule.  In 


THE   SEA-CAT. 

the  northern  sea-cat  the  eyes  have  a  greenish  pupil,  surrounded  by  a 
white  iris,  and  shine,  especially  at  night,  like  cats'  eyes,  whence  the 
common  name.  The  color  is  silvery,  with  brown  spots;  the  tail  is  near- 
ly as  long  as  the  body.  It  attains  a  length  of  three  to  four  feet  and  is 
found  in  the  North  Sea  and  northern  Atlantic,  where  it  pursues  the 
shoals  of  herring  and  other  migratory  fishes.  The  flesh  is  tough  but 
the  Norwegians  use  the  eggs  as  food,  and  extract  the  oil  from  the  liver 
for  its  wonderful  healing  properties. 

The  tribe  of  flat-fish  comprehends  the  turbot,  plaice,  flounder  and  sole. 


(709) 


710  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

These  are  generally  confined  to  the  muddy  banks  of  the  sea,  where 
they  can  bury  themselves  as  far  as  the  head,  for  the  purpose  of  escaping 
their  enemies.  They  seldom  rise  far  from  the  bottom.  For  the 
want  of  an  air-bladder  to  buoy  them  up,  which  most  of  the  other  fishes 
possess,  they  are  compelled  to  use  their  pectoral  fins  in  a  similar  man- 
ner as  birds  use  their  wings  to  rise  in  the  air,  and  this  is  not  done  without 
considerable  exertion.  They  generally  swim  with  their  bodies  in  an  ob- 
lique position  and  feed  on  such  aquatic  animals  as  come  in  their  way. 
The  halibut,  the  turbot  and  others  grow  to  large  size. 

The  eyes  of  the  whole  tribe  are  situated  on  one  side  of  the  head.  While 
the  under  parts  of  their  body  are  of  a  brilliant  white,  the  upper  parts 
are  so  colored  and  speckled  as  to  render  them  almost  imperceptible  when 
they  are  half  immersed  in  the  sand  or  mud.  Whenever  they  see  any 
danger  they  sink  into  the  mud  and  there  stay  motionless.  Not  being 
furnished  with  any  weapons  of  defense,  these  fishes  owe  their  security  to 

this  stratagem. 

Rovers  of  the  Sen. 

The  turbot  is  found  on  the  northern  parts  of  the  English  coast  in 
greater  abundance  and  of  greater  excellence,  than  in  any  other  part  of  the 
world.  It  sometimes  measures  six  feet  in  width  and  weighs  over  two 
hundred  pounds.  The  left  side  is  brown  and  covered  with  small  tuber- 
cles, and  the  right  side  or  lower  surface  smooth  and  white.  The  eyes 
are  on  the  left  side.  It  keeps  on  sandy  grounds  and  is  a  great  wan- 
derer, usually  in  companies,  living  near  the  bottom,  and  feeding  on 
small  fish,  crustaceans  and  mollusks.  Though  voracious,  it  is  particu- 
lar in  its  choice  of  food,  and  will  bite  at  none  but  fresh  bait.  Its  flesh  is 
white,  fat,  flaky  and  delicate,  and  has  been  highly  esteemed  from  remote 
antiquity.  The  American  or  spotted  turbot,  called  also  New  York 
plaice,  and  watery  flounder,  is  from  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  long,  and 
six  to  eight  inches  wide,  sometimes  attaining  a  weight  of  twenty  pounds. 
It  occurs  along  the  coast  of  New  England  and  the  Middle  States,  and 
is  a  delicious  article  of  food. 

The  common  species  of  halibut  grows  to  a  length  of  from  three  to  six 
feet,  varying  in  weight  from  one  hundred  to  five  hundred  pounds.  It  is 
found  from  the  coast  of  New  York  to  Greenland,  and  also  on  the  northern 
shores  of  Europe.  In  summer  it  is  caught  by  hook  and  line  in  shallow 
water,  retiring  to  deeper  in  the  winter.  It  is  exceedingly  voracious  ;  its 
flesh  is  coarse  and  dry,  but  much  esteemed  by  some  persons  when  boiled 
and  fried.  The  fins  are  considered  a  delicacy.  In  many  parts  of  England 
the  turbot  and  halibut  are  sold  indiscriminately  for  each  other.  They  are 


SINGULAR  VARIETIES  OF  FISHES. 


711 


however  perfectly  distinct.     The  eyes  of  the  turbot  are  on  the  left,  whilst 
those  of  the  halibut  are  on  the  right  of  the  head. 

The  common  flounder  of  Massachusetts  varies  in  length  from  ten  to 
twenty-two  inches,  and  in  color  from  dull  slate  to  rusty  and  blackish-brown ; 
the  scales  are  small  and  the  surface  is  smooth.  Flounders  are  very  tena- 
cious of  life  and  may  be  transported  considerable  distances,  and  may  be 
naturalized  in  brackish  and  even  in  fresh  water.  The  distortion  of  the 
flounder  family  admirably  adapts  them  for  swimming  on  the  bottom,  where 
the  situation  of  both  eyes  on  the  upper  surface  of  the  head  allows  an  ex- 


m 


SPING  SEA-PORCUPINE. 

tensive  range  of  vision.  The  common  sole  has  the  body  more  elongated 
than  in  most  flat-fishes,  with  a  blunt  and  rounded  muzzle.  1  he  length  is 
from  ten  to  twenty  inches  and  the  color  runs  from  dark  brown  above  and 
white  below.  It  inhabits  the  sandy  shores  of  Great  Britain,  and  is  one  of 
the  best  and  most  delicious  fishes  for  the  table.  The  New  York  sole  is 
six  to  eight  inches  long,  dark  brown,  marked  transversely  with  irregular 
black  bands,  and  has  small  scales.  It  is  found  from  Nantucket  to  North 
Carolina. 

Sea-porcupine  is  a  common  name  of  fishes  with  comb-like  gills  and 
spines,  with  which  the  body  is  studded.     In  one   genus  the  spines  are 


(712) 


SINGULAR  VARIETIES  OF  FISHES. 


71S 


long,  thin,  sharp  with  two  root-like  processes  and  capable  of  erection. 
There  are  nine  species,  of  which  three  occur  on  the  coasts  of  the  United 
States  under  the  name  of  balloon  fish.  They  are  not  uncommon  on  the 
coasts  of  Massachusetts  and  New  York,  where  they  go  by  the  names  of 
puffer  and  swell  fish,  globe  fish,  urchin  fish  and  spine  belly. 

Sturgeon  is  the  name  of  cartilaginous  fishes  of  the  class  of  ganoids- 
They  are  generally  large  and  inhabit  the  northern  temperate  seas  of  both 
coasts  of  America,  eastern  Europe  and  western  Asia,  from  which  they 
ascend  the  rivers  in  spring  to  spawn,  returning  to  the  salt  water  in 
autumn.  Some  species  are  also  found  in  the  great  American  fresh  water 
lakes.  Their  food  consists  of  any  soft  substances  which  they  stir  up 
from  the  bottom  with 
their  snout,  and  of 
small  fish.  They  fre- 
quently jump  out  of 
the  water. 

The  common  stur- 
geon of  Europe  attains 
a  length  of  six  to  ten 
feet  and  sometimes 
more.  It  is  found  in 
the  Caspian  and  Black 
Seas,  and  the  rivers 
opening  into  them, 
and  sometimes  on  the 
coasts  of  Great  Britain 
and  the  Baltic.  The 
flesh  is  largely  con-  GLOBE  FISH  AND  SUN-FISH. 

sumed  in  Russia,  fresh,  salted,  and  pickled.  A  large  species  also  found  in. 
the  seas  and  rivers  of  southeastern  Europe  is  the  beluga,  attaining  a 
length  of  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  and  a  weight  of  twelve  hundred  pounds, 
and  occasionally  much  larger.  It  ascends  the  rivers  opening  into  the 
Caspian  and  Black  Seas  with  other  and  smaller  species.  Its  flesh  is 
tough,  its  air  bladder  furnishes  a  supply  of  isinglass,  for  which  great 
numbers  are  caught  in  Russia.  From  the  roe  of  the  female,  which  some- 
times constitutes  one-third  of  the  weight  of  the  fish,  caviare,  a  dish  once 
considered  a  delicacy  by  some,  is  made.  The  skin  is  used  for  harness 
leather,  and  'the  dorsal  cord,  cut  in  pieces  and  dried,  is  used  as  food. 

The  sterlet,  found  in  the  Caspian  sea,  furnishes  a  most  delicious  food 
and  the  best  caviare.     In  North  America  sturgeons  are  not  found  north  of 


714  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

where  the  mean  annual  temperature  is  about  thirty-three  degrees.  They 
seldom  enter  clear  cold  streams,  but  ascend  muddy  rivers  in  large  num- 
bers. 

r 

The  sharp-nosed  sturgeon  attains  a  length  of  three  to  seven  feet ;  it 
is  found  on  the  coasts  of  New  England,  New  Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia, 
and  is  common  in  Long  Island  Sound  from  the  middle  of  June  to  Octo- 
ber. It  is  taken  by  harpoon  and  in  nets.  The  short-nosed  sturgeon 
attains  a  length  of  two  to  five  feet,  and  is  so  common  in  the  Hudson  that 
its  flesh  in  the  market  has  been  known  as  Albany  beef. 

In  some  rivers  of  Virginia  sturgeons  are  found  in  such  numbers  that 
.six  hundred  have  been  taken  in  two  days  with  no  more  trouble  than  put- 
ting down  a  pole  with  a  hook  at  the  end  to  the  bottom,  and  drawing  it 
up  again  on  feeling  it  rub  against  a  fish.  They  are,  however,  chiefly 
caught  in  the  night  with  harpoons,  being  attracted  by  the  light  of  torches. 
The  fecundity  of  this  fish  is  exceedingly  great. 

The  globe  fishes  are  most  remarkably  constituted.  They  are  covered 
merely  with  a  multitude  of  sharp  spines,  differing  in  length  and  number 
in  various  species ;  their  number,  when  they  are  small  in  size,  compensat- 
ing for  their  inferiority.  Defended  by  a  host  of  spears,  to  be  levelled  at 
pleasure,  they  are  safe,  for  they  severely  wound  the  mouth  of  every  fish 
that  ventures  to  snap  at  them  as  prey,  or  the  hand  that  attempts  to  cap- 
ture them.  But  independently  of  these  defensive  arms,  they  are  endowed 
with  a  power  which  renders  them  still  less  exposed  to  the  attacks  of  their 
•enemies.  This  power  consists  in  distending  themselves  with  air,  so  as  to 
resemble  balls  of  spines,  and  of  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 
Thus  distended  and  floating,  they  are  always  upside  down,  and  so  carried 
along.  When  these  fishes  wish  to  rise  to  the  surface,  in  order  to  avoid 
danger,  they  distend  themselves  to  the  full,  which  brings  out  all  the  spines 
in  battle  array,  and  so  mount  rapidly  upwards.  When  they  wish  to  de- 
scend again  into  the  deep,  they  contract  the  sides  of  the  body,  compress 
the  air,  assume  an  elongated  form,  which  is  that  of  the  body  in  reality, 
and  thus  gradually  sink. 

Two  species  of  sun-fish  are  occasionally  seen  off  our  coasts,  of  which 
the  short  sun-fish  is  the  most  common.  This  fish  is  of  circular  form,  and 
though  there  is  a  caudal  fin,  united  to  the  dorsal  fin  and  the  under  fin, 
there  is  no  tail.  The  jaws  are  armed  with  an  undivided  cutting  edge. 
This  fish  is  very  shining ;  it  often  grows  to  a  great  size,  and  has  been 
taken  weighing  three  hundred  pounds,  but  such  large  specimens  are  very 
rare. 


SHOOTING  SEALS. 


(715) 


CHAPTER  VII. 
WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS. 

Hairy  Creatures  Roaming  in  the  Deep— Immense  Variety  of  Jelly-Fishes — The 
Shining  Sea — "  Myriads  of  Living  Points  " — Bathers  Entangled  in  Hair — Portu- 
guese Man-of-War — The  "Jelly"  Curiously  Born — Hunger  never  Satisfied — 
The  Trunk  Fish — Mailed  Rovers  of  the  Sea— A  Fish  with  Spurs— Famous  Nar- 
whal— Extraordinary  Weapon — Finest  Ivory  in  the  World — Old  Superstitious 
Notions — The  Race  of  Sticklebacks — A  Spiny  Covering — Strong  Defence  against 
Foes— Sticklebacks  in  a  Tub— Trying  to  Swallow  an  Eel— Fishes  Building 
Nests — Desperate  Fighters — Nest- Builder  Discovered  by  Agassiz — Great  Trav- 
ellers— Unlimited  Greediness — The  Fan  Fish— Native  of  Indian  Waters — Lump 
Sucker— Strange-Looking  Creature— The  Sea-Snail—Sucker  Fish— A  Fish  that 
Sticks — Towed  Free  by  other  Fishes — Riding  Hundreds  of  Miles  without  Mov- 
ing a  Fin — Harness  Fish— Toothless  Swimmer — Delicious  Eating — Hard  Ar- 
mor— Marvelous  Turbot — Turbot  Fishing — The  Sly  Silurus — Urchin  Fish- 
Balloon  of  the  Ocean — Air  Out  and  Fish  Under  Water — Arrow  Pike — A  Dart 
in  the  Sea— Hearty  Eater— Vast  Size— Real  "Old  Salt"— Sharks  and  their 
Eggs. 

F  the  growth  of  the  jelly-fish  an  interesting  story  may  be  told. 
A  little  oval  body,  covered  with  very  fine  hairs,  swam  about  in 
the  sea  for  some  days,  and  then  fixed  itself  by  its  smaller  lower 
end.  The  opposite  end  now  became  depressed,  the  four  corners 
became  lengthened,  and  these  were  soon  changed  into  tentacles,  which  so 
multiplied  as  to  cover  the  upper  end.  Then  transverse  wrinkles  might  be 
observed  on  the  body  at  regular  distances,  appearing  first  above  and  very 
slight,  afterwards  extending  downwards,  but  all  growing  deeper  and 
deeper,  the  edge  of  each  one  becoming  serrated,  or  saw-like,  so  that  the 
creature  presents  the  appearance  of  a  pine  cone,  surmounted  by  a  tuft  of 
tentacles.  A  separation  is  meanwhile  going  on,  until  the  divisions  resemble 
a  pile  of  cups  placed  within  each  other.  The  upper  ring  is  first  detached, 
the  others  successively  follow,  and  each  one  continues  its  development  by 
itself,  until  it  becomes  a  complete  medusa,  or  jelly-fish.  Thus  what  was 
at  first  a  single  individual  becomes,  by  minute  division,  a  number  of  en- 
tirely distinct  animals.  Moreover,  the  upper  segment  is  not  developed 
like  the  rest:  it  is  intended  merely  to  favor  their  growth  by  securing  and 
preparing  the  substances  they  need ;  and  its  office  appears  to  be  per- 
formed as  soon  as  the  other  segments  begin  to  be  dependent. 
(716) 


WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS.         717 

Of  the  jelly-fishes  there  is  an  immense  variety: 

Some  in  huge  masses,  some  that  you  may  bring 
In  the  small  compass  of  a  lady's  ring  ; 
Figured  by  hand  divine,  there's  not  a  gem, 
Wrought  by  man's  art,  to  be  compared  with  them, 

They  consist  generally,  when  full  grown,  of  a  large,  circular,  gelatinous 
disk,  conyex  above,  and  somewhat  concave  on  the  under  surface,  from 
which  the  feeding  organs  hang  pendent.  Strange  to  say,  little  fishes, 
-alarmed  by  the  sight  of  an  enemy,  rush  under  this  mushroom  or  um- 
brella-like form,  to  remain  until  the  danger  is  past,  and  then  emerge  again 
to  sport  and  play  about  their  sheltering  friend.  Fresh  light  is  being  con- 
tinually thrown  on  the  structure,  varieties,  and  habits  of  the  jelly-fish ;  and 
the  more  we  know  of  them,  the  greater  is  our  astonishment  and  admira- 
tion. 

Astounding,  indeed,  is  the  story  of  a  medusa's  growth;  yet,  if  possible, 
still  more  so  is  the  fact  that  this  creature  has  eyes,  each  of  which  is  a  gela- 
tinous spherule  of  a  deep  red  tint,  protected  on  each  side  by  two  pairs  of 
long,  pendant  lobes.     When  crushed  beneath  the  compressorum,  it  dis- 
charged  a  multitude  of  prisms  of  highly  refractile  substance,  set  close 

together. 

Unrivalled  Brilliancy  of  the  Ocean. 

Night  often  presents  to  the  voyager  a  phosphorescent  scene  of  unrivalled 
splendor  and  beauty.  It  is  as  if  the  sea  were  an  immense  plane  of  glass 
studded  with  diamonds  of  the  first  magnitude ;  or  as  if  the  luminous  points 
with  which  its  whole  surface  is  literally  bestrewed  were  sparks  of  fire- 
If  they  are  regarded,  as  they  have  been,  as  efflorescences  of  flame,  they 
pass  the  sides  of  the  vessel  every  moment,  and  form  in  her  wake  a  train  of 
brilliancy  such  as  no  comet  "  e'er  drew  o'er  half  the  heavens."  Sir  Walter 
Scott  thus  pictures  it  in  vivid  words  : — 

Awaked  before  the  rushing  prow, 
The  mimic  fires  of  ocean  glow, 
Those  lightnings  of  the  wave  ; 
Wild  sparkles  crest  the  broken  tides, 
And  flashing  round,  the  vessel's  sides 

With  elfish  lustre  lave ; 
While  far  behind,  their  livid  light 
To  the  dark  billows  of  the  night 
A  gloomy  splendor  gav*e. 

Poppig  in  his  "  Voyage  to  Chili,"  says :  From  the  top-mast  the  sea 
appeared,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  of  a  dark  red  color,  and  this  in  a 
streak  the  breadth  of  which  was  estimated  at  six  miles.  As  we  sailed 
slowly  along,  we  found  that  the  color  changed  into  a  brilliant  purple,  so 


718  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

that  even  the  foam  which  is  seen  at  the  stern  of  a  ship  under  sail,  was  of 
a  rose  color.  The  sight  was  very  striking,  because  this  purple  streak  was 
marked  by  a  very  distinct  line  from  the  blue  waters  of  the  sea,  a  circum- 
stance which  we  the  more  easily  observed,  because  our  course  lay  directly 
through  the  midst  of  this  streak,  which  extended  from  south-east  to  north- 
west. The  water  taken  up  in  a  basket  appeared,  indeed,  quite  transparent; 
but  a  faint  purple  tinge  was  perceptible  when  a  few  drops  were  placed  upon 
a  piece  of  white  china,  and  moved  rapidly  backwards  and  forwards  in  the 
sunshine. 

Infinite  Numbers  of  Animalcules. 

A  moderate  magnifying  glass  showed  these  little  red  dots,  which  only 
with  great  attention  could  be  discovered  with  the  naked  eye,  to  consist  of 
animalcules,  which  were  of  a  spherical  form,  entirely  destitute  of  all  exter- 
nal organs  of  motion.  We  sailed  for  four  hours,  at  a  mean  rate  of  six 
miles  an  hour,  through  this  streak,  which  was  seven  miles  broad,  before 
we  reached  the  end  of  it;  and  its  superficies  must,  therefore,  have  been 
about  a  hundred  and  sixty-eight  square  miles.  If  we  add  that  these  ani- 
mals may  have  been  equally  distributed  in  the  upper  stratum  of  water  to 
the  depth  of  six  feet,  we  must  confess  that  their  numbers  infinitely  sur- 
passed the  conception  of  the  human  understanding. 

Hence  Crabbe  says  to  the  sea-side  visitor — 

While  thus,  with  pleasing  wonder,  you  inspect 
Treasures  the  vulgar  in  their  scorn  reject, 
See  as  they  float  along  the  entangled  weeds, 
Slowly  approach,  upborne  by  bladdery  reeds ; 
Wait  till  they  land,  and  you  shall  then  behold 
The  fiery  sparks  those  tangled  fronds  enfold  ; 
Myriads  of  living  points  :  the  unaided  eye 
Can  but  the  fire,  and  not  the  form,  descry. 

Spallanzani  affirms  that  this  phosphorescence  is  owing,  in  the  medusae, 
to  a  glutinous  substance  issuing  from  certain  parts  of  the  body.  Ex- 
pressed into  different  liquids,  as  into  salt  water,  but  especially  into  fresh 
water,  warm,  or  milk,  it  gives  to  them  a  phosphoric  light.  A  single  jelly- 
fish, he  says,  thus  expressed  into  twenty-seven  ounces  of  cow's  milk,  ren- 
dered it  so  resplendent  that  we  might  have  read  the  character  of  a  letter 
by  it  at  the  distance  of  three  feet.  The  dead  medusa  possessed  for  a  con- 
siderable time  its  phosphorescence,  and  it  was  renewed  by  pouring  water 
upon  it,  even  some  time  after  it  had  ceased  to  shine. 

Two  jelly-fishes,  out  of  an  immense  variety,  are,  according  to  Forbes, 
the  only  true  nettles  of  our  seas.  One  of  these — the  hairy  cyanea — has  a 
dingy,  dark-brown  disk,  about  a  foot  across,  and  it  drags  after  a  great 


WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS.         719 

number  of  filaments,  like  coarse  hair.  Woe  to  the  bather  who  comes  into 
contact  with  one,  for  to  get  out  of  its  entangling  meshes  seems  impossible, 
until  the  creature,  finding  its  course  impeded,  uncoils  its  hair,  and  leaves 
him  to  himself.  We  have  known  more  than  one  instance  of  great  suffer- 
ing from  such  an  accident.  There  appears  a  considerable  redness  in  the 
parts  which  have  been  touched,  and  swellings  of  the  same  color.  Dicque- 
mare  says :  After  the  end  of  some  days,  when  the  pain  is  gone  by,  the 
heat  of  the  bed  will  cause  the  blisters  of  the  skin  to  re-appear. 

Sudden  Collapse. 

Another  singular  fact  should  not  be  omitted.  If  a  common  jelly-fish  be 
taken  from  the  sea  or  the  shore  in  some  vessel  and  carried  home,  and  if  it 
be  looked  for  a  few  hours  after,  it  will  be  gone.  All  that  remains  will  be 
water,  not  distinguishable  by  the  chemest  from  sea-water,  except  a  small 
piece  of  membrane:  yet  these,  with  life,  formed  a  medusa — a  creature 
with  many  powers. 

Jelly-fishes  would  hardly  be  seen  in  the  water,  were  it  not  for  their 
beautiful  colors.  The  common  varieties  move  by  the  alternate  contrac- 
ions  and  dilations  of  the  gelatinous  disk ;  others,  like  the  Portugese 
man-of-war,  have  a  large  vesicle,  which  supports  the  whole  community  at 
the  surface  of  the  ocean,  motion  being  effected  by  the  contractile  tenta- 
cles and  the  contraction  of  the  air  bladder 

This  class  presents  the  curious  phenomena  of  alternate  generations. 
The  "  tubularia,"  common  in  pools  left  by  the  tide,  hangs  like  a  flower 
from  a  slender  tube,  with  the  mouth  surrounded  by  tentacles,  each  ani- 
mal connected  with  the  rest  of  the  community  and  each  mouth  receiving 
nutriment  for  the  whole.  The  young  of  this  hydroid  do  not  resemble 
the  parent,  but  are  little,  delicate,  translucent  jelly-fishes,  like  little  cups, 
from  which  hang  down  long  threads  and  a  proboscis  at  the  end,  which  is 
the  mouth.  By  the  side  of  the  buds  branching  out  from  the  parent  hang 
bunches  of  little  spheres,  from  which  the  jelly-fishes  are  produced. 
Along  the  proboscis  of  the  floating  cups  are  other  spheres  of  eggs  from 
which  are  produced  little  pear-shaped  bodies,  which  grow  into  the  first 
mentioned  branching  hydroid.  The  grandparent  therefore  resembles  the 
grandchild  and  the  hydroid  is  reproduced  through  a  generation  of  jelly- 
fishes. 

A  Hungry  Race  of  Creatures. 

Some  very  handsome  jelly-fishes  do  not  originate  from  any  hydroid, 
but  reproduce  themselves  by  eggs.  They  are  very  voracious,  feeding 
upon  minute  crustaceans,  almost  any  small  marine  creatures,  decaying 
animal  or  vegetable  matter,  and  even  their  own  species. 


•1 


(720) 


SWIMMING    JELLY-FISHES. 


WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS. 


721 


The  Portugese  man-of-war  is  very  poisonous  to  the  touch.  In  picking 
up  specimens  stranded  on  the  shore  of  Key  West,  Fla.,  the  hands  of  fish- 
ermen have  been  severely  stung  by  them,  the  burning,  smarting  pain 
lasting  for  hours.  It  may  be  compared  to  a  colony  of  hydractinia,  in 
which  there  are  nutritive  and  reproductive  zooids  and  medusa  buds. 


REMARKABLE   TRUNK-FISH. 

Some  of  these  jelly-fishes  are  very  small,  not  larger  than  the  head  of  a 
pin. 

The  trunk  or  coffer-fish  belongs  to  the  class   of  mailed  fishes ;  most 

of  its  body  being  covered  with  a  hard  shell,  made  up  of  hexagonal  plates 

firmly  united  together  along  the  edges.      These  plates  are  generally 

quite  rough  and  so  arranged  as  to  present  a  very  ornamental  appearance, 

46 


722  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  mouth  of  the  fish  is  small  with  prominent  teeth,  and  the  dorsal  and 
ventral  fins  are  situated  far  back  near  the  tail,  where  the  covering  of  the 
body  is  soft,  so  that  the  fins,  including  the  caudal  extremity  can  be  used 
in  propelling  the  body  through  the  water. 

In  some  species  there  are  a  number  of  sharp  spurs  on  different  parts 
of  the  body.  This  fish  is  found  mostly  in  tropical  waters,  where  it  often 
grows  to  a  length  of  a  foot  or  more.  Specimens  are  also  taken  now  and 
then  along  the  shores  farther  north.  It  is  of  no  practical  value  as  a  food- 
fish  and  very  little  is  known  about  its  habits,  or  the  animals  upon  which 
it  feeds.  It  is  very  clumsy  and  can  easily  be  caught  by  the  hand. 

Formerly  the  strong  and  imperishable  shell,  or  armors  of  the  trunk- 
fish  were  collected  and  brought  to  Europe  as  a  curiosity.  The  trunk- 
fish  is  believed  to  be  poisonous ;  the  stomach  is  membranous  and  very 
large ;  the  liver  is  also  large,  often  yielding  a  considerable  quantity  of 
oil.  Yale's  trunk-fish,  found  on  the  coast  of  Massachusetts  and  New 
York,  has  two  abdominal  spines. 

The  Narwhal. 

A  well-known  denizen  of  the  northern  seas,  the  sea-unicorn,  better 
known  as  the  narwhal,  from  the  Gothic,  signifying  "  beaked  whale,"  is  no 
less  interesting.  The  head  of  the  narwhal  is  round  and  convex  in  front, 
the  lower  jaw  being  without  teeth,  while  from  the  upper  jaw  springs  the 
curious  weapon  which  gives  this  animal  its  world-wide  reputation.  It  is 
only  in  the  male  that  this  strange  beak  is  developed,  it  being  merely  the 
development  of  the  left  tusk,  which  increases  rapidly  till  it  becomes  a 
long,  spiral,  tapering  rod  of  ivory,  sometimes  attaining  the  length  of  ten 
feet.  Speculation  as  to  the  purpose  of  the  narwhal's  horn  has  been  baf- 
fled, though  that  it  is  employed  in  some  definite  task  is  evident  from  the 
fact  that  the  tip  is  always  smooth  and  polished,  however  rough  and  en- 
crusted it  may  be  toward  the  base.  It  is  probable  that  it  is  a  weapon  of 
attack,  for  narwhals  have  been  often  seen  to  joust  and  playfully  charge 
each  other,  fencing  with  their  long  ivory  lances  as  they  churn  up  the  sea 
in  swift  charges.  So  it  is  probable  that  the  narwhal  horn  is  analogous  to 
the  tusk  of  the  boar  or  horn  of  the  deer. 

The  ivory  of  the  narwhal's  horn  is  remarkably  hard,  solid,  close  in 
fiber ;  perhaps  a  better  article  than  the  tusk  of  the  walrus  or  the  elephant. 
It  has,  therefore,  a  very  considerable  commercial  value.  In  former  times 
the  entire  tusk  was  believed  to  be  of  incalculable  value.  Supposed  to  be 
obtained  from  that  fabled  animal,  the  unicorn,  it  had,  it  was  imagined,  mag- 
ical qualities,  among  which  was  that  of  transforming  the  deadliest  poisons 
into  harmless  potions. 


WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS. 


723 


This  antidotal  quality  was  necessary  to  the  unicorn,  which  was  sup- 
posed to  live  in  deserts  among  loathsome  beasts  and  poisonous  reptiles. 
When  the  unicorn  went  to  the  springs  and  pools  which  had  been  poisoned 
by  the  contact  of  other  venomous  mouths,  the  simple  dipping  of  his  horn 
in  the  water  made  it  pure  again.  Thus,  in  those  days  when  kings  sus- 
pected poison  in  every  wine  chalice,  the  possession  of  this  supposed  uni- 
corn's horn  eased  their  royal  minds  not  a  little. 

The  narwhal  is  held  in  great  esteem  in  Greenland,  for,  independent  of 
its  value,  it  is  a  harbinger  of  the  coming  of  the  whale.  The  ivory  of  the 


THE   NARWHAL   OR   SEA-UNICORN. 

tusk  is  put  to  a  great  variety  of  uses,  and  many  a  narwhal  perishes  by 
means  of  the  tooth  which  has  been  extracted  from  some  near  kinsman. 
It  is  easily  slain,  as  it  possesses  no  great  power  of  diving.  It  seldom  de- 
scends over  two  hundred  fathoms  below  the  surface,  and  when  it  rises 
the  animal  is  so  tired  as  to  be  easily  killed  by  a  spear  thrust.  Whaling 
ships  are  always  on  the  outlook  for  narwhals,  on  account  of  both  the  oil 
and  the  ivory,  and  lances  are  used  to  capture  the  playful  animals,  which 
seem  to  have  but  little  fear,  and  gather  around  the  fatal  boats  with  great 
curiosity.  As  they  congregate  in  large  herds,  a  very  large  catch  is  often 
a  matter  of  only  a  few  hours. 


724  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Their  tusk  is  a  long,  hard,  spiral  and  sharp  pointed  weapon  which  pro- 
jects from  the  anterior  part  of  the  upper  jaw.  When  urged  with  all  their 
force  it  will  penetrate  even  into  the  solid  timbers  of  a  ship  and  the  body  of 
no  animal  is  sufficiently  hard  to  resist  its  effects.  The  detached  weapons  of 
the  narwhal  are  deposited  in  many  cabinets  as  the  horns  of  the  fabulous 
quadruped  the  unicorn.  The  females  produce  each  a  single  young  one  at 
birth  and  this  they  nourish  for  several  months  with  milk. 

The  Sticklebacks. 

Several  species  of  stickleback  are  found  in  fresh  water  ponds  and 
streams,  and  one  species  exists  in  the  salt  water.  They  are  very  active 
and  voracious,  and  live  on  aquatic  insects  and  worms.  They  are  inclu- 
ded, under  a  great  diversity  of  names,  in  the  Natural  History  of  every 
European  country.  They  should  even  exist  as  far  as  Greenland,  if  it  be 
true  indeed  that  Fabricius  saw  there  the  same  species,  and  not  some  one 
of  those  of  America. 

Their  extreme  multiplication  is  surprising,  for  the  eggs  of  the  stickle- 
backs are  large,  and  they  cannot  lay  many  of  them.  It  is  true,  on  the 
one  hand,  that  they  have  but  little  to  dread  from  other  fishes,  as  they 
are  defended  against  them  by  short  and  sharp  spines ;  but  they  have  in- 
ternal and  external  enemies  by  which  they  are  unceasingly  tormented. 
Thus,  one  species  attaches  itself  to  the  skin,  and  sucks  their  blood,  while 
another  sometimes  almost  fills  the  entire  abdomen,  compressing  their 
intestines,  and  reducing  them  to  a  very  small  space. 

Bloch  assures  us  that  these  fishes  live  but  three  years.  They  are  ex- 
tremely agile,  lively  in  their  movements,  and  of  an  active  disposition. 
Backer  states  that  they  leap  vertically  out  of  the  water,  to  more  than  the 
height  of  a  foot,  and  that  in  an  oblique  direction  they  can  make  springs 
still  more  considerable,  when  they  are  obliged  to  pass  over  stones  or 
other  obstacles.  They  can  subsist  a  tolerably  long  time  out  of  the  water, 
especially  when  they  fall  into  the  humid  grass.  Their  voracity  is  ex- 
cessive. Backer  has  seen  a  stickleback  devour,  in  the  course  of  five 
hours,  seventy-four  new-born  fish,  of  one  species. 

The  Three-Spiiied  Stickleback. 

The  stickleback  with  three  spines  is  the  most  common  species,  and  is 
distinguished  by  the  body  being  protected  at  the  sides  with  shield-like 
plates,  and  the  possession  of  three  spines  on  the  back.  It  is  of  an  olive- 
color  above,  and  silvery  white  beneath,  and  varies  from  two  to  three 
inches  in  length.  In  the  breeding  season,  the  male  assumes  a  pink  hue 
on  the  under  parts  of  the  body,  and  the  general  color  of  the  upper  parts 
is  brighter,  and  often  green. 


WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS. 


725 


A  naturalist  thus  describes  the  habits  of  these  fishes,  during  their  con- 
finement in  a  tub : — When  a  few  are  first  turned  in,  they  swim  about 
in  a  shoal,  apparently  exploring  their  new  habitation.  Suddenly  one  will 
take  possession  of  a  particular  corner  of  the  tub,  or,  as  it  will  sometimes 
happen,  of  the  bottom,  and  will  instantly  commence  an  attack  on  his 
companions ;  and  if  any  one  of  them  ventures  to  oppose  his  sway,  a  reg- 
ular and  most  ferocious  battle  ensues. 


SPINY   STICKLEBACKS    AND   NEST. 

I  once  saw  a  very  lively  stickleback  engaged  in  taking  its  prey  from  a 
clump  of  sea-weed,  in  doing  which  it  assumed  every  posture  between 
the  horizontal  and  perpendicular,  with  the  head  downward  or  upward, 
thrusting  its  projecting  snout  into  the  crevices  of  the  stones,  and  seizing 
its  prey  with  a  spring. 

Having  taken  this  fish  with  a  net,  and  transferred  it  to  a  vessel  of 
water,  in  company  with  an  eel  of  three  inches  in  length,  it  was  not  long 


726  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

before  the  latter  was  attacked  and  devoured  head  foremost — not,  indeed, 
altogether,  for  the  eel  was  too  large  a  morsel,  so  that  the  tail  remained 
hanging  out  of  the  mouth ;  and  it  was  obliged  at  last  to  disgorge  the 
eel  partly  digested.  It  also  seized  from  the  surface  a  moth  that  fell  on 
the  water,  but  threw  up  the  wings.  The  effect  of  the  passions  on  the 
color  of  the  skin  in  the  species  of  this  genus  is  remarkable;  and  the 
specimen  now  spoken  of,  under  the  influence  of  terror,  from  a  dark  olive 
with  golden  sides,  changed  to  pale  for  eighteen  hours,  when  it  as  sud- 
dedly  regained  its  former  tints.  It  spawns  in  spring,  and  the  young, 
not  half  an  inch  in  length,  are  seen  along  the  sea-margin  in  summer. 
A  Fish  that  Makes  a  Nest  under  Water. 

Nearly  thirty  years  ago,  the  following  remarks  were  made  by  an  intel- 
ligent observer,  unacquainted  with  Natural  History  as  a  science,  and 
who  was  not  aware  of  what  was  then  closely  studied  by  others  on  a  kin- 
dred species  :  In  a  large  dock  for  shipping  on  the  river  Thames,  thous- 
ands of  pricklefish  were  bred  some  years  ago,  and  I  have  often  amused 
myself  for  hours  by  observing  them.  While  multitudes  have  been  en- 
joying themselves  near  the  shore  in  the  warm  sunshine,  others  have 
been  busily  engaged  in  making  their  nests — if  a  nest  it  may  be  called. 
It  consisted  of  the  very  minutest  pieces  of  straw  or  sticks,  the  exact 
color  of  the  ground  at  the  bottom  of  the  water,  on  which  it  was  laid,  so 
that  it  was  next  to  an  impossibility  for  persons  to  discover  the  nest,  un- 
less they  saw  the  fish  at  work,  or  observed  the  eggs. 

The  nest  has  a  top  or  cover,  with  a  hole  in  the  centre,  in  which  are 
deposited  the  eggs  or  spawn.  This  opening  is  frequently  concealed  by 
drawing  small  fragments  over  it ;  but  this  is  not  always  the  case.  Many 
times  have  I  taken  up  the  nest,  and  thrown  the  eggs  to  the  multitude 
around,  which  they  instantly  devoured  with  the  greatest  voracity.  These 
eggs  are  about  the  size  of  poppy-seeds,  and  of  a  bright  yellow  color; 
but  I  have  seen  them  almost  black,  which  I  suppose  is  an  indication 
that  they  are  approaching  to  life.  In  making  the  nest  I  observed  that 
they  used  an  unusual  degree  of  force  when  conveying  the  material  to  its 
destination.  When  the  fish  was  about  an  inch  from  the  nest,  it  suddenly 
darted  at  the  spot,  and  left  the  tiny  fragment  in  its  place,  after  which  it 
would  be  engaged  for  half  a  minute  in  adjusting  it.  The  nest,  when 
taken  up,  did  not  separate,  but  hung  together  like  a  piece  of  wool. 

After  this  statement  was  made,  Costa  gave  great  attention  to  the  habits 
of  the  stickleback.  He  watched  the  whole  process  of  the  construction 
of  the  nest,  the  laying  of  the  eggs  by  the  female,  and  the  care  taken  of 
them  yb  the  male.  He  says :  The  stickleback  has  the  foresight  to  cover 


WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS.        727 

the  nest  heavily  with  sand,  to  prevent  its  being  swept  away  by  the 
waters  ;  and  they  glue  together  the  materials  of  which  the  nest  itself  is 
composed,  by  means  of  the  mucous  excretion  which  exudes  from  their 
bodies.  To  make  sure  that  all  parts  of  the  nest  are  united  with  sufficient 
solidity,  the  fish  suspends  himself  in  the  water  immediately  above  it,  with 
his  head  downwards,  and  makes  rapid  vibrations  with  his  pectoral  fins  and' 
his  tail.  By  this  means,  any  parts  of  his  dwelling  which  are  not  properly 
constructed  at  once  become  loose  and  detached,  and  he  instantly  darts 
down  and  repairs  the  defect. 

During  an  entire  month,  he  is  the  sole  guardian  of  the  eggs  which  the 
females  lay  within,  and  he  has  to  defend  them,  not  only  against  the 
attacks  of  other  fishes,  but  against  the  ferocious  and  unnatural  appetites 
of  the  parents  themselves.  He  removes  the  stones  which  accumulate  at 
the  mouth  of  the  nest,  he  enlarges  the  opening,  and  by  the  singular 
vibrations  of  his  tail  and  fins,  he  changes  and  purifies  the  water  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  in  short  he  never  relaxes  his  care  of  the  young  until 
they  are  fully  able  to  provide  for  themselves. 

Nest-Building1  Hassars. 

There  are  two  fishes  in  Demarara,  the  flat-headed  hassar,  and  the  round- 
headed  hassar,  which  make  nests  like  the  sticklebacks.  Sir  Richard 
Schomburgh,  when  recounting  his  "  Travels  in  British  Guiana,"  states 
that  not  only  does  the  hassar  form  a  perfect  nest  for  its  spawn  of  all 
kinds  of  fibres  from  among  the  aquatic  plants,  but  it  watches,  with  the 
most  active  maternal  care,  till  the  young  brood  escape.  The  nest,  like 
that  of  the  magpie,  is  a  real  work  of  art.  In  April  the  hassar  begins 
forming  the  nest,  until  it  resembles  a  hollow  globe  flattened  at  the  poles, 
the  upper  one  of  which  reaches  the  surface  of  the  water.  An  orifice, 
adapted  to  the  size  of  the  mother,  opens  into  the  interior.  The  negroes 
frequently  capture  the  hassars,  by  putting  their  hands  in  the  water,  close 
to  the  nest ;  when  the  guardian  parent,  rushing  to  a  repulse  of  the  in- 
vader, is  dextrously  seized  and  thrown  on  the  land. 

These  two  fishes,  so  much  alike  in  their  habits,  exhibit  a  remarkable 
difference  in  the  material  of  their  nests ;  the  flat-headed  hassar  using 
leaves,  and  the  round-headed  forming  its  fabric  of  grass.  At  certain 
seasons  they  burrow  in  the  bank,  and  it  is  only  in  the  rainy  season  that 
they  make  their  nests  and  lay  their  eggs.  Often  have  I  been  surprised, 
says  Hancock,  to  observe  the  sudden  appearance  of  numerous  nests  in 
a  morning  after  rain  occurs,  the  spot  being  indicated  by  a  bunch  of  froth 
which  appears  on  the  surface  of  the  water  over  the  nest.  Below  this  the 
€ggs  are  placed  on  a  bunch  of  fallen  leaves  or  of  grass  (the  round  head 


728  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

of  grass,  the  flat  head  of  leaves)  which  they  cut  and  collect  together. 
By  what  means  this  is  effected  seems  rather  mysterious,  as  they  are 
destitute  of  teeth.  It  may  possibly  be  by  the  use  of  their  serrated  arms, 
which  form  the  first  ray  of  the  pectoral  fins. 

Agassiz  alludes  to  a  nest-building  fish,  which  he  observed  in  Lake 
•  Sebago,  in  the  State  of  Maine ;  and  others  have  been  observed  in  Aus- 
tralia. Thus,  Mitchell  says,  in  his  work  on  "  Tropical  Australia:"  In  a 
dry  part  of  the  river  (Maronoa),  I  met  with  many  instances  of  the  sing- 
ular habit  of  the  eel-fish  or  jew-fish.  I  had  previously  observed  else- 
where, in  the  aquatic  reeds  growing  in  extensive  reaches,  clear  circular 
openings,  showing  white  parts  of  the  bottom,  over  which  one  or  two 
fishes  continually  swam  round  in  circles.  I  now  found  on  the  dry  bed 
that  such  circles  consisted  of  a  raised  edge  of  sand,  and  were  fitted  with 
stones,  some  as  large  as  a  man's  closed  fist.  Suranigh,  a  native,  told 
me  that  this  was  a  nest  of  a  pair  of  these  fish,  and  that  they  carried  the 
stones  there  and  made  it.  The  general  bed  of  the  river,  where  we  saw 
these  nests,  consisted  wholly  of  deep,  firm  sand,  and  that  the  fish  had 
some  way  of  carrying  the  stones  to  such  spots  seemed  evident. 
Fishes  that  are  Great  Travellers. 

Nearly  all  the  species  of  sticklebacks  or  mackerel  are  gregarious,  and 
unite  in  immense  shoals.  Some  of  them  are  migratory,  making  long 
voyages  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year.  It  is  believed  that  they  are  all 
eatable.  From  the  elegance  of  its  shape,  and  the  brilliancy  of  its  colors, 
the  mackerel,  when  alive,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  fish  that  frequents 
our  waters.  TJie  mackerel  season  is  a  very  busy  and  profitable  one  on  the 
British  coast.  They  are  taken  in  great  quantities  by  drift-nets  reaching 
about  twenty  feet  below  the  surface,  and  extending  for  more  than  a  mile. 

The  mackerel  will  bite  at  almost  any  bait,  especially  anything  resemb- 
ling a  living  prey.  Their  voracity  has  scarcely  any  bounds,  and  when 
they  get  among  a  shoal  of  herrings  they  make  such  havoc  as  frequently 
to  drive  it  away.  After  they  are  taken  out  of  the  water  they  exhibit  a 
phosphoric  light.  The  sticklebacks  receive  their  name  from  the  prom- 
inent isolated  spines,  which  are  found  along  the  back  in  front  of  the  dor- 
sal fin.  They  are  generally  very  active,  and  are  confined  to  the  temper- 
ate and  arctic  zones  of  the  northern  hemisphere.  There  are  a  number  of 
species,  which,  besides  the  spines  along  the  back  have  spines  in  connec- 
tion with  some  of  the  other  fins,  and  the  sides  are  generally  ornamented 
with  quite  large  and  thick  scales,  so  that  the  sticklebacks  are  well  pro- 
tected against  most  other  carnivorous  fishes.  The  fresh  water  species  gener- 
ally have  nests  with  openings  in  the  sides,  and  the  nests  are  guarded  by  the 


WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS. 

males.  The  fifteen-spined  stickleback  forms  its  nests  among  the  sea-weeds, 
and  binds  its  eggs  firmly  together  until  they  are  hatched,  the  males  guard- 
ing them  meanwhile,  the  same  as  do  the  males  of  the  fresh  water  species. 

While  the  common  sword-fish  is  found  in  the  Mediterranean  and  on 
both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  the  fan-fish  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  seas 
of  the  torrid  zone,  especially  the  Indian  Ocean.  It  is  said  to  keep  itself 
near  the  surface  of  the  water  so  that  its  large  dorsal  fin  protrudes.  Its 
mode  of  living  is  similar  to  that  of  the  common  sword-fish. 

The  lump-sucker  is  a  common  and  remarkable  species  offish  inhabiting 


SWORD    OR    FAN-FISH. 

the  British  seas,  and  belongs  to  a  family  popularly  known  as  sucking 
fishes.  This  one  is  a  large-bodied,  small-finned  fish,  bearing  on  its  back 
an  elevated  crest  or  ridge,  and  having  a  powerful  sucker  under  its  throat, 
formed  of  the  combined  pectorals  and  ventrals.  Before  the  spawning 
season  it  is  of  a  brilliant  crimson  color,  mingled  with  orange,  purple,  and 
blue,  but  afterwards  changes  to  a  dull  blue  or  lead  color. 

When  full-grown  it  is  rough  with  tubercles,  but  when  very  young  is 
smooth  and  beautiful,  and  marked  with  brilliant  stripes  of  various  hues. 
In  the  seas  of  the  Orkneys,  in  June,  numbers  of  the  young  fish,  half  an 


730 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


inch  in  length,  are  seen  swimming  around  floating  sea-weeds.  In  the  old 
fish  the  sucker  is  so  powerful  that  a  pail  of  water,  containing  some  gal- 
lons, has  been  lifted  up  by  a  person  holding  the  tail  of  a  lump  fish  adher- 
ing to  the  bottom.  It  ranges  from  the  shores  of  Greenland  to  those  of 
the  south  of  England,  and  westward  as  far  as  the  coast  of  North  America. 
The  eyes  are  large,  and,  it  has  been  said,  "  made  it  look  like  a  cat 
or  owl,"  whence  one  of  its  common  appellations  is  the  "  sea-owl."  It  is 
taken  with  lines  and  hooks ;  the  baits  are  sand-worms,  shell-fish,  herring 
or  sprat  cut  up. 

^ 


THE   SUCKER    FISH. 

This  strange-looking  fish  may  often  be  seen  exposed  to  view  in  the  shops 
of  the  London  fishmongers.  Its  flesh,  and  particularly  that-of  the  male,  is 
regarded  as  excellent.  It  is  chiefly  in  April  and  May  that  the  lump-sucker 
is  taken,  as  it  then  approaches  the  shore  for  the  purpose  of  breeding. 

Another  genus  of  this  family  consists  of  a  number  of  small  fishes 
which  have  two  disks  on  the  under  surface  of  their  bodies,  one  formed  by 
the  pectoral  and  the  other  by  the  ventral  fins.  They  thus  adhere  to 
stones,  rocks,  and  shells.  They  have  wedge-shaped,  defenceless  bodies, 
smooth  and  without  scales,  often  painted  with  the  most  defined  and 


WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS. 


731 


brilliant  colors.  The  sea-snail  is  a  third  genus  of  this  family.  They  are 
found  under  stones  at  low-water  mark,  and  are  not  so  brilliantly  colored 
as  others  of  the  tribe.  They  are  furnished  with  a  single  sucker  formed 
by  the  pectorals  and  ventrals. 

The  popular  name  of  the  remora  is  "  spiny-rayed  fish."  Above  the  head 
and  anterior  dorsal  vertebrae  is  an  oval  disk,  presenting  from  the  middle 
to  both  sides  oblique  plates,  arranged  like  the  slats  of  a  Venetian  blind,  and 
covering  the  surface  of  the  disk.  On  the  middle  of  the  under  surface  are 
spine-like  projections,  connected  by  short  bands  with  the  skull  and  vertebrae, 


T   *c 


HARNESS    FISH. 

and  their  upper  margin  is  beset  with  fine  teeth.  By  means  of  this  appar- 
atus these  fishes  attach  themselves  to  rocks,  ships,  or  bodies  of  other  fishes, 
especially  sharks,  which  transport  them  to  places  where  food  is  abundant 
and  often  from  the  tropics  to  the  temperate  regions.  None  of  the  species 
feed  upon  the  fish  to  which  they  are  attached,  their  food  being  small  fishes 
and  floating  animals.  The  ancients  believed,  that  this  small  fish  had  the 
power  of  arresting  the  progress  of  a  ship  by  adhering  to  the  bottom. 

The  harness  fish  exhibits  a  great  number  of  bony  scales  or  shields,  two 
strong  bones  protrude  from  the  upper  jaw  and  the  mouth  is  toothless.    It 


732  EARTH,  SEA   AND  SKY. 

is  found  in  the  Mediterranean  and  in  parts  of  the  South  Atlantic  Sea 
and  only  approaches  the  coast  for  the  purpose  of  spawning.  It  is  said,  to 
live  alone  and  to  be  able  to  swim  with  great  velocity.  It  feeds  on  medu- 
sae and  mollusks  and  is  said  to  be  highly  esteemed  for  its  fine  and  deli- 
cious flesh.  For  the  purpose  of  taking  off  the  armor  of  this  fish  before 
preparing  it  for  the  table,  it  is  necessary  to  scald  it,  because  this  armor  is 
impenetrable  to  the  knife. 

The  Sluggish  Turbot. 

The  turbot  is  of  a  short  and  broad  form,  and  rather  deeper  than  many 
of  the  flat  fishes.  Its  prevailing  color  is  brown,  and  the  whole  of  the  col- 
ored side  is  studded  with  hard  and  roundish  tubercles.  It  is  called  in 
Scotland  the  rawn  fleuk,  and  the  rannack  fleuk.  As  the  turbot  does 
not  possess  the  power  of  rapid  motion,  it  would  be  liable  to  speedy  ex- 
termination by  its  numerous  enemies,  were  it  not  so  formed  and  endowed 
as  to  render  it  quick  in  perceiving  danger ;  while  it  is  also  guarded  by 
its  habits,  which  occasion  it  constantly  to  be  near  the  bottom,  and  also 
by  its  color,  for  while  one  half  of  the  fish  is  nearly  white,  the  other 
half  approaches  to  the  muddy  color  of  that  part  of  the  element 
in  which  this  fish  resides.  The  position  of  the  eyes  is  also  singularly 
adapted  for  securing  its  safety.  They  are  not  placed  on  each  side 
of  the  head,  but  only  on  that  side  which  is  uppermost  when  it  is  in 
motion. 

The  turbot  is  most  active  in  the  night-time,  when,  perhaps,  its  enemies 
are  less  vigilant ;  and  in  the  day-time  it  lies  at  the  bottom,  with  its  dark 
side  uppermost,  and  is  consequently  difficult  to  be  distinguished.  It  is 
said  that,  when  apprehensive  of  danger,  it  will  remain  perfectly  stilL 
Man  is,  probably,  its  most  active  enemy.  Great  care  is  necessary  in  hav- 
ing a  suitable  bait;  for,  though  voracious,  the  turbot  is  delicate  in  its 
choice  of  food.  A  piece  of  herring  or  haddock  is  commonly  used  for  a 
bait,  but  if  it  has  been  twelve  hours  out  of  the  water,  though  not  tainted,, 
the  turbot  will  not  take  it.  Many  years  ago,  and  it  may  still  be  the  case, 
the  Dutch  purchased  of  the  Thames  fishermen  the  lesser  lamprey,  for 
bait,  to  the  value  of  several  thousand  dollars  a  year.  The  Scarborough 
fishermen  were  accustomed  to  obtain  a  supply  by  land  carriage  from  the 
river  Wharf,  a  distance  of  about  sixty  miles. 

The  fishery  is  carried  forward  to  the  north-eastern  coast.  Each  person 
is  provided  with  three  lines,  which  are  coiled  upon  a  flat,  oblong  piece  of 
wicker-work ;  the  hooks  being  baited,  and  placed  very  regularly  in  the 
centre  of  the  coil.  Each  line  is  furnished  with  fourteen  score  of  hooks, 
at  the  distance  of  six  feet  two  inches  from  each  other.  The  hooks 


WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS.  733 

are  fastened  to  the  lines  upon  "  steads  "  of  twisted  horse-hair,  twenty-seven 
inches  in  length. 

When  fishing,  there  are  always  three  men  in  each  boat,  and  conse- 
quently, nine  of  these  lines  are  fastened  together  and  used  as  one  line, 
extending  nearly  three  miles,  and  furnished  with  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred and  twenty  hooks.  An  anchor  and  a  buoy  are  fixed  at  the  first  end 


OLD    AND   YOUNG   SILURUS. 

of  the  line,  and  one  more  of  each  at  the  end  of  each  man's  line ;  in  all, 
four  anchors,  which  are  commonly  perforated  stones,  and  four  buoys, 
made  of  leather  or  cork.  The  line  is  always  laid  across  the  current,  and 
remains  on  the  ground  about  six  hours,  as  it  can  only  be  shot  or  hauled 
at  the  turn  of  the  tide.  The  rapidity  of  the  tide  on  this  coast  prevents 
the  use  of  hand-lines,  and  therefore  two  of  the  men,  commonly  wrap 


734  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

themselves  in  a  sail  and  sleep,  while  the  other  keeps  a  sharp  lookout,  to 
observe  the  weather,  and  from  fear  of  being  run  down  by  ships. 

The  boat  is  about  one  ton  in  burden,  rather  more  than  twenty  feet  long, 
extreme  breadth  five  feet,  and  it  is  rowed  with  three  pairs  of  oars.  A 
larger  description  of  boat  is  also  used  in  the  Scarborough  turbot  fishery. 
It  is  forty  feet  long,  fifteen  broad,  and  of  twenty-five  tons  burden,  and  is  call- 
ed the  "  five  men  boat,"  though  usually  navigated  by  six  men  and  a  boy ;  but 
one  of  the  men  is  hired  to  cook,  and  does  not  share  in  the  profits  with  the 
other  five.  When  they  reach  the  fishing-ground  they  anchor,  and  proceed 
to  fish,  and  being  provided  with  a  double  set  of  lines,  they  haul  one  and 
shoot  another  every  turn  of  the  tide.  They  generally  run  into  harbor 
twice  a  week  to  deliver  their  fish.  Similar  means  are  employed  along  the 
southern  coasts,  but  the  London  market  is  chiefly  supplied  by  the  Dutch 
fishermen. 

The  fishing  season  commences  in  March,  and  terminates  in  August. 
The  Dutch  are  supposed  to  have  drawn  not  less  than  half  a  million  dol- 
lars a  year,  for  the  supply  of  this  fish  to  the  London  market  alone.  The 
English  fishermen  purchase  at  sea  largely  of  the  Dutch  ;  nevertheless,  the 
Dutch  send  boats  laden  with  turbot  up  the  Thames,  each  boat  bringing 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  fish.  The  Danes  also  are  said  to  derive  a  large 
income  for  sauce  to  this  luxury  of  the  table,  extracted  from  a  million  of 
lobsters  taken  on  the  rocky  shores  of  Norway.  The  finest  turbot  are  taken 
on  the  Flemish  banks,  and  the  banks  called  Broad  Forties.  Excellent  fish 
are  also  taken  by  the  French  fishermen,  on  the  two  large  sand-banks  called 
the  Varne  and  the  Ridge,  stretching  towards  the  French  coast  in  the  Chan- 
nel, not  many  miles  from  Dover.  These  they  sell  to  the  English  out  at 
sea,  or  send  into  Dover. 

The  average  size  of  turbot  is  from  three  to  ten  pounds  weight ;  but 
somejof  huge  size  have  been  occasionally  taken,  which  have  weighed 
from  fifty  to  seventy  pounds ;  and  one  was  caught  near  Whitby,  which 
weighed  one  hundred  and  ninety  pounds. 

The  Sly  Silurus. 

The  sheat  fish,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  a  member  of  another  family, 
is  found  not  only  in  almost  all  the  fresh  waters  of  Europe,  but  even  in 
those  of  Africa  and  Asia.  Pliny  described  it  as  existing  in  the  Nile.  Bloch 
mentions  that  specimens  weighing  from  seventy  to  eighty  pounds  have 
been  taken  in  canals  near  Berlin. 

The  two  very  elongated  barbules  of  the  upper  lip  are  supported  by 
extensions  of  the  intermaxillary  bones,  which  increase  the  sphere  of 
action  and  consequent  utility  of  these  organs  of  touch,  by  extending 


WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS. 


735 


their  influence  beyond  the  range  of  the  shorter  parts  of  the  lower  lip. 
Thus  it  is  shown  to  be  a  ground-feeder  ;  and  Bloch  states  that  it  seldom 
leaves  its  ho'le  except  during  storms. 

Another  family  have  the  head  furnished  with  a  rough,  flat  buckler, 
and  broader  than  in  any  other  silurus,  because  the  frontals  and  parietals 
give  out  lateral  plates,  which  cover  the  orbit  and  the  temple.  They 
come  from  the  Nile,  the  Senegal,  and  from  some  rivers  of  Asia.  Their 
flesh  is  not  good. 

The  singular  urchin  fish  inhabits  the  Mediterranean  and  sometimes 
ascends  the  Nile.  In  deep  water  they  swim  like  other  fishes,  but  when 
irritated  they  come  to  the  surface  and  take  in  some  air,  which  blows  them 


FAHAK    OR    URCHIN    FISH. 

up,  so  that  their  wrinkly,  lax  abdomen,  which  is  capable  of  considerable 
extension,  becomes  smooth  and  then  looks  like  a  ball  from  which 
numerous  small  spines  protrude.  Whilst  in  this  state,  they  are  unable 
to  swim,  and  would  fall  a  prey  to  other  fishes,  if  they  were  not  protected 
by  their  spines.  As  soon  as  the  danger  is  over,  the  fish  allows  the  air 
to  escape  and  is  then  enabled  to  again  use  its  fins.  The  Fahak  is  ten- 
acious of  life  and  is  able  to  be  out  of  water  for  a  long  period  of 
time.  Its  flesh  is  eaten  by  the  poorest  Tellahs,  but  its  roe  is  considered 
poisonous. 

The  pike  has  various  names  in  our  language,  as  pickerel,  luce  or  lucie, 
and,  in  Scotland,  gedd.     Pike  of  small  size  are  often  called  jack.     The 


736 


EARTH.  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


habit  of  the  pike  is  to  remain  under  the  shelter  of  water-plants,  until  his 
attention  is  attracted  by  some  passing  victim,  when,  like  the  tiger  spring- 
ing from  the  jungle,  he  rushes  forth,  seldom,  indeed,  missing  his  aim. 
The  jaws  and  palate  of  the  pike  are  most  formidably  armed  with  sharp 
teeth,  of  various  sizes. 

Of  the  daring  and  ferocity  of  this  fish  many  authenticated  instances 
are  on  record.     Walton  says :  "  Gesner  relates,  that  a  man  going  to  a 


ANGLER   AND   ARROW   PIKE. 

pond  (where  it  seems  a  pike  had  devoured  all  the  fish)  to  water  his  mule, 
had  a  pike  bite  his  mule  by  the  lips,  to  which  the  pike  hung  so  fast  that 
the  mule  drew  him  out  of  the  water,  and  by  that  accident  the  mule 
angled  out  the  pike."  And  the  same  Gesner  observes,  "that  a  maid  in 
Poland  had  a  pike  bite  her  by  the  foot,  as  she  was  washing  clothes  in  a 
pond.  But  I  have  been  assured  by  a  friend  who  keeps  tame  otters, 
that  he  hath  known  a  pike,  in  extreme  hunger,  fight  with  one  of  his 


WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS. 

otters  for  a  carp  that  the  otter  had  caught,  and  was  then  bringing  out  of 
the  water."  At  Trentham,  Staffordshire,  a  pike  seized  the  head  of  a 
swan,  as  she  was  feeding  under  water,  and  gorged  so  much  of  it  that  both 
fish  and  swan  perished ;  the  keepers  perceiving  the  swan  fixed  with  its 
head  under  water  for  an  unusual  time,  took  a  boat  to  go  to  the  bird's 
assistance,  but  it  was  too  late.  Yarrell  says,  "  The  head  keeper  of  Rich- 
mond Park  was  once  washing  his  hand  over  the  side  of  a  boat,  in  the 
great  pond  in  that  park,  when  a  pike  made  a  dart  at  it,  and  he  had  but 
just  time  to  withdraw  it." 

A  gentleman  in  Weybridge,  walking  one  day  by  the  side  of  the  river 
Wey,  near  that  town,  saw  a  large  pike  in  a  shallow  creek.  He  imme- 
diately pulled  off  his  coat,  tucked  up  his  shirt  sleeves,  and  went  into  the 
water  to  interrupt  the  return  of  the  fish  into  the  fiver,  and  to  endeavor 
to  throw  it  out  on  the  bank  by  getting  his  hands  under  it.  During  the 
attempt,  the  pike,  finding  he  could  not  make  his  escape,  seized  one  of 
the  arms  of  the  gentleman,  and  lacerated  it  so  much  that  the  marks  of 
the  wound  were  visible  for  a  long  time.  The  following  anecdote  is  taken 
from  one  of  the  public  papers,  August  25,  1^46: — "On  Thursday,  Mr. 
Collet,  in  company  with  a  friend  from  London,  was  fishing  at  Shepper- 
ton,  for  barbel,  when  the  bait  was  taken  by  a  roach,  wh'ich,  in  its  turn, 
was  instantly  seized  by  a  pike.  The  line  was  drawn  in,  the  pike  con- 
tinuing its  hold  upon  the  small  fish  till  near  the  water's  edge,  when  it 
suddenly  leaped  from  its  victim,  and  threw  itself  on  the  bank,  when  both 
pike  and  roach  were  captured.  The  pike  weighed  nine  pounds ;  and,  on 
opening  it,  in  its  stomach  were  found  three  small  fish,  a  water-rat,  and  a 
young  moor-hen." 

Great  Size  and  Astonishing-  Age. 

The  voracity  of  the  pike  is  connected  with  its  rapidity  of  growth,  which 
necessitates  an  abundant  supply  of  nutriment,  and  involves  at  the  same 
time  extreme  celerity  of  digestion.  A  young  pike  is  recorded  to  reach 
the  length  of  about  eight  inches  during  the  first  year,  to  that  of  twelve  or 
fourteen  during  the  second  year,  and  of  eighteen  or  twenty  inches  during 
the  third ;  after  this,  its  increase  for  several  successive  years,  where  stores 
of  food  are  abundant,  is  at  the  rate  of  three  or  four  pounds  a  year.  Eight 
pike,  of  about  five  pounds  each,  have  been  ascertained  to  devour  eight 
hundred  gudgeons  in  three  weeks.  Some  idea  from  this  may  be  formed 
of  the  havoc  this  fish  must  make  in  the  lakes  or  rivers  in  which  it  is 
plentiful,  and  of  the  necessity  of  encouraging  the  breeds  of  inferior  fishes, 
.as  the  bream  and  others,  for  its  due  maintenance. 

The  pike  not  only  lives  to  an  extreme  age,  but  attains  to  extraordinary 
47 


738 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


dimensions.  Pennant  speaks  of  one  ninety  years  of  age  ;  and  Gesner  no- 
tices a  pike  taken  at  Hailbrun,  in  Suabia,  in  1497,  with  a  brazen  ring-  at- 
tached to  it,  on  which  was  inscribed  in  Greek  characters,  "  I  am  the  fish 
which  was  first  of  all  put  into  the  lake  by  the  hands  of  the  governor  of 
the  universe,  Frederick  the  Second,  the  5th  of  October,  1230."  This 
fish  must,  therefore,  have  been  at  least  two  hundred  and  sixty  seven  years 
old.  It  is  said  to  have  weighed  three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 

In  the  lakes  of  North  America  a  species  of  pike,  called  the  muskallonge,, 
grows  to  an  enormous  size.  It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  larger  pike 
are,  the  better  is  their  flesh  for  the  table.  Walton  rightly  says,  •'*  Old  or 

very  great  pikes  have  in 
them  more  of  state  than 
goodness,  the  smaller  or 
middling-sized  pikes  being, 
by  the  most  and  choicest 
palates,  observed  to  be  the 
best  meat."  In  warm  and 
sunny  weather,  the  pike 
mostly  swims  near  the  sur- 
face, and  may  be  often  seen 
luxuriating  in  the  sun- 
beams, lulled  into  a  sort  of 
slumber.  It  is  not  difficult 
at  such  times  to  draw  a 
wire  noose,  fastened  to  the 
end  of  a  rod  or  long  staff,, 
over  its  head  and  body, 
and  land  it  by  a  sudden 
CASES  OF  SHARK'S  EGGS.  jerk. 

The  angler  or  goose-fish  grows  to  a  length  of  four  to  five  feet  and 
weighs  from  1 5  to  70  pounds.  Its  appetite  is  most  voracious  and  it  feeds 
upon  all  kinds  of  fish.  On  its  head  are  two  elongated  bony  appendages, 
curiously  articulated  to  the  skull  by  a  joint  and  capable  of  movement  in 
any  direction.  The  fish  crouches  close  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea  and  by 
the  movement  of  its  pectoral  fins  stirs  up  the  sand  and  mud,  and  agitates 
the  bony  appendages  amid  the  turbid  cloud  produced.  The  small  fishes 
observing  the  muddy  water  and  taking  the  filaments  for  worms  approach 
to  seize  them  and  are  instantly  engulfed  in  the  capacious  jaw  of  the  angler. 
The  voracity  of  the  angler  is  so  great,  that  when  caught  in  a  net  with  other 
fish,  it  generally  devours  some  of  its  fellow  prisoners. 


WANDERERS  IN  THE  WORLD  OF  WATERS.  739 

One  of  the  mightiest  wanderers  in  the  vasty  deep  is  the  shark,  referred 
to  in  a  preceding  chapter.  He  has  six  rows  of  teeth,  which  lie  down  when 
they  are  not  used ;  but  the  moment  a  fish  approaches,  up  they  all  start, 
ready  for  action.  They  are  very  great  teeth,  nearly  two  inches  broad,  and 
of  a  three-cornered  shape.  The  edges  are  like  a  saw,  and  as  sharp  as  the 
sharpest  knife. 

No  creature,  not  even  man,  has  much  chance  against  these  terrible 
teeth.  If  a  man  falls  overboard  from  a  ship,  where  these  monsters  abound, 
he  is  almost  sure  to  be  swallowed  by  a  shark.  For  a  shark  can  swallow  a 
man  with  ease ;  and  he  is  always  following  in  the  wake  of  the  ship,  to  see 
what  he  can  get. 

The  female  shark  lays  two  eggs,  instead  of  a  great  shoal  of  eggs,  as  most 
fishes  do.  The  egg  has  a  kind  of  horny  covering,  and  there  are  tendrils, 
or,  as  they  are  called,  processes,  shooting  out  from  the  covering.  These 
tendrils  get  entangled  among  the  sea-weeds,  and  so  hold  the  egg  in  one 
place,  instead  of  letting  it  drift  into  danger.  The  little  fish  is  doubled  up 
in  the  egg ;  but  by-and-by  it  makes  its  way  out,  and  begins  a  life  of  cruelty 
and  plunder,  as  its  parents  did  before  it. 

We  need  not  wonder  that  the  shark  is  so  dreaded  by  the  sailors.  In 
the  midst  of  the  tempest,  when  the  winds  are  howling,  and  the  night  is 
without  moon  or  stars,  a  shining  light  will  here  and  there  be  seen  heaving 
on  the  billows.  The  sailors  know  full  well  what  it  is,  and  point  it  out  to 
each  other. 

The  light  comes  from  the  scaly  body  of  the  shark,  which  is  close  at 
hand.  If  a  seaman  is  washed  overboard,  or  if  the  vessel  should  be  wrecked, 
the  shark  has  a  banquet. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
LIFE  AT  THE   BOTTOM   OF  THE   SEA. 

Creatures  that  Manufacture  Limestone— Definition  by  Professor  Dana— Marvelous 
Builders  in  the  Ocean — New  Polyp  Growing  out  of  the  Side  of  the  Old  One — 
Coral  Insects  in  All  Seas — Luxuriance  of  Coral  Life  in  the  Pacific — Varieties  of 
Coral — How  the  Little  Architects  get  their  Materials — Rearing  Islands  from  the 
Bottom  of  the  Deep — The  Bermudas  once  a  Coral  Island — The  Sea-Cucumber — 
Strange  Oriental  Food — Harpooning  Sea-Cucumbers  at  the  Depth  of  a  Hundred 
Feet — Hundred-Armed  Sea-Star — Amazing  Power  of  Reproducing  Lost  Limbs — 
Stomachs  that  go  by  the  Name  of  Fish — "  Five  Fingered  Jack  " — Scavengers  of 
the  Ocean — Death  on  Oysters — How  the  Star-Fish  gets  into  an  Oyster's  Shell — 
Droll  Polyps — Animal-Plants—Actinia — Enormous  Mouth — Sea-Anemones — 
Voracity  Unparalleled — Life  Multiplied  by  Tearing  the  Body  in  Two — Astonish- 
ing Tenacity  of  Animal  Life. 

HE  coral  polypi  are  remarkable  for  secreting  a  limestone  sup- 
port or  coral  stock.  Coral  is  the  stony  frame  which  belongs 
to  polypi  and  may  be  called  their  skeleton.  Professor  Dana 
calls  it  the  corallum  and  the  coral  of  a  single  polyp  in  the  mass 
is  called  the  corallet.  It  is  formed  within  the  coral  animals  by  secretion, 
each  individual  adding  to  the  common  structure  by  the  involuntary 
secretion  of  calcareous  matter. 

The  corals  are  the  results  of  a  growth  analogous  to  that  of  the  bones 
in  other  animals.  Coral  is  a  carbonate  of  lime,  like  common  limestone, 
and  it  is  taken  by  the  polyp  from  the  sea  water  or  from  its  own  food. 
Coral  polyps  produce  eggs  and  young,  like  other  animals,  and  also 
multiply  through  a  process  of  budding,  which  is  like  the  growth  by 
buds  in  the  vegetable  kingdom.  A  new  polyp  commences  as  a  mere 
prominence  on  the  side  of  an  old  one ;  soon  the  mouth  and  tentacles 
appear,  then  both  continue  growing,  each  adding  to  the  calcareous 
accumulation  within  and  each  sending  forth  new  buds  to  be  developed 
into  new  polyps.  In  many  species  of  the  coral  family  each  branch 
terminates  in  what  is  called  the  parent  polyps, these  terminal  polyps  con- 
tinuing to  grow  on  and  at  the  same  time  making  new  polyps  for  the 
sides  of  the  branch  by  budding. 

In  the  brain  coral,  instead  of  each  polyp  having  a  separate  cell  with  its 
mouth  over  the  centre  of  it,  there  are  a  large  number  of  polyps  coalesced 
along  a  single  furrow  and  a.  row  of  tentacles  along  either  side.     Among 
(740) 


CORAL    ARBOR   AND    MYSTERIOUS    CUTTLE   FISH. 


(741) 


742  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  tribes  of  corals  some  species  or  other  are  found  in  all  oceans  from  the 
equator  to  the  polar  regions  and  to  the  lowest  depths  explored  by  man. 
Those  tribes,  which  produce  the  great  coral  reefs,  the  astrseas,  madre- 
pores and  meandrinas  are  developed  with  peculiar  luxuriance  in  the 
warmest  parts  of  the  Pacific,  where  the  temperature  varies  from  seventy- 
five  to  eighty-five  degrees.  The  higher  the  temperature  the  greater  is 
the  profusion  and  variety  of  the  coral  reefs.  The  different  varieties  of 
coral  consist  almost  solely  of  carbonate  of  lime.  There  is  a  small  portion 
of  animal  matter  and  also  of  phosphate  of  lime. 

Skill  of  the  Builders  in  Selecting:  Materials. 

The  soluble  salts  of  sodium,  which  form  the  greater  part  of  solid 
matters  contained  in  sea  water,  are  rejected  by  polyps  and  only  those 
materials  are  made  use  of  which  are  best  fitted  for  producing  the  most 
substantial  structures.  By  their  removal  the  waters  of  the  ocean  are 
kept  of  uniform  composition.  The  soluble  impurities  poured  into  them 
by  the  rivers,  but  for  some  such  provision,  would  accumulate,  as  the  fresh 
water  alone  is  carried  off  by  evaporation. 

The  coral  animals  and  marine  shells  are  the  agents  destined  to  keep 
pure  the  waters  of  the  great  deep,  to  take  up  and  store  away  the  excess 
of  the  lime  salts  and  preserve  the  balance  in  this  department  of  nature,  as 
the  vegetable  growth  performs  a  similar  office  in  keeping  down  the  excess 
of  carbonic  acid  in  the  atmosphere. 

The  ocean  currents  spread  their  waters  among  the  coral  groves  as  the 
winds  convey  the  air  through  the  forests.  The  coral  which  is  used  in 
jewelry  is  called  precious  coral.  It  is  mostly  obtained  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean, the  Barbary  coast  furnishing  the  dark-red,  Sardinia  the  yellow  or 
salmon  colored,  and  the  coast  of  Italy  the  rose-pink ;  in  Europe  and 
America  the  latter  is  most  valued,  while  in  the  Orient  the  dark-red  is  pre- 
ferred. The  coral  fishermen  with  large  rude  nets  break  off  the  coral  from 

the  submerged  rocks. 

Magnificent  Coral  Beefs. 

Coral  reefs  are  abundant  in  the  West  Indies,  but  still  more  so  in  the 
Central  Pacific,  where  there  are  a  much  greater  number  of  species  of  corals. 
Along  the  Brazilian  coast  as  far  south  as  Cape  Trio  coral  reefs  are  found. 
Dana  divides  coral  reefs  into  outer  or  barrier  reefs  and  inner  reefs.  The 
barrier  reefs  are  formed  from  the  growth  of  coral?  exposed  to  the  open 
seas  while  the  inner  or  fringing  reefs  are  formed  in  quiet  water  between  a 
barrier  reef  and  the  island.  As  coral  reefs  are  usually  built  upon  islands 
which  are  slowly  sinking,  barrier  reefs  are  simply  ancient  fringing  reefs 
formed  when  the  island  stood  higher  above  the  sea ;  they  are  built  up  as 


LIFE  AT  THE  BOTTOM  OF  THE  SEA.  743 

rapidly  as  the  land  sinks  and  thus  the  top  of  the  reef  keeps  at  the  level  of 
the  sea. 

Darwin  has  estimated  that  some  reefs  are  at  least  2000  feet  in  thick- 
ness. The  Bermudas  are  the  remnants  of  a  coral  island  (Atoll)  and  are 
situated  farther  north  than  any  other  reefs. 

Sea-Cucumber  or  Trepaiig'. 

Sea-cucumbers  have  a  slightly  cylindrical  body,  sometimes  vermiform, 
provided  with  numerous  tentacular  suckers.  At  each  extremity  occurs 
an  orifice.  The  mouth  occupies  the  anterior  extremity ;  it  is  surrounded 
with  very  complex  branching  tentacles,  which  the  animal  can  completely 
draw  in,  and  which  are  set  upon  a  circle  of  bony  pieces. 

The  circulatory  apparatus  of  the  holothurias,  or  sea-cucumbers,  is 
exceedingly  complicated,  their  digestive  tube  is  very  long,  their  secre- 
tory organs  are  numerous,  and  their  muscles  powerful.  When  disturbed, 
they  sometimes  contract  themselves  so  violently  as  to  burst  asunder,  and 
vomit  forth  their  intestines.  There  are  holothurias  in  every  sea,  and 
several  species  which  live  on  weedy  and  surf-beaten  rocks.  One  of  the 
largest  species  lodges  and  nourishes  a  curious  parasitical  fish.  In  some 
•countries  the  coriaceous  substance  of  these  animals  is  used  for  food. 
The  poor  inhabitants  of  the  Neapolitan  coast  consume  it  largely ;  and 
the  Asiatic  people  seek  with  avidity  a  species  of  holothuria  to  which 
they  ascribe  peculiar  virtues. 

Long  famous  under  the  name  of  "  trepang,"  bestowed  upon  it  by  the 
Malays,  this  holothuria  is  the  staple  of  an  extensive  commerce  between 
all  the  Indian  islands  of  Malaysia  and  China,  Cambodia  and  Cochin- 
China.  Thousands  of  Malay  junks  are  equipped  yearly  for  the  fishing 
of  the  zoophyte,  and  English  and  American  ships  are  engaged  in  its  sale. 

The  trepangs  of  the  inhabitants  of  Sumatra  form  one  of  the  most  con- 
siderable branches  of  the  coasting  trade  between  Borneo,  Sumatra,  the 
Moluccas,  the  Papuan  lands  of  Malaysia  and  China. 

A  Harpoon  a  Hundred  Feet  Long-. 

For  the  rest,  their  substance,  according  to  travellers,  has  no  special 
flavor,  at  least  if  the  taste  be  not  masked  by  the  enormous  dose  of  spices 
or  aromatic  substances  with  which  the  Malayans  overload  their  food. 
The  fishing  for  holothurias  requires  great  patience  and  dexterity.  The 
Malays,  bending  over  the  prow  of  their  boats,  hold  in  their  hands  several 
long  bamboos  arranged  like  the  joints  of  a  fishing-rod,  the  last  joint  ter- 
minating with  a  sharp  hook.  At  the  favorable  season,  that  is,  in  the 
calms,  the  eyes  of  these  skillful  fishers  pierce  the  depth  of  the  waters, 
and  easily  discover,  at  a  distance  frequently  not  less,  as  we  are  assured, 


. 


m 


;I 


(744)  SEA-CUCUMBER   AT  BOTTOM   OF   THE   OCEAN. 


LIFE  AT  THE  BOTTOM  OF  THE  SEA.  745 

than  1 20  feet,  the  holothuria  clinging  to  the  coral  or  rocks.  Then  the 
harpoon,  descending  softly,  strikes  its  victim;  and  the  Malay  rarely 
misses  his  aim. 

Sea-cucumbers  are  generally  small  on  the  coast  of  New  England,  but 
attain  a  larger  size  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy  and  on  the  Banks  of  Newfound- 
land. On  the  mud  flats  of  the  Florida  reefs  they  are  sometimes  seen 
more  than  a  foot  long  and  three  or  four  inches  in  circumference.  Where 
collected  for  food,  the  taking  and  preparation  of  the  trepang  employ  a  great 
many  Chinese,  Malays  and  Polynesians. 

The  best  are  found  on  reefs  of  mixed  coral  and  sand  in  the  Feejee- 
groups  in  one  or  two  fathoms  of  water,  and  are  obtained  by  diving. 
They  are  boiled  in  their  own  liquid,  then  dried  on  stages  in  heated 
houses,  and  meet  with  a  ready  sale  at  high  prices  in  the  Chinese  markets, 
as  an  ingredient  for  rich  soups. 

Asterias  or  Sea- Stars. 

The  species  of  star-fishes  common  on  our  coasts  has  the  form  conven- 
tionally given  to  the  celestial  stars  upon  banners  and  in  heraldic  designs. 
The  rays,  which  are  commonly  but  erroneously  taken  for  claws,  and 
which  really  form  a  part  of  the  animal's  body,  are  generally  five  in  num- 
ber, united  very  symmetrically  round  a  central  disk.  In  some  species  the 
rays  are  greatly  multiplied,  and  amount  to  as  many  as  thirty  and  upwards.. 
They  then  become  looser,  more  elongated,  and  more  flexible,  giving  the 
animal  the  appearance  of  a  hairy  root. 

The  upper  part  of  the  body  is  covered  with  a  hard,  thick  skin,  wrinkled,. 
and  of  a  reddish  color.  The  lower  part  is  whitish,  and  when  the  animal 
is  alive,  you  may  see  there,  moving  to  and  fro  like  worms,  its  innumerable 
tenacles.  Its  mouth  is  in  the  centre.  Ehrenberg  is  inclined  to  believe  it: 
also  possesses  an  organ  of  vision. 

The  sea-stars,  often  very  small,  and  more  rarely  of  medium  size,  are 
all,  as  their  name  indicates,  inhabitants  of  the  ocean-waters,  and  are 
found  at  various  depths;  but  many  among  them  belong  to  the  shore,, 
and  the  tide  at  its  ebb  frequently  leaves  them  high  and  dry  upon  the  land. 
A  great  number  of  species  are  knpwn  as  distributed  in  every  sea,  and 
more  generally  in  the  tropical  waters.  The  asterias  proper,  when 
arrived  at  an  adult  age,  move  with  tolerable  rapidity,  either  swimming 
or  crawling. 

These  radiata  feed  on  dead  or  living  animal  substances ;  they  are 
very  voracious ;  their  prey  has  sometimes  been  found  whole  and  undi- 
gested in  the  stomach.  They  frequently  banquet  upon  mollusks.  lit 
the  spring,  and  at  the  beginning  of  summer,  their  ovaries  swell  consid- 


746  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

erably ;  they  deposit  their  spawn  in  suitable  localities,  and  especially 
upon  sandy  shores  exposed  to  the  solar  rays  ;  it  is  this  spawn,  we  are 
told,  which  renders  mussels  dangerous  as  food  at  a  certain  season  of  the 
year.  On  shores  where  they  are  very  abundant,  the  country  people 
collect  them  to  manure  the  ground ;  it  is  the  only  advantage  which 
man  can  derive  from  them. 

Lost  Limbs  Growing  Out  Again. 

The  most  remarkable  feature  in  the  organization  of  the  asterias  is 
their  power  of  reproduction.  One,  two,  three  of  their  rays  may  be 
crushed  without  endangering  not  only  their  existence,  but  even  the  in- 
tegrity of  the  individual.  Provided  that  but  one  remains  attached  to  the 
central  disk,  these  losses  are  easily  repaired.  It  seems  that  in  certain 
cases  the  shedding  and  renewal  of  the  rays  are  spontaneous.  This 
marvelous  faculty  would  seem  to  indicate,  among  the  asteriae,  a  very 
intense  vitality.  One  cause  of  death,  however,  they  cannot  withstand 
for  many  hours;  namely,  banishment  from  the  sea.  Left  by  the  ebb 
upon  the  shore,  they  cannot  live.  Even  in  the  captivity  of  the  aquaria 
they  sicken  and  die,  either  for  want  of  prey,  or  because  they  miss  the 
movement  of  the  incessantly  renewed  waters. 

A  common  species,  found  on  the  coasts  of  New  England,  and  gen- 
erally called  "  five  fingered  Jack,"  are  but  walking  stomachs  ;  their  office 
in  the  economy  of  nature  being  to  devour  all  kinds  of  garbage,  which 
would  otherwise  accumulate  on  the  shores.  They  eat  also  living  crusta- 
ceans, mollusks,  and  even  small  fish,  and  are  believed  to  be  very  destruct- 
ive to  oysters.  They  are  not  used  as  food. 

The  common  star-fish  of  the  North  American  coast  is  considered  to  be 
the  same  as  the  European  species.  The  colors  vary  from  reddish  to  yel- 
lowish, and  the  diameter  from  an  inch  to  more  than  a  foot.  The  snake, 
or  sand  star  is  another  species.  In  most  seas  a  very  singular  species,  the 
arborescent  star-fish  is  found. 

A  Wonder  of  Bodily  Construction. 

It  is  a  pleasant  sight  when  one  of  these  animals  is  placed  in  a  glass 
vessel  containing  sea-water,  and  its  various  movements  are  attentively 
watched.  Then  it  will  be  seen  that  it  has,  in  fact,  several  hundreds  of  the 
sucker-like  legs,  each  one  a  perfect  tube,  which,  when  the  animal  wishes, 
becomes  filled  and  extended,  while  the  fluid  is  as  readily  withdrawn  into 
the  vesicles  of  the  body.  We  have  heard  of  Argus  with  his  hundred  eyes, 
and  of  Briareus  with  his  hundred  hands,  but  we  are  not  told  that  each  eye 
could  find  a  separate  object  to  contemplate,  or  that  each  hand  could  be 
employed  in  some  distinct  manipulation.  It  seems,  however,  as  if  each 


BEAUTIFUL   SPECIMENS   OF   STARFISH. 


(747) 


748  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

leg  of  this  animal  had  an  independent  action,  being  capable  of  darting  out 
in  various  directions,  as  if,  like  -a  living  lever,  it  were  seeking  the  best 
fulcrum,  to  render  its  highest  service  to  the  movement  now  taking  place. 

In  the  possession  of  a  sea-star  it  is  very  easy  to  witness  its  voracity;  for 
only  let  a  morsel  of  fish  or  of  a  mollusk  be  placed  within  reach,  and  thither 
it  will  go  clasping  the  prey  as  soon  as  it  is  gained  with  its  rays,  and  absorb- 
ing it  into  the  stomach,  to  which  there  is  an  opening  on  the  other  side. 
In  the  eagerness  it  thus  manifests  it  fulfills  its  appointed  destiny.  It  is 
one  of  the  scavengers  of  nature,  ordinarily  working  silently  in  the  deep 
waters,  devouring,  from  tide  to  tide,  the  ever-accumulating  matter,  which, 
left  undisturbed,  would  destroy  every  species  of  life.  So  strong  is  the  pre- 
dilection of  these  creatures  for  garbage,  that  the  angler  has  frequently 
wished  they  would  suspend  their  vocation,  since  scarcely  has  the  baited 
hook  sank  to  the  bottom  of  the  water  than  he  has  felt  "  a  bite,"  only  to 
find  that  he  has  caught  a  sea-star — a  luckless  beginning,  perhaps,  of  a 
series  of  disappointments  the  same  in  kind. 

Oysters  Suddenly  Paralyzed. 

Might  we  suggest  a  banquet  for  a  party  of  sea-stars,  it  should  be  the* 
contents  of  an  oyster  barrel,  without  any  specification  of  the  spot  where  it 
was  filled.  "But  how,"  it  may  be  asked,  "  can  their  shells  be  opened  ?  In 
what  way  can  the  resistance  of  the  abductor  muscles  be  overcome  ? 
Where  is  the  oyster-knife  of  the  sea-star  for  the  banquet  you  propose?" 

And  assuredly  it  is  not,  as  Appian  imagined,  in  one  of  its  rays.  The 
supposition  of  the  ancients  that  the  sea-star,  like  a  besieging  force,  took  up 
a  position  that  would  secure  the  best  point  of  attack,  and,  seizing  the 
moment  in  which  the  oyster  unwarily  opened,  however  slightly,  the  valves 
of  his  shell,  thrust  in  a  ray,  gradually  insinuated  its  whole  body,  and  so 
devoured  the  assailed — a  notion  which  was  also  entertained  by  Bishop 
Spratt — has  proved  to  be  utterly  fabulous.  For,  having  reached  an  oyster 
by  its  locomotive  power,  and  placed  itself  on  its  prey,  it  pours  out  a  para- 
lyzing fluid,  and  instils  it  between  the  shells;  as  soon  as  they  are  open,  the 
stomach  is  thrust  in,  and  the  captive  is  devoured,  however  long  his  house 
may  have  been  his  castle. 

A  sea-star  was  found  clinging  round  a  shell-fish  which  was  pierced 
with  a  hole,  through  which  the  creature  had  inserted  a  sucker,  and  this 
aperture  was  attributed  to  the  invader.  But  we  have  no  proof  that  this 
animal  possesses  any  boring  power.  The  probability  is,  therefore,  as 
Professor  Forbes  suggests,  that  the  hole  was  pierced  by  a  marine  worm 
and  that  the  sea-star,  in  this  instance,  was  merely  "  sounding  with  its 
sucker  the  prospect  of  a  meal." 


MARVELOUS   PLANTS   AT   THE   BOTTOM    OF  THE   OCEAN. 


(749) 


750 


EARTH,  SEA  AND  SKY. 


Polyp  was  a  name  formerly  applied  to  the  three  classes  of  radiata,  the 
coral  animals,  jelly-fishes  and  echinoderms  ;  it  is  now  generally  restricted 
to  the  first  class,  called  zoophytes.  Polyps  are  radiated  animals  usually 
attached  at  the  base  with  a  coronet  of  tentacles  above  and  a  toothless 
mouth  at  the  centre  and  an  inner  alimentary  cavity,  to  which  the  mouth 

is  the  only  opening.  They  reproduce 
by  buds  or  eggs  and  possess  no  special 
organs  of  sense.  The  Monoxeina 
Darwinii,  which  our  illustration  repre- 
sents, was  discovered  and  described 
by  Prof.  Haeckel,  of  the  University  of 
Jena.  The  actinia  or  sea  anemone  is 
the  type  of  this  class,  the  different  kinds 
of  actinia  and  coral  polyps  having  the 
same  general  shape  and  structure. 
They  are  of  a  somewhat  oblong  form 
and  when  closed  resemble  a  truncated 
cone.  They  are  fixed  by  the  base  and 
from  the  upper  part  of  their  body  oc- 
casionally extend  several  tentacles, 
which  are  arranged  in  regular  cir- 
cles. The  mouth  is  situated  at  the 
top  in  the  centre  of  the  tentacles.  They 
are  capable  of  varying  their  figure,  but 
when  their  tentacles  are  fully  expanded, 
they  have  the  appearance  of  full-blown 
flowers.  Many  of  them  are  of  very 
beautiful  and  brilliant  color.  They 
feed  on  shellfish  and  other  marine  ani- 
mals, which  they  draw  into  their  mouth 
by  means  of  their  arms  and  they  eject 
the  shells  and  other  indigestible  parts 
through  the  same  opening. 

The    mouth    of   these    animals    is 
CURIOUS  POLYP.  capable  of  great  extension  so  as  to 

allow  them  without  injury  to  swallow  very  large  shells.  The  whole  interior 
of  their  body  is  one  cavity  or  stomach.  They  have  the  power  of  progres- 
sive motion,  but  this  is  extremely  slow  and  is  said  to  be  performed  by 
loosing  their  base  from  the  rock,  reversing  their  body  and  using  their  ten- 
tacles as  legs. 


LIFE  AT  THE  BOTTOM  OF  THE  SEA.  751 

The  common  sea  anemone  (actinia)  is  to  be  found  between  tide  marks: 
on  rocks  under  sea  weeds  or  in  tidal  pools,  but  grows  most  luxuriant  on 
the  piles  of  bridges.  The  actinia  is  the  type  of  the  single  polyps  as  dis- 
tinguished from  the  compound  coral  polyps. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  sea-anemones,  of  which  there  is  a 
great  diversity,  are  like  Achilles,  invulnerable  except  in  one  spot.  They 
will  bear  an  extraordinary  amount  of  cutting  and  tearing,  if  only  the 
base  is  kept  unlacerated.  Exquisite  little  creatures,  torn  in  two  by  the 
splitting  of  the  stones  on  which  they  rested,  have  displayed  each  half 
acting  as  vigorously  as  if  nothing  had  interfered  with  its  integrity.  la 
the  course  of  some  weeks  not  a  trace  was  left  that  they  had  ever  been 
wounded.  The  Abb6  Dicquemare  relates  that  he  cut  an  anemone  in 
two  transversely,  when  the  upper  portion  instantly  expanded  its  tentacles 
and  began  feeding ;  in  about  two  months  tentacles  began  to  grow  from 
the  cut  extremity  of  the  other  portion,  and  thus  he  obtained  two  perfect 
anemones  in  the  place  of  one.  How  marvelous  is  the  tenacity  oF 
animal  life ! 


CHAPTER  IX. 
EXTRAORDINARY  TURTLES  AND  CRUSTACEANS. 

The  Great  Marine  Turtle— A  Creature  Born  with  Oars  and  Paddles — Swift  Swim- 
mer— Dozing  on  the  Water — Turtles'  Nests  in  the  Sand — Curious  Youngsters — 
Rushing  by  Instinct  for  the  Sea — Turtle  Hunting — Delicious  Food— Haunts  of 
the  Green  Turtle — Natives  Lying  in  Wait — Human  Cruelty — Coriaceous  Tur- 
tle— The  Bony  Lobster — Monstrous  Pincers — Powerful  Weapons — A  Propeller 
Tail — Shedding  the  Old  Crust — Escape  from  the  Prison — New  Growth  of  Shells — 
The  Numerous  Crab  Family — Singular  Creatures — The  Pea  -Crab— Hermit 
Crab— Looking  Around  for  a  New  House— Moving  into  the  New  Dwelling — 
Tussle  between  a  Shrimp  and  Crab— Where  Crabs  Abound — Crab  Sentinel 
Standing  Guard — Casting  off  Broken  Limbs — Horrid  Crab  of  Madagascar — 
Sharp  Points — Strange  Land  Crabs. 


HE  group  of  marine  turtles  has  the  structure  so  modified  as  to 
be  well  adapted'  to  all  the  animal's  habits.  Its  limbs  are  re- 
solved into  strong  oars  and  paddles,  which  it  uses  with  great 
dexterity,  propelling  itself  with  surprising  power  and  swiftness 
— the  green  and  hawk's-bill  turtles  in  particular, — "  and,"  says  Audubon, 
""  remind  you  by  their  celerity,  and  the  ease  of  their  motions,  of  the 
progress  of  a  bird  in  the  air." 

The  food  of  the  green  turtle  consists  of  marine  plants,  especially  the 
sea-wrack ;  and,  like  cattle  in  a  meadow,  it  grazes  at  the  bottom  of  the 
sea,  where  it  can  remain  for  a  considerable  time,  its  nostril  being  furnished 
with  a  valve  which  closes  when  in  the  act  of  diving ;  and  it  is  furthermore 
sustained  by  the  large  extent  of  its  lungs,  as  also  by  the  moderate 
demands  of  a  slow  circulation.  It  has  sometimes  been  seen  in  the  act  of 
floating  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  as  if  indulging  in  a  sleep,  sweetly 
induced  by  the  gentle  undulations  of  the  waves  ;  and  its  captors  have  been 
known  to  take  advantage  of  this  habit,  by  then  making  their  approaches, 
to  surprise  and  take  their  prey  before  it  has  time  to  effect  its  escape. 

The  marine  turtle  inhabits  a  wide  range  of  the  torrid  zone,  and  the 
shores  of  the  Floridas,  many  of  the  West  India  Islands,  and  the  Indian 
Ocean,  the  Isle  of  France,  and  the  Gallapagos,  are  the  places  of  its  most 
noted  resorts. 

We  come  now  to  advert  more  particularly  to  the  most  entertaining,  the 
most  curious  point,  in  the  history  of  the  marine  turtle.     The  young  turtle 
-comes  from  an  egg  which  is  hatched,  not  at  home  in  the  sea,  with  which 
(752) 


<^    ""=l"'     /-^T ,\    J^ 

SWW^SS#£ 

NATIVES    CAPTURING    IMMENSE    GREEN    TURTLES. 


48 


(753) 


754  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  mother  is  allied  both  by  habit  and  structure,  but  on  land,  which  is 
quite  foreign  to  her  nature.  She  comes  out  of  the  ocean,  from  a  very 
long  distance — hundreds  of  miles  even — to  search  on  the  shore  for  a  place 
suitable,  not  to. any  individual  want  of  her  own,  but  to  the  process  of 
incubating  her  eggs ;  and,  somehow  or  other,  she  always  happens  to  find 
those  localities  which  offer  all  the  required  conditions.  A  low,  sandy,  and 
solitary  beach  is  the  kind  of  spot  she  seeks  for  making  her  nest. 

To  perform  this  duty,  she  starts  on  her  voyage  in  the  early  part  of  the 
summer,  traversing  the  sea,  not  individually,  but  collectively,  in  a  multi- 
tude ;  the  females  being  accompanied  by  the  males  as  far  as  the  precincts 
of  the  land.  After  sunset,  the  former  leave  the  water,  drag  themselves 
inland  over  the  beach,  make  their  nests  in  the  sand  beyond  high-water 
mark,  lay  their  eggs  in  large  numbers,  and  there  leave  them  in  charge  of 
the  sun,  whose  fostering  influence  is  said  to  bring  forth  the  brood  in  the 
course  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  days.  The  young  turtles  appear  with 
shell  unformed,  and  white  as  if  they  had  been  blanched.  At  once  all 
seem  to  understand  that  they  are  away  from  home,  and  their  only  effort 
is  to  get  as  quick  as  possible  into  the  sea,  apparently  as  well  acquainted 
with  the  way  to  it  as  if  they  had  traversed  it  a  hundred  times  before. 
They  enter  the  ocean  of  less  size  than  a  dollar,  and  no  more  are  they  seen 
out  of  it  until  a  weight  of  four  or  five  hundred  pounds  has  been  attained ; 
but  how  long  such  a  size  requires,  and  where  all  that  time  is  spent,  are 
questions  that  will  not  be  easily  answered. 

Cute  Device  for  HidiDg-  Eg-g-s. 

According  to  Sir  J.  E.  Tennent,  and  no  doubt  he  is  correct,  the  turtle 
forms  a  curve  in  going  to  and  from  the  sea,  as  if  seemingly  aware  that 
such  a  direction  was  the  one  most  likely  to  deceive  the  depredator.  An 
opportunity  is  afforded  on  the  sea-shore  of  Ceylon  for  observing  a 
remarkable  illustration  of  instinct  in  the  turtle,  when  about  to  deposit  its 
eggs.  As  if  conscious  that  if  she  went  and  returned  by  one  and  the  same 
line  across  the  sandy  beach,  her  hiding-place  would  be  discovered  at  its 
farthest  extremity,  she  resorts  to  the  expedient  of  curving  her  course,  so 
as  to  regain  the  sea  by  the  different  track  ;  and  after  depositing  her  eggs, 
burying  them  about  eighteen  inches  deep,  she  carefully  smoothes  over 
the  surface  to  render  the  precise  spot  indiscernible.  The  Singhalese, 
aware  of  this  device,  sound  the  line  of  her  march  with  a  rod  till  they 
come  upon  the  concealed  nest. 

Though  previously  timid  and  suspicious,  yet  during  the  time  of  lay- 
ing her  eggs  the  turtle  may  be  approached  and  even  mounted;  still,  for 
all  that,  she  remains  unaffrighted  and  immovable. 


EXTRAORDINARY  TURTLES  AND  CRUSTRACEANS. 


755 


Persons  who  search  for  turtles'  eggs  are  provided  with  a  light  stiff 
cane,  or  a  gunrod,  with  which  they  go  along  the  shores  probing  the  sand 
near  the  tracks  of  these  animals,  which,  however,  cannot  always  be  seen, 
on  account  of  the  winds  and  heavy  rains  that  often  obliterate  them.  The 
nests  are  discovered  not  only  by  men,  but  also  by  beasts  of  prey,  and  the 
eggs  are  collected  or  destroyed  on  the  spot  in  great  numbers,  as  on 
certain  parts  of  the  shores  hundreds  of  turtles  are  known  to  deposit  their 
eggs  within  the  space  of  a  mile.  They  form  a  new  hole  each  time  they 

lay,  and  the  sec- 
ond is  generally 
dug  near  the  first, 
as  if  the  animal 
were  quite  uncon- 
scious of  what 
had  befallen  it. 

It  will  readily 
be  understood 
that  the  numerous 
eggs  seen  in  a 
turtle  on  cutting 
it  up  could  not  be 
all  laid  the  same 
season.  The 
whole  number  de- 
posited by  an  in- 
dividual in  one 
summer  may 
amount  to  four 
hundred,  whereas, 
CORIACEOUS  TURTLE.  if  the  animal  is 

caught  on  or  near  her  nest,  the  remaining  eggs,  all  small,  without 
shells,  and  as  it  were  threaded  like  so  many  large  beads,  exceed  three 
thousand.  In  an  instance  where  that  number  was  found,  the  turtle 
weighed  nearly  four  hundred  pounds.  The  young  soon  after  being 
hatched,  scratch  their  way  through  their  sandy  covering,  and  immediately 
betake  themselves  to  the  water. 

The  green  turtle  sometimes  attains  a  length  of  five  to  six  feet 
and  a  weight  of  500  to  600  pounds.  It  received  its  name  from 
the  color  of  the  delicious  fat,  which  enriches  the  soups  and  other 
dishes  of  turtle.  It  is  abundant  in  the  tropical  waters  of  the  torrid 


756 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


zone,  whence  great  numbers  are  exported  alive  to  the  Northern  States 
and  Europe. 

As  the  turtles  find  constant  abundance  of  food,  they  have  no  occasion 
to  quarrel  with  animals  of  their  own  kind.  They  flock  peaceably  to- 
gether, but  they  do  not  seem  to  have  any  kind  of  associations,  like  many 
other  herding  animals.  The  legs  of  green  turtles  bear  so  great  a  resemb- 
lance to  fins,  as  to  afford  them  little  service,  except  in  swimming. 

The  old  females,  notwithstanding  they  only  come  on  shore  in  the  night, 
in  order  to  deposit  their  eggs,  are  often  caught  by  the  natives,  who  are  in 
waiting  about  their  haunts  and  who  either  kill  them  by  blows  with  a  club 
or  turn  them  over 
on  their  backs! 
It  sometimes  re- 
quires the  efforts 
of  several  men,  to 
turn  one  of  them 
over  and  then 
they  must  em- 
ploy handspikes 
or  poles  for  that 
purpose.  The 
back  shell  in  this 
species  is  so  flat 
as  to  render  it 
impossible  for  the  | 
animal  to  recover 
its  proper  posi- 


its  back.  EDIBLE  TURTLE. 

The  coriaceous  turtle,  is  distinguished  from  the  rest,  as  its  name  implies 
by  the  peculiar  nature  of  its  shell,  which  consists  of  a  coriaceous  or  leathery 
substance,  checked  over  its  entire  surface  by  numerous  hexagonal  and  penta- 
gonal markings,  which,  however,  are  so  lightly  traced  as  in  nowise  to  impair 
the  general  smoothness.  Five  strongly  prominent  ridges  traverse  the 
whole  length  of  this  leathery  cuirass,  and  there  is  no  under  or  thoraic  shelL 
The  color  is  a  dusky  brown,  paler  on  the  inferior  parts.  The  tail  is  short, 
and  sharply  pointed  ;  a  strong  leathery  skin  covers  the  large,  long  legs  ; 
the  head  is  large,  and  the  upper  mandible  so  singularly  notched  at  the  tip 
that  it  resembles  two  large  teeth. 


(757) 


758  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

This  species  of  turtle  inhabits  the  Mediterranean,  and  has  been  found  at 
times  on  the  French  and  English  coasts.  It  occasionally  wanders  as  far  as 
the  shores  of  South  America  and  Africa.  Some  individuals  measure  seven 
and  eight  feet  in  length,  and  weigh  a  thousand  pounds. 

The  edible  or  green  turtle  is  one  of  the  largest  of  the  genus,  measuring 
above  six  feet  in  length,  and  weighing  from  five  to  six  hundred  pounds. 
Its  shell  consists  of  thirteen  dorsal  segments  or  divisions,  surrounded  by 
twenty-five  marginal  pieces,  and  its  form  is  somewhat  heart-shaped,  or 
like  the  shield  worn  by  mediaeval  soldiers.  Its  color  is  a  dark  brown. 

The  Bony  Lobster. 

This  is  an  example  of  a  genus  of  crustaceans,  remarkable  for  their 
long  tails  and  tremendous  claws.  It  is  found  in  the  greatest  abundance 
on  our  coasts,  in  clear  water  of  no  very  great  depth,  at  the  time  of  de- 
positing its  eggs,  about  the  middle  of  summer.  The  head  and  thorax  of 
this  creature  are  blended,  as  in  the  scorpion,  into  one  portion,  which  is 
covered  by  a  dorsal'shield  or  carapace  above,  and  below  by  a  narrow 
plastron,  to  the  sides  of  which  the  legs  are  attached.  The  first  pair  of 
limbs  are  remarkably  developed,  possessing  great  power;  and  the  last 
joint  consists  of  large  pincers,  acted  upon  by  voluminous  muscles,  and 
capable  of  inflicting  severe  injury.  The  two  pairs  of  pincers  differ  in 
form  and  use.  The  left  hand  pair  have  their  opposing  edges  firmly 
dentated,  and  are  employed  in  seizing  and  cutting  the  prey.  The  right 
hand  pair  seem  destined  for  holding,  anchor-like,  on  any  fixed  objects,, 
and  thus  mooring  the  animal  amidst  the  dashing  of  the  tempest-tossed 
waters.  Of  the  four  succeeding  limbs  on  each  side,  the  first  two  end  in 
small  pincers  ;  the  rest  are  simply  pointed. 

Along  the  under  surface  of  the  tail  are  what  are  called  false  feet.  Of 
these  there  are  five  pairs.  These  false  feet  assist,  perhaps,  in  swimming ; 
and  in  the  case  of  the  female,  are  of  use  in  enabling  her  to  affix  the  eggs 
or  spawn,  by  means  of  a  glutinous  fluid,  to  the  under  surface  of  the 
abdomen.  In  the  lobster,  and  other  species  of  the  group,  the  tail  is  the 
great  organ  of  locomotion,  and  hence  the  extraordinary  development  of 
the  muscles  composing  its  internal  structure. 

Getting-  a  New  Dress. 

Clad  in  hard,  unyielding  armor,  to  which,  when  once  formed,  no  addi- 
tion, by  way  of  growth,  can  possibly  be  made,  a  lobster  changes  its  cal- 
careous investment  at  certain  intervals,  until  it  is  fully  mature.  Nay  more, 
the  covering  of  the  eyes,  the  cornea,  the  lining  membrane  of  the  stomach,, 
with  the  teeth,  and  also  the  semi-tendinous  expansions  to  which  the  mus- 
cles of  the  claws  are  attached,  are  all  periodically  thrown  off*.  It  is  only 


EXTRAORDINARY  TURTLES  AND  CRUSTACEANS.  759 

when  released  from  their  armor  that  these  animals  increase.  The  soft 
body,  liberated  from  its  close  imprisonment,  suddenly  pushes  forth  its 
growth ;  the  vital  energies  are,  as  it  were,  summoned  to  the  task  of  en- 
larging the  frame,  and  a  new  investment  is  acquired,  to  be  again  cast  off 
at  the  appointed  period. 

One  of  these  changes  is  described  by  Couch.  The  manner  in  which 
the  lobster  escaped  was  not  to  be  mistaken.  Through  the  middle  of  the 
carapace,  or  coat  of  mail,  ran  a  line  as  straight  as  if  it  had  been  cut  by  a 
knife  ;  and  evidently  formed  by  a  natural  process  of  separation,  for  it  even 
proceeded  through  the  centre  of  the  snout  to  the  terminal  pointed  process, 
at  the  root  of  which  it  turned  off  on  the  right  side ;  so  that  the  least  ef- 
fort of  the  animal  was  sufficient  to  afford  it  a  passage. . 

Sometimes  lobsters  throw  off  their  claws  in  consequence  of  fright,  and 
often  they  will  hold  on  to  an  object  till  the  claws  are  torn  off.  To  some 
extent  these  lost  parts  are  reproduced.  They  are  very  active  in  the  water, 
and  can  spring  to  a  considerable  distance ;  they  feed  chiefly  at  night. 
They  are  voracious,  and  eat  any  animal  matter  that  comes  in  their  way. 
Immense  numbers  of  the  European  lobster  are  taken,  but  the  means  of 
increase  are  abundant,  twelve  thousand  four  hundred  and  forty-four  eggs 
having  been  found  under  the  tail  of  a  single  female.  The  common 
American  lobster,  abundant  on  our  coasts  from  New  Jersey  northward,  is 
used  in  very  large  quantities.;  it  is  nearly  twice  the  size  of  the  common 
European  species,  weighing  from  two  to  thirty-five  pounds ;  the  average 
weight,  however,  being  four  pounds. 

The  Great  Shore  Crab. 

This  crustacean  may  frequently  be  met  with.  The  French,  who  are  as 
familiar  with  it  as  we  are,  call  it  very  properly  le  crabe  enrage  ;  for  only 
attempt  to  touch  it,  and  it  will  run  along  the  sand,  greatly  excited.  Seize 
it  before  it  can  succeed  in  burying  itself,  its  claws  become  defiant,  it  will 
try  with  all  its  might  to  seize  and  pinch  the  fingers  in  which  it  is  held ; 
and  if  it  has  no  other  resource,  will  leave  you  grasping  a  claw  or  claws, 
and  make  off  as  if  it  suffered  no  pain.  Any  or  all  of  these  legs  may  be 
thrown  off  on  the  suffering  of  injury,  but  not  with  equal  facility  in  all  the 
species ;  for  in  some,  as  in  the  common  crab,  if  they  be  crushed  or  broken 
without  great  violence,  they  are  sometimes  retained,  and  the  crab  will  in 
no  longtime  bleed  to  death.  To  save  the  crab  the  fishermen  proceed  to 
twist  off  the  limb  at  the  proper  joint,  or  give  it  a  smart  blow,  when  it  is 
rejected ;  and  in  either  case  the  bleeding  is  stopped. 

According  to  Couch,  casting  the  shell  of  the  common  crab  takes 
place  by  a  seperation  of  the  dorsal  from  the  lower  part  of  the  carapace ; 


(760) 


EXTRAORDINARY  TURTLES  AND  CRUSTACEANS.  761 

the  animal  lying  on  its  back  during  the  process.  Prior  to  this  in  the  crab, 
.and  probably  in  the  lobster  and  others,  the  fleshy  contents  of  the  limb- 
cases  shrink  very  considerably ;  otherwise,  the  flesh  could  not  be  extri- 
cated, for  it  does  not  appear  that  their  shells  are  fissured.  The  newly  ex- 
tricated crab — not  unlike  a  lump  of  dough  inclosed  in  membrane — has,  at 
first,  strength  to  crawl  to  some  hole  as  a  place  of  safety ;  there  it  absorbs 
as  much  fluid  as  will  distend  its  organs  and  their  common  covering,  now 
flexible  as  velvet,  to  the  full  extent  of  their  capacity.  Thus  the  deposi- 
tion is  made  of  the  calcareous  crust,  according  to  the  newly-acquired  bulk 
of  the  animal,  which  is  proportionately  the  most  increased  in  the  youngest 

individuals. 

The  Pea  Crab. 

The  pea  crab  is  another  curious  creature,  very  commonly  found  in  the 
common  mussel,  and  especially  in  those  taken  from  rather  deep  water. 
"  On  one  occasion,"  says  Bell,  "  I  dredged  great  numbers  of  these  mol- 
lusca  on  the  coast  of  Dorset,  and  found  by  far  the  greater  number  of 
them  with  one  or  two  of  these  little  soft-bodied  crabs  within  their  shells ; 
for  the  females  are  much  more  common  than  the  males.  The  latter  sex  I 
have  occasionally  taken  apart  from  the  mussel-shells ;  the  former  never. 
They  also  occasionally  inhabit  the  common  cockle,  in  which  I  have  now 
and  then  found  them,  as  well  as  very  rarely  in  the  oyster/'  The  velvet 
crabs,  so  called  from  the  velvety  substance  with  which  the  shells  are  cov- 
ered, and  which  extends  even  to  the  limbs  of  the  animal,  are  among  the 
most  beautiful  in  appearance.  They  are  of  a  reddish  color,  tinged  with 
blue.  One  of  them,  very  commonly  found,  has  colors  remarkably  bright; 
it  is  about  two  inches  and  a-half  long,  and  much  esteemed  for  food. 

The  Hermit  Crab. 

The  hermit  crabs  have  the  whole  hinder  part  of  the  body  covered  with 
a  coriaceous  membrane,  instead  of  a  hard,  calcareous  armor.  Apart,  then, 
from  special  defence,  how  could  they  escape  being  bruised  and  broken 
among  the  rough  stones  of  a  rocky  beach,  when  a  rolling  tide  lashes  the 
shore,  or  becoming  an  easy  prey  to  their  enemies?  But  instinct  supplies 
all  that  is  required.  The  hermit  crab  selects  an  empty  turbinate  shell 
fitted  to  its  size,  when,  introducing  its  tail,  it  retreats  backwards,  and  in 
the  recesses  of  its  appropriated  dwelling  finds  security.  It  is  only  the 
right  of  one  of  its  pincer  claws  that  is  largely  developed,  and  with  this  it 
both  shuts  and  guards  the  entrance  to  its  home,  the  caudal  paddle  of 
other  creatures  being  unnecessary  in  this  instance.  It  is  changed,  in  fact, 
into  a  sort  of  anchor,  by  which  the  hermit  crab  retains  a  firm  attachment 
to  the  bottom  of  his  dwelling.  Here  secure,  he  peers  out  in  quest  of  prey; 


762 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


and,  carrying  his  castle  with  him,  may  be  seen, often  with  others,  enjoying" 
his  repast. 

Unlike  the  univalve  or  bivalve,  which  enlarges  its  dwelling  on  increas- 
ing its  size,  the  hermit  crab,  when  grown  too  large  for  its  dwelling,  seeks 
and  finds  a  more  spacious  tenement.  In  no  race  of  beings  is  such  a 
practice  known  as  this.  Peculiar,  however,  as  is  their  sagacity,  one 
species  is  specially  remarkable  for  forming  so  intimate  an  attachment  to 
the  cloak  anemone,  that  the  latter  being  fastened  to  the  hermit  crab's 

shell,their  mouths 
are  so  combined 
that  they  always 
feed  together,  ac- 
cording  most 
where  many  other 
creatures  would 
least  agree.  On  a 
change  of  dwell- 
ing, the  hermit 
crab  has  been  seen 
anxiouslytransfer- 
ring  his  friend  to 
his  new  abode, 
and  even  pressing 
him  down  with  a 
claw  to  complete 
his  adherence; 
and  another  has 
been  beheld  fail- 
ing to  do  so,  after 
many  efforts,  and 
THE  AMERICAN  GIANT-CRAB.  sooner  than  give 

up  his  friend,  returning  to  endure  the  inconveniences  of  his  old  dwelling, 
Of  the  crustaceans,  however,  there  is  an  endless  variety;  and  we  give, 
an  amusing  instance  of  the  green  crab's  fox-like  craft,  as  related  by  Qua- 
trefages;  One  day  I  threw  a  large  arenicola  (lug-worm)  into  a  pool  of 
water  several  feet  in  extent.  A  troop  of  little  shrimps,  which  were 
sedately  enjoying  themselves  in  the  clear  element,  dispersed  in  alarm,, 
startled  by  the  noise  made  by  the  fall  of  this  strange  body,  but,  recover- 
ing themselves  in  a  moment,  they  rallied,  and,  while  the  annelid  was 
endeavoring  to  bury  itself  in  the  sand,  one  of  the  youngest,  and  con- 


EXTRAORDINARY  TURTLES  AND  CRUSTACEANS. 

sequently  the  most  venturesome  of  the  party,  seized  the  creature  by  the 
middle  of  its  body. 

Emboldened  by  this  example,  the  others  lost  no  time  in  imitating  it,, 
and  the  poor  arenicola  was  pulled  about  in  all  directions,  until  a  full- 
grown  shrimp,  darting  from  behind  a  tuft  of  corallines,  dispersed  his 
feebler  comrades,  and  appropriated  the  booty  to  himself.  I  soon  saw, 
however,  that  he  would  be  compelled  to  divide  the  spoil,  for  at  that  very 
instant  there  poured  forth  from  the  moving  sand  some  scores  of  small 
creatures,  which,  conscious  that  a  victim  was  at  hand,  wished  to  partici- 
pate in  the  feast.  Without  any  sign  of  uncertainty  or  hesitation,  they 

£4 


moved  straight 
forward  towards 
the  arenicola, 
whose  body  was 
covered  in  the 
twinkling  of  an 
eye  with  those  vo- 
racious  mollusks. 
I  thought  his  fate 
definitely  settled, 
when  a  small 
shore-crab  issued 
from  beneath  a 
stone,  put  to  flight 
the  shrimp,  and,  by 

dragging    off  the 

.       i 
ar  em  col  a,  very 

nearly    upset    all  GREAT  CRAB  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

the  others,  which  forthwith  hurried  back  to  their  sandy  haunts.  Then, 
however,  a  large  edible  crab  appeared  on  the  scene,  and  the  poor 
little  shrimp  was  obliged,  in  his  turn,  to  beat  a  retreat,  in  order  to 
escape  out  of  reach  of  the  formidable  pincers  of  his  stronger  kinsman. 
But  he  still  kept  a  watchful  eye  over  the  dainty  morsel  which  he  had 
tasted,  and,  taking  advantage  of  a  moment  when  the  larger  crab  was  with- 
drawing from  the  field,  from  some  temporary  emotion  of  alarm,  he  rapidly 
seized  the  long-disputed  arenicola,  and  carried  it  for  safety  to  some  dis- 
tance from  the  water's  edge,  where  he  might  devour  it  at  his  ease  on  dry 
land. 

The  crab  of  most  importance  as  an  article  of  food  on  the  Atlantic  and 
Gulf  Coast  of  the  United  States  is  the  blue  crab.     This  is  one  of  the 


764  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

swimming  species,  and  is  found  especially  in  estuaries  and  brackish 
waters  from  Cape  Cod  to  the  .Gulf  of  Mexico.  Other  species  of  the  same 
class,  found  in  the  West  Indies,  and  on  both  coasts  of  Central  and  South 
America,  are  extensively  used  for  food.  The  rock-crabs  are  sometimes 
sold  in  New  England,  and  similar  species  are  common  in  California,  while 
another  species  is  much  used  on  the  coasts  of  Europe. 

When  the  claw  of  a  crab  is  bruised  it  bleeds,  and  the  animal  seems  to 
suffer  much  pain.  For  a  while  it  moves  it  from  side  to  side,  and  then 
holding  it  steady  in  one  direct  position,  the  claw  all  of  a  sudden  gives  a 
sudden  crack,  and  the  wounded  part  drops  off;  not  at  the  joint,  but  in  the 
.smoothest  part  of  the  limb.  Crabs  frequently  have  serious  fights  by  means 
of  their  great  claws,  with  which  they  break  or  cut  off  their  adversary's  legs. 

The  American  crab,  with  its  enormous  claws,  is  about  a  foot  and  a  half 
in  length.  But  its  appearance  is  not  so  terrifying  as  that  of  the  parthenope 
horrida ;  a  crab  frequently  met  with  on  the  shores  of  the  islands  of  Reun- 
ion, Madagascar,  and  the  Mauritius.  Its  whole  body,  its  claws  and  nippers, 
bristle  with  hard,  long,  sharp,  and  menacing  joints.  The  figure  given  in 
our  text  is  a  reduced  copy  from  an  illustration  in  Milne-Edward's  valuable 
monograph  on  the  crustaceans  of  Reunion. 


CHAPTER  X. 
MOLLUSKS  WITH    PECULIAR  SHELLS. 

Choice  Mineral  Substance — Material  for  Ocean  Builders — "  See  what  a  Lovely 
Shell  " — Rare  Mollusks — The  Young  Guarded — Repulsive  Creatures  in  Beauti- 
ful Dwellings — The  Sea-shore  a  Great  School  of  Instruction— Curious  Pearl 
Oyster — Helmet  Shells — Cone  Shells — Gorgeous  Hues— Interesting  Bivalves — 
Scallop  Shell— Ornament  of  Pilgrims— Silken  "  Byssus  "—Strange  Material  for 
Fabrics— Treasures  of  the  Pearl  Oyster— Fondness  of  the  Ancients  for  a  Gem — . 
Shakespeare  on  the  Orient  Pearl — Immense  Wealth  of  Ceylon — Pearl  Fishing 
by  Cingalese — Picturesque  Spectacle — Firing  a  Cannon  at  Day-break — Ropes, 
Knives,  and  Stones — Three  Sieves — Form  and  Color — Pearls  of  Every  Hue — 
Allusion  of  the  Historian  Tacitus — Origin  of  Pearls — Emerald  Fringes — Marvels 
of  Old  Ocean's  Bed. 

HERE  is  a  certain  material  spread  throughout  nature  in  pro- 
digious abundance  ;  the  result  of  the  combination  of  carbonic 
acid  with  lime,  and  which,  according  to  the  rules  of  chemical 
nomenclature,  is  scientifically  known  as  carbonate  of  lime.  This 
substance  plays  a  most  important  part  in  the  mineral  kingdom,  and  under 
the  different  forms  which  it  assumes  constitutes  for  man  one  of  those 
sources  of  wealth  he  appreciates  so  much  the  less  because  they  are  indis- 
pensable to  him,  and  therefore  bestowed  by  nature  with  a  lavish  hand. 
What  is  carbonate  of  lime  ?  Why,  it  is  marl — it  is  chalk — it  is  building- 
stone — it  is  also  alabaster  and  marble.  It  is  that  of  which  Tennyson  sings 

in  these  lines : 

See  what  a  lovely  shell, 
Small  and  pure  as  pearl, 
Lying  close  to  my  foot, 
Frail,  but  a  work  divine, 
Made  so  fairily  well, 
With  delicate  spire  and  whorl, 
How  exquisitely  minute, 
A  miracle  of  design  ! 

In  the  animal  kingdom,  the  same  substance  absorbed,  elaborated,  and 
secreted  by  those  myriads  of  seen  and  unseen  workmen  of  which  we 
have  already  spoken,  becomes  for  them,  too,  as  for  us,  the  matter 
with  which  they  build  and  fashion  their  asylum,  their  habitation.  Car- 
bonate of  lime  is  the  outer  coat  of  those  innumerable  creatures  which 
have  aided  in  building  up  our  capital  cities;  it  is  the  polypid  of  the  zoo- 
phyte, the  armor  of  the  crustacean,  the  house  of  the  mollusk ;  it  is  those 
beautiful  shells  of  all  dimensions,  of  such  varied  forms,  such  vivid  colors,. 

(765) 


766 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


with  such  dazzling  reflections,  which  we  justly  prize  as  the  admirable 
masterpieces  of  the  inimitable  artist ;  it  is  mother-of-pearl ;  it  is  the  pearl 


itself,  sung  by  poets,  and  ranked  among  the  most  precious  gems. 

The  mollusks  would  be  at  once  delivered  up  defenceless  to  the  snares 


MOLLUSKS  WITH  PECULIAR  SHELLS. 


767 


of  their  enemies,  if  nature  had  not  endowed  them  with  the  marvelous 
faculty  of  constructing  a  solid  envelopment,  which  serves  them  instead  of 
a  skeleton,  since  their  muscles  adhere  to  it,  and  in  which  they  can  shut 
themselves  up  as  in  a  fortress.  Only  a  very  small  number  possess,  as  a 
substitute,  either  a  kind  of  internal  shell,  or  an  exceptional  vigor  and  de- 
velopment of  their  apparatus  of  locomotion,  attack,  and  defence.  Nearly 
all  live  entirely  in  their  shells,  and  perish  immediately  they  are  deprived  of 
them.  In  some  cases  they  are  not  born  with  the  shell,  but  no  sooner  have 
they  emerged 
from  the  egg  than 
the  calcarous  se- 
cretion begins, 
and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments acquires 
sufficient  consis- 
tency to  protect 
the  young  animal. 
The  reader  will 
perceive  that  in 
the  study  of  so 
vast  a  science  it  is 
impossible  for  us 
to  engage  our- 
selves, and  that  we 
must  be  contented 
with  rapid  glances 
at  a  few  of  its  more 
remarkable  points. 
But,  undoubtedly, 
the  most  interest- 
ing feature  of  these 

mollusks,  for  him  who  does  not  pretend  to  arm  himself  with  microscope 
and  scalpel  to  examine  minutely  their  anatomy  and  the  functions  of  their 
organs,  is  their  shells ;  graceful  and  attractive  works,  whose  rich  and 
diverse  tints,  and  elegant  forms,  contrast  so  singularly  with  what  we  must 
acknowledge  to  be  the  disagreeable  aspect  of  the  beings  which  produce 
them.  An  aspect  which  in  very  few  cases  justifies  the  delicate  fancies  of 

the  poet : 

The  tiny  cell  is  forlorn, 
Void  of  the  little  living  will 
That  made  it  stir  on  the  shore. 


RARE  SPECIMENS  OF  MOLLUSKS. 


768 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


Did  he  stand  at  the  diamond  door 
Of  his  house  in  a  rainbow  frill  ? 
Did  he  push,  when  he  was  uncurled, 
A  golden  foot  or  a  fairy  horn 
Through  his  dim  water- world  ? 

But  of  what  value  would  be  a  description,  necessarily  dry,  incomplete,, 
and  inexact,  where  only  the  most  skilful  and  artistic  brush  or  pencil  can 
hope  to  give  the  faintest  realization  of  the  truth  ?  To  fully  appreciate 
such  objects,  and  their  rare  and  subtle  art,  we  must  see  them,  must  atten- 
tively investigate 
their  infinite  de- 
tails, not  one  of 
which  should  es- 
cape our  notice. 
This  pleasant  task 
we  recommend  to 
the  reader;  it  is 
one  which  he  can 
easily  take  upon 
p  himself,  as  every 
inch  of  sea-shore 
is  rich  in  subjects 
for  study,  and  he 
may  also  obtain 
access  to  our  great 
public  collections. 
The  wealth  of 
our  seas,  however, 
may  not  be  com- 
pared to  that 
of  the  tropical 
'ocean.  It  is  from 
fridacnas,  some  of  which 
weigh  five  hundred  pounds,  and  are  used  in  Catholic  churches  as 
receptacles  of  the  holy  water ;  while  the  Polynesian  islanders  convert 
them  into  mattocks  and  other  tools.  There  is  also  the  great  triton, 
from  one  to  two  feet  long,  which  serves  the  savage  for  a  martial 
norn  ;  the  apex  of  the  spire  being  perforated,  a  rude  music  is  produced 
by  blowing  through  the  aperture.  Other  shells  are  converted  into  snuff 
boxes.  The  nautili,  with  their  pearly  secretions  are  polished  and 
mounted  in  beautiful  opaline  vases.  We  have  also  the  mother-of-pearl 


MADREPORE   ATTACHED   TO  A  MOTHER-OF-PEARL   OYSTER 

the    latter    only   we    obtain   the    gigantic 


MOLLUSKS  WITH  PECULIAR  SHELLS. 


769 


oyster,  and  the  ear-shells  distinguished  by  the  pearly  iridescence  of  the 
interior  surface.  Then  there  is  a  pearl  oyster  containing  the  beautiful 
and  costly  substance  called  mother-of-pearl ;  besides  other  shells  of  all 
forms  and  sizes,  whose  enumeration  alone  would  occupy  many  pages. 
Mention  must  be  made  of  the  great  helmet-shells,  characterized  by  the 
triangular  disk  of  the  inner  lip,  and  by  the  angulated  outer  lip — these 
shells  are  finely  sculptured  by  Italian  artists  in  imitation  of  antique 
cameos;  the  richly- 
colored  olivas  of 
tropical  coasts;  the 
coni  with  thick 
shells  rolled  up,  as 
it  were,  in  the  form 
of  a  cone,  all  very 
elegant  in  shape, 
and  of  glowing 
hues,  and  innumer- 
able small  ocean 
gems,  so  finely 
wrought  that  no 
lapidary  can  imitate 
them,  and  that  the 
eye  seizes  but  slow- 
ly all  their  perfec- 
tions. 

Shells  may  be 
divided  into  three 
great  classes, — the 
univalves,  bivalves, 
and  multivalves.  *• — HELMET  SHELL  OF  MADAGASCAR.  2. — SPINY  ROCK 

The  former  con-  3.— SADDLE  SHELL. 

sists  of  a  single  valve  or  piece,  which  almost  always  affects  a  more 
or  less  modified  spiral  form.  Nearly  all  the  most  beautiful  shells 
belong  to  this  class.  We  must  except,  however,  the  tridacnas,  which 
are  bivalves,  that  is,  formed  of  two  symmetrical  halves  conforming 
accurately  to  one  another.  The  most  edible  shell-fish,  such  as  the  com- 
mon oyster,  the  pecten,  or  scallop-shell,  worn  by  pilgrims  who  had  visited 
the  shrine  of  St.  James  in  the  Holy  Land,  the  hippopus  (or  horse's  foot, 
whose  undulating  edge,  radiated  fluted  columns,  and  variegated  coloring, 
command  general  admiration),  the  mussel,  and  others,  are  likewise  bivalves, 
49 


770 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


The  organ  which  secretes  the  calcareous  matter  composing  the  simple, 
double,  or  multiple  shell,  is  called  the  mantle,  because  the  animal  can 
conceal  within  it,  by  contraction,  most  of  its  other  organs.  All  the  mol- 
lusks  'have  a  mantle  ;  but  in  some  —  like  the  cuttle  —  it  only  secretes  a 
kind  of  internal  shell,  and  in  others  —  the  polypus,  for  example  —  it  is 
wholly  inactive.  Among  all  the  conchiferous  mollusks,  the  edge  of  the 
mantle  remains  invariably  free  and  mobile.  Certain  univalve  mollusks 

form  the  opening 
of  their  habita- 
tion with  a  kind 
of  horny  lid  or 
cover,  calcareous 
and  compact. 

The  mantle  of 
acephalous  bi- 
valves produces 
anumber  of  silky 
filaments  desig- 
nated the  byssusr 
by  which  the 
shell  is  attached 
to  rocks  or  other 
marine  bodies. 
The  byssus  of 
certain  mollusks 
consists  of  ele- 
ments of  greater 
or  less  length  ; 

but  that   of  the 

.         ,    lt  . 
wing-shell,  is  es- 

pecially  remark- 
able  for  its  abun- 


BYSSUS. 


i.  —  BEARS  PAW  CLAM.     -2.  —  SHELL  WITH 

3.  —  FUSUS  LONGISSIMUS. 
dance,  its  fineness,  its  brilliancy  and  softness,  almost  approaching  in  these 
qualities  to  woven  silks.  The  filaments  are  extremely  strong,  and  the 
color,  a  reddish  brown,  never  fades.  The  ancients  fabricated  a  sort  of 
stuff  from  these  filaments  ;  and  in  Sicily  they  are  still  sometimes  manu- 
factured into  gloves  and  other  articles  of  dress. 

In  Italy,  it  is  made  into  various  articles  ;  and  there  are  few  museums 
without  a  glove  or  a  stocking  woven  out  of  this  substance.     Some  stock 
ings  of  this  silk  were  presented  in  1754  to  Pope  Benedict  XIV.     In  the 


MOLLUSKS  WITH  PECULIAR  SHELLS.  771 

great  exhibitions  of  late  years,  a  large  number  of  articles  have  been  ex- 
hibited, manufactured  from  this  substance,  as  well  as  specimens  of  the  silk 

for  making  up. 

Pearl  Oysters  and  Their  Treasures. 

The  passion  for  pearls  was  at  its  height  about  the  period  when  Roman 
freedom  was  extinguished,  and  in  the  imperial  city  pearls  were  valued  as 
highly  as  precious  stones.  A  pearl,  celebrated  in  Pliny's  time,  was  bought 
by  Tavenier  for  $50,000.  In  Asia  this  taste  was  of  more  ancient  date,  nor 
has  it  ever  declined.  A  string  of  pearls  of  the  largest  size  is  an  indispen- 
sable part  of  an  Eastern  monarch's  decorations.  It  was  thus  that  Tippoo 
was  adorned  when  he  fell  before  the  gates  of  his  capital ;  and  the  rulers 
of  Persia  have  for  ages  been  similarly  decorated.  Shakespeare  gives  us 
the  following  colloquy : 

Cleopatra. — How  goes  it  with  my  brave  Antony  ? 

Alexas. — Last  thing  he  did,  dear  queen, 
He  kiss'd — the  last  of  many  doubled  kisses — 
This  orient  pearl ; — his  speech  sticks  in  my  heart. 

Cleopatra. — Mine  ear  must  pluck  it  thence. 

Alexas. —  "  Good  friend,"  quoth  he, 

"  Say,  the  firm  Roman  to  great  Egypt  sends 
This  treasure  of  an  oyster." 

The  pearl  oysters,  like  those  with  which  we  are  familiar,  lie  in  banks,  at 
greater  or  less  depths  in  the  sea.  Such  banks,  for  example,  occur  on  the 
western  side  of  the  island  of  Ceylon,  about  fifteen  miles  from  the  shore, 
where  their  average  depth  is  about  twelve  fathoms.  Here  the  greatest  of 
all  pearl  fisheries  has  been  carried  on  for  many  centuries.  They  seem 
always  to  have  been  considered  the  property  of  the  king  or  kings  of  Ceylon ; 
but  since  the  occupation  of  the  island  by  the  British,  the  privilege  of  fish- 
ing on  them  has  been  sold  sometimes  by  auction,  the  sales  being  made  only 
for  one  season. 

The  pearl  fishery  always  begins  in  the  month  of  April,  because  the  sea 
has  then  a  beautiful  tranquility  ;  and  is  generally  continued  to  the  middle 
or  end  of  May.  It  attracts  to  the  coast  not  only  a  multitude  of  the  Cinga- 
lese, but  the  crowds  of  speculators  from  all  parts  of  the  vast  Indian  penin- 
sula, whose  variety  of  language,  costume  and  manners  is  described  as  very 
striking  and  pleasing.  On  the  eve  of  the  fishery  there  is  a  curious  and 
picturesque  spectacle. 

The  signal  for  beginning  the  fishing  is  given  at  day-break  by  the  dis- 
charge of  a  cannon  ;  on  which  a  countless  fleet  of  boats,  that  have  started 
for  the  shore  at  midnight,  and,  favored  by  a  land  breeze,  have  reached  the 
oyster  banks  before  dawn,  cast  anchor  in  the  respective  parts  for  which 


772 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


their  owners  have  contracted,  or  at  which  they  are  appointed  to  work. 
Inspectors  are  in  attendance  to  prevent  any  irregularity  in  these  respects. 
That  they  may  descend  through  the  water  with  greater  rapidity  to  the 
bank  round  which  the  oysters  are  clustered,  the  divers  place  their  feet  on 
a  stone  attached  to  the  end  of  a  rope,  the  other  end  of  which  is  made  fast 
to  the  boat;  they  carry  with  them  another  rope,  the  extremity  of  which  is 
held  by  two  men  in  the  boat,  whilst  to  the  lower  part  that  descends  with 
the  diver,  there  is  fastened  a  net  or  basket.  Every  diver  is  also  provided 
with  a  strong  knife  to  detach  the  oysters,  or  to  serve  him  as  a  defensive 


SHELL   WITH    BEAUTIFUL   PEARLS. 

weapon  if  he  should  be  attacked  by  a  shark.  On  touching  the  ground, 
they  gather  the  oysters  with  all  possible  speed,  and,  having  filled  their  net 
or  basket,  they  quit  their  hold  of  the  rope  with  the  stone,  pull  that  which 
is  held  by  the  sailors  in  the  boat,  and  rapidly  ascend  to  the  surface  of 
the  sea. 

Pearls  of  an  inferior  description  are  formed  in  a  fresh-water  bivalve.  It 
is  probable  that  pearls  from  this  source,  collected  by  the  ancient  Britons, 
may  have  given  rise  to  the  statement  by  Tacitus  in  his  "  Life  of  Agricola," 
of  pearls,  «  not  very  orient,  but  pale  and  wan,"  being  among  the  indige- 
nous products  of  Great  Britain. 


MOLLUSKS  WITH  PECULIAR  SHELLS.  773 

The  origin  of  pearls  has  led  to  much  discussion,  but  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  the  instinct  of  every  shell-dweller  is  prepared  to  meet  all  the 
exigencies  of  its  being.  However  rough  and  rugged  be  the  exterior  of 
its  abode — gradually  adapted  to  its  growth — the  interior  is  invariably  made 
exquisitely  smooth,  and  often  highly  iridescent.  And  should  some  grain 
of  sand  or  other  substance  enter  its  dwelling,  and  be  likely  to  irritate  its 
tender  body,  it  wraps  it  up  in  the  iridescent  substance  which  it  secretes  at 
pleasure,  and  changes  it  into  a  pearl ! 

In  our  sea-side  walks,  we  may  often  see — 

Rocks,  rough  with  limpets  and  brown  tangle  weed, 
Jut  here  and  there — whilst  on  the  sturdy  cliff 
Its  cable  sure  the  crafty  mussel  spins, 
Lashing  itself  for  safety  to  the  rock. 

Here  and  there, 

Speckled  with  slaty  spots  of  green,  that  tell 
Where  'neath  their  emerald  fringes  cockles  hide, 
Strange  shells,  the  marvels  of  old  ocean's  bed, 
Are  strewed  around.     Have  they  been  always  here? 
Or  came  they  hither  from  far  distant  shores,  . 
Unwilling  captives  of  careering  waves  ? 


CHAPTER  XL 
SHIPWRECKS  AND  OCEAN  ADVENTURES. 

The  Benefits  of  the  Ocean  very  Costly — A  Devouring  Moloch — Human  Victims 
and  Horrible  Gifts — Rich  Cargoes  Swallowed  Up — Innumerable  Human  Vic- 
tims— Ships  on  Fire— Taking  to  the  Boats — Sailors  Familiar  with  Danger — 
Horrors  of  the  Great  Abyss — Washington  Irving's  Graphic  Description  of  a 
Shipwreck — Dismal  Stories — Startling  Adventures  of  a  Ship  Captain — A  Drown- 
ing Cry  Mingling  with  the  Wind — Perils  of  Arctic  Voyages — Loss  of  the  Ship 
"Jeannette" — Ice  Hammering  at  the  Vessel — Melville  Taking  a  Photograph — 
Hasty  Preparations  to  Leave — Three  Boats  Lowered — "  There  She  Goes  !" — 
Encamping  on  the  Ice — Boat  Mounted  on  Sleds — Long  and  Toilsome  Journey — 
Silk  Flag  Unfurled  on  Bennett  Island— Capturing  Arctic  Animals — The  Great 
Sea-Cow—"  Funny  Wee  Fishes"— Terrific  Battle  with  Walruses— Fast  Loading 
and  Firing — Loss  of  the  "  Essex" — Captain  Pollard's  Vivid  Narrative — Repeated 
Attacks  of  an  Immense  Whale— The  Ship  Stove— Three  Little  Boats  in  the  Great 
Deep — A  Barren  Island — Frightful  Sufferings — Again  on  the  Trackless  Sea — 
Miraculous  Escape — Rescue  of  Men  from  the  Island — Horrid  Cannibalism — Tor- 
nadoes and  Water-Spouts — Elements  at  War — A  Thousand  Ships  Go  Down — 
Wreck  of  the  Royal  Fleet — Immense  Loss  of  Life — Huge  Cannon  Blown  Away 
by  the  Hurricane — An  Appalling  Scene. 

HE  benefits  of  ocean  are  immense ;  but  we  must  own  that  they 
are  very  dearly  purchased.  Certain  ancient  races  made  for 
themselves  deities  of  the  most  greedy  and  sanguinary  character; 
the  Moloch  of  the  Canaanites,  the  Teutates  of  the  Gauls,  granted 
nothing  to  the  prayers  of  their  votaries  unless  their  prayers  were  accom- 
panied with  the  most  horrible  gifts.  Perfumes,  gold,  precious  stones,  the 
blood  of  animals,  could  not  suffice  them;  they  demanded  human  victims; 
the  more  tears  these  offerings  cost,  the  more  they  were  valued;  they  were 
required  to  be  renewed  at  definite  epochs,  which  however  did  not  pre- 
vent the  god  from  insisting  upon  an  increase  under  certain  circum- 
stances. War  and  peace,  harvests,  great  enterprises,  public  calamities, 
were  so  many  occasions  for  which  the  poor  wretches  submitted  to  the 
caprices  of  these  monsters  to  pour  out  piously  the  blood  of  their  prison- 
ers, their  slaves,  their  fellow-citizens,  even  of  their  own  children. 

Alas !  human  sacrifices  have  not  ceased  with  the  worship  of  these 
false  gods ;  and  it  is  not  only  some  few  barbarous  races,  but  even  the 
most  polished  Christian  nations,  the  most  civilized  and  the  most  en- 
lightened, who  pay  a  ghastly  tribute  to  Ocean,  the  new  Moloch.     We 
(774) 


SHIPWRECKS  AND  OCEAN  ADVENTURES.  775 

do  not  speak  of  the  ships  lost,  of  the  rich  cargoes  swallowed  up — these 
would  be  little ;  but  one  trembles  to  think  of  the  innumerable  victims 
who  have  perished  in  the  bosom  of  the  waves,  and  of  whom  every  year 
increases  the  funeral  record. 

If  mariners  had  only  the  rock,  the  reef,  the  hidden  shoal,  and  the 
tempest  to  fear  !  But  so  many  other  dangers  threaten,  and  may  at  any 
moment  overcome  them,  even  when  they  imagine  their  security  com- 
plete. For  those  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships,  no  element  is  more 
formidable  than  fire.  It  can  only  be  extinguished  by  sinking  the  vessel, 
so  that  the  unhappy  mariner  has  but  to  choose  between  two  kinds  of 
•death.  There  is  no  refuge,  no  means  of  safety,  except  the  boats,  into 
which  the  panic  stricken  crew  often  precipitate  themselves  headlong, 
and  frequently  capsize  them  by  overloading. 

Another  too  frequent  cause  of  disaster  is  collision.  Two  ships  at  night, 
or  in  a  dense  fog,  encounter  each  other,  to  the  serious  injury  of  both,  and 
usually  to  the  utter  ruin  of  one.  This  danger  would  seem  the  most  easily 
.avoided ;  and  such,  indeed,  might  be  the  case,  if  the  nautical  regulations 
were  more  strictly  preserved,  and  if  ships  in  bad  weather  invariably  showed 
their  lights.  But  men  grow  familiar  with  danger,  and  neglect  these  pre- 
cautions, which,  moreover,  under  certain  circumstances  would  still  be 
insufficient. 

Washington  Irviiig-'s  Description  of  a  Wreck. 

Washington  Irving,  .poet  and  historian,  one  of  the  literary  glories  of 
America,  has  described  with  his  wonted  elegance  and  vivacity  the  impres- 
sions produced  upon  his  mind  by  his  first  voyage.  We  will  quote  the 
most  characteristic  episode  of  his  charming  narrative  : — 

"  We  one  day  descried  some  shapeless  object  drifting  at  a  distance.  At 
sea  everything  that  breaks  the  monotony  of  the  surrounding  expanse 
attracts  attention.  It  proved  to  be  the  mast  of  a  ship  that  must  have  been 
completely  wrecked,  for  there  were  the  remains  of  handkerchiefs  by  which 
some  of  the  crew  had  fastened  themselves  to  the  spar,  to  prevent  their 
being  washed  off  by  the  waves.  There  was  no  trace  by  which  the  name 
of  the  ship  could  be  ascertained.  The  wreck  had  evidently  drifted  about 
for  many  months ;  clusters  of  shell-fish  had  fastened  about  it,  and  long 
sea-weeds  flaunted  at  its  sides. 

"But  where,  thought  I,  are  the  crew?  Their  struggle  has  long  been 
over — they  have  gone  down  amidst  the  roar  of  the  tempest — their  bones 
lie  whitening  among  the  caverns  of  the  deep.  Silence,  oblivion,  like  the 
waves,  have  closed  over  them,  and  no  one  can  tell  the  story  of  their  end. 
What  sighs  have  been  wafted  after  that  ship !  what  prayers  offered  up  at 


(776) 


SHIPWRECKS  AND  OCEAN  ADVENTURES.  777 

the  deserted  fireside  of  home !  How  often  has  the  mistress,  the  wife,  the 
mother  pored  over  the  daily  news  to  catch  some  casual  intelligence  of  this 
rover  of  the  deep  ?  How  has  expectation  darkened  into  anxiety,  anxiety 
into  dread,  and  dread  into  despair !  Alas !  not  one  memento  may  ever 
return  for  love  to  cherish.  All  that  may  ever  be  known  is  that  she  sailed 
from  her  port,  '  and  was  never  heard  of  more  ! ' 

"  The  sight  of  this  wreck,  as  usual,  gave  rise  to  many  dismal  anecdotes. 
This  was  particularly  the  case  in  the  evening,  when  the  weather,  which 
had  hitherto  been  fair,  began  to  look  wild  and  threatening,  and  gave 
indications  of  one  of  those  sudden  storms  which  will  sometimes  break  in 
upon  the  serenity  of  a  summer  voyage.  As  we  sat  round  the  dull  light 
of  a  lamp  in  the  cabin,  that  made  the  gloom  more  ghastly,  every  one  had 
his  tale  of  shipwreck  and  disaster.  I  was  particularly  struck  with  a  short 
one  related  by  the  captain. 

The  Captain's  Thrilling:  Story. 

"  '  As  I  was  once  sailing,'  said  he,  '  in  a  fine  stout  ship  across  the  banks 
of  Newfoundland,  one  of  those  heavy  fogs  which  prevail  in  those  parts 
rendered  it  impossible  for  us  to  see  far  ahead  even  in  the  day-time,  but  at 
night  the  weather  was  so  thick  that  we  could  not  distinguish  any  object 
at  twice  the  length  of  the  ship.  I  kept  lights  at  the  mast-head,  and  a 
constant  watch  forward  to  look  out  for  fishing-smacks,  which  are  accus- 
tomed to  lie  at  anchor  on  the  banks.  The  wind  was  blowing  a  smacking 
breeze,  and  we  were  going  at  a  great  rate  through  the  water.  Suddenly 
the  watch  gave  the  alarm  of  "  a  sail  ahead !  " — it  was  scarcely  uttered 
before  we  were  upon  her. 

"  '  She  was  a  small  schooner,  at  anchor  with  her  broadside  towards  us. 
The  crew  were  all  asleep,  and  had  neglected  to  hoist  a  light.  We  struck 
her  just  amidships.  The  force,  the  size,  and  weight  of  our  vessel  bore  her 
down  below  the  waves;  we  passed  over  her,  and  we  hurried  on  our 
course.  As  the  crashing  wreck  was  sinking  beneath  us,  I  had  a  glimpse 
of  two  or  three  half-naked  wretches  rushing  from  her  cabin ;  they  just 
started  from  their  beds  to  be  swallowed  shrieking  by  the  waves.  I  heard 
their  drowning  cry  mingling  with  the  wind.  The  blast  that  bore  it  to  our 
ears  swept  us  out  of  all  further  hearing.  I  shall  never  forget  that  cry!  It 
was  sometime  before  we  could  put  the  ship  about,  she  was  under  such 
headway.  We  returned,  as  nearly  as  we  could  guess,  to  the  place  where 
the  smack  had  anchored.  We  cruised  about  for  several  hours  in  the 
dense  fog.  We  fired  signal-guns,  and  listened  if  we  might  hear  the  halloo 
of  any  of  the  survivors  ;  but  all  was  silent — we  never  saw  or  heard  any- 
thing of  them  more.'  " 


778  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  expeditions,  so  many  of  which  have  in  late  years  been  undertaken 
in  the  polar  regions,  afford  ample  and  thrilling  evidence  of  the  dangers 
attending  ocean  navigation.  The  world  has  read  the  story  of  Arctic  he- 
roes with  amazement.  It  is  sufficient  for  us  here  to  depict  the  scene 
when  the  celebrated  ship  "  Jeannette "  was  abandoned  among  the  ice- 
bergs of  the  frozen  North.  This  startling  adventure  will  illustrate  the 
awful  hardships  and  perils  which  have  always  attended  polar  voyages. 

The  narrative  proceeds,  as  follows  :  In  the  early  part  of  June,  1881,  the 
ice  around  the  ship  was  broken  down  in  immense  masses,  the  whole  pack 
being  alive,  and  had  the  ship  been  within  one  of  the  fast-closing  leads  she 
would  have  been  ground  to  powder.  Embedded  in  a  small  island  of  ice, 
she  was  as  yet  protected  from  the  direct  crushing  on  her  sides,  but  felt  a 
continual  hammering  and  thumping  of  the  ice  under  her  bottom. 
The  Ship  Crushed  l>y  Ice. 

On  the  1 2th  of  June,  at  midnight,  in  a  few  moments'  time,  she  was  set 
free  by  the  split  of  the  floe  on  a  line  with  her  keel,  and  suddenly  righting, 
started  all  hands  from  their  beds  to  the  deck.  By  9  A.  M.  the  ice  had 
commenced  coming  in  on  her  side  ;  a  heavy  floe  was  hauled  ahead  into 
a  hole  where  it  was  supposed  the  ice  coming  together  would  impinge  on 
itself  instead  of  on  the  ship.  The  pressure  was  very  heavy,  and  gave 
forth  a  hissing,  crunching  sound,  and  at  3.46  P.  M.  the  ice  was  reported 
coming  through  the  starboard  coal  bunkers.  At  four  o'clock  she  was 
lying  perfectly  quiet,  but  her  bows  were  thrown  up  so  high  in  the  air, 
that  the  injury  to  her  forefoot  made  January  iQth,  1880,  could  be  seen. 

Melville  went  on  the  floe  to  take  her  photograph,  but  on  returning  to 
the  ship  heard  the  order  to  prepare  to  leave  the  vessel  by  getting  out  the 
chronometers,  rifles,  ammunition,  and  other  articles  to  the  floe.  Lieu- 
tenant Chipp  was  quite  sick  in  bed,  but  was  notified ;  Captain  DeLong 
"was  everywhere,  seeing  that  all  things  went. on  smoothly  and  quietly, 
without  the  least  haste  or  consternation  among  the  crew ;  he  came  about 
the  deck  in  the  same  manner  as  though  we  were  in  no  danger  whatever, 
and  tried  to  have  the  officers  and  men  feel  as  collected  as  he  was."  There 
was  ample  time  for  all  persons  to  get  out  their  personal  effects,  but  to  get 
a  barrel  of  lime-juice,  so  necessary  to  prevent  scurvey  on  their  march, 
Seaman  Starr  waded  into  the  forward  store-room  at  the  risk  of  his  life. 

When  the  order  was  given  for  all  hands  to  leave  the  ship  at  about 
eleven  at  night,  her  water-ways  had  been  broken  in,  the  iron  work  around 
the  smoke-pipe  buckled  up,  the  rivets  sheared  off,  and  the  smoke-stack 
left  supported  only  by  the  guys.  Three  boats  were  lowered,  the  first  and 
the  second  cutter,  and  the  first  whale-boat ;  and  the  ship's  party  of  thirty- 


SHIPWRECKS  AND  OCEAN  ADVENTURES. 


779 


three  made  their  camp  on  the  floe  in  six  tents,  but  within  an  hour  were 
compelled  to  move  still  farther  from  the  edge  by  the  breaking  up  of  the 
floe  in  their  camp. 

At  4  A.  M.,  June  I3th,  the  cry  of  the  watch  was  heard,  "  There  she  goes; 
hurry  up  and  look,  the  last  sight  you  will  have  of  the  old  Jeannette ! " 
While  the  ice  had 
held  together,  it  had 
held  her  broken  tim- 
bers. When  it  open- 
ed— she  sank  in  thir- 
ty-eight fathoms  of 
water,  stripping  her 
yards  upwards  as  she 
passed  through  the 
floe.  At  3  A.  M.  her 
smoke-pipe  top  was 
nearly  awash  ;  the 
main  topmast  first 
fell  by  the  board  to 
starboard,  then  the 
fore  topmast,  and  last 
of  all  the  mainmast. 
The  ship  before  sink- 
ing had  heeled  to 
starboard,  and  the 
entire  starboard  side 
of  the  spar  deck  was 
submerged,  the  rail 
being  under  water, 
and  the  water-line 
reached  to  the  hatch- 
coamings  before  the 
ship  had  been  aban- 
doned. The  next  THE  "JEANNETTE"  CRUSHED  AND  ABANDONED. 
morning,  a  visit  to  the  place  where  she  was  last  seen  showed  nothing 
more  than  a  signal  chest  and  a  cabin-chair  with  some  smaller  articles 
afloat. 

Daylight  found  the  party  encamped  on  the  ice,  about  four  hundred 
yards  from  where  the  ship  went  down.  The  day  was  spent  in  arranging 
the  effects  and  in  gaining  rest,  which  was  very  much  needed.  Many  of 


780  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  crew  were  incapacitated  for  active  work  by  reason  of  severe  cramps, 
caused  by  tin-poisoning  from  tomato  cans.  The  doctor  recommended 
delay  until  the  sick  party  should  have  recovered ;  but  the  time  was  not 
wasted,  and  the  rest  of  the  crew  began  the  work  of  dividing  the  clothing, 
stowing  the  sleds  and  boats. 

Fortunate  Escape  of  DeLoiig  and  His  Men. 

There  were  three  boats  mounted  upon  ship-made  sleds,  each  of  which 
consisted  of  two  oak  runners,  shod  with  whalebone.  The  grand  total 
weight  of  boats,  sleds  and  provisions  was  about  15,500  pounds.  To  draw 
these,  the  party  had  a  working  force,  when  the  retreat  commenced,  of 
twenty-two  men ;  and  the  dogs  were  employed,  with  two  light  sleds,  to 
drag  a  large  amount  of  stores,  that  the  party  had  in  excess  to  those  per- 
manently stowed  upon  the  larger  sleds.  Each  man  had  a  knapsack 
stowed  away  in  the  boats  ;  each  knapsack  contained  one  change  of  under- 
clothing, one  package  of  matches,  one  plug  of  tobacco,  one  spare  pair  of 
snow-goggles,  and  one  spare  pair  of  moccasins. 

On  the  I /th  day  of  June,  the  order  was  given  to  break  camp.  The 
order  was  obeyed  with  enthusiasm,  and  the  drag- rope  of  the  first  cutter 
was  immediately  manned.  At  the  end  of  the  first  week  the  captain  found 
by  observation  that  the  drift  of  the  ice  had  more  than  neutralized  the  way 
covered  by  his  advance,  and  that  in  fact  he  had  lost  twenty-seven  miles 
by  the  drift  to  the  northwest  in  excess  to  his  march  to  the  south.  The 
progress  of  the  party  toward  the  land  was  very  slow,  but  finally  glaciers 
and  water-courses  became  visible.  On  the  24th  of  July  the  party  reached 
a  point  not  more  than  two  miles  distant  from  the  land,  but  the  men  were 
so  exhausted  that  they  had  to  camp.  Next  morning  it  was  found  that 
they  had  drifted  at  least  three  miles  to  the  southward,  and  along  the  east 
side  of  the  island.  On  the  2/th  day  of  July  an  island  was  reached  com- 
posed of  trap-rock  and  a  lava-like  soil,  and  on  the  28th  a  landing  was 
made  on  the  new  discovery.  Captain  DeLong  mustered  everybody  on 
the  island,  unfurled  a  silk  flag,  took  possession  of  the  island  in  the  name 
of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and  called  it  Bennett  Island. 

This  was  one  of  the  best  planned  and  executed  expeditions  of  which  we 
have  any  record  in  Arctic  exploration,  and  the  escape  of  the  heroes  at  this 
time  was  the  condition  of  their  subsequent  recovery. 
Hunting  Arctic  Animals. 

While  dwelling  upon  the  perils  of  polar  expeditions,  we  must  not  fail  to 
notice  the  peril  always  connected  with  the  capture  of  such  sea-monsters 
as  the  whale  and  walrus.  The  walrus  especially  is  savage  in  disposition 
and  has  been  known  to  attack  its  foes  with  a  fury  that  was  appalling.  A 


SHIPWRECKS  AND  OCEAN  ADVENTURES.  781 

navigator  in  that  frigid  region,  gives  a  graphic  account  of  his  adventures 
with  the  great  sea-cow,  from  w*hich  we  make  an  interesting  extract  : 

We  dredged  our  way  up  north  to  Greenland.     It  was  a  stormy  spring. 
We  often  had  to   lie-to  for  a  whole  week  together   but  we  were  a  jolly 


SAVAGE    BATTLE    WITH    WALRUSES. 

crew,  and  well-officered,  and  we  had  on  board  two  civilians — Professor 
kind  of  chaps  I  think  they  were — and  they  were  the  life  and  soul  of  the 
whole  ship.  Whenever  we  could  we  took  soundings,  and  hauled  up  mud 
and  shingle  and  stuff  from  the  bottom  of  the  dark  ocean,  even  when  it 
was  a  mile  deep  and  more.  But  when  that  mud  was  washed  away,  and 


782  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  living  specimens  spread  out  and  arranged  on  bits  of  jet-black  paper, 
what  wonders  we  did  see,  to  be  sure !  Oiir  Scotch  doctor  called  them 
"  ferlies  "  :  he  called  everything  wonderful  a  "  ferlie." 

But  these  particular  ferlies  took  the  shape  of  tiny  wee  shells  of  all  the 
colors  in  the  rainbow,  and  funny  wee  fishes,  some  not  bigger  than  a  pin- 
point. But,  oh !  the  beauty,  the  more  than  loveliness  of  them !  The 
roughest  old  son  of  a  gun  on  board  of  us  held  up  his  hands  in  admiration 
when  he  saw  them.  We  cruised  all  round  Spitzbergen,  and  all  down  the 
edge  of  the  eastern  pack  ice.  We  shot  bears  and  foxes  innumerable ; 
walruses,  narwhals,  seals,  and  even  whales  fell  to  our  guns. 
Loading-  and  Firing  to  Save  the  Boat. 

Some  of  those  walruses  gave  us  fun,  though.  I  remember  once  we 
fell  amidst,  ice  positively  crowded  with  them.  They  seemed  but  little  in- 
clined to  budge,  either.  Again  and  again  we  fought  our  way  through 
them  ;  but  the  number  seemed  to  increase  rather  than  diminish,  till  at 
last  our  fellows — we  were  two  boats'  crews — were  thoroughly  exhausted, 
and  fain  to  take  to  the  boats.  Was  the  battle  ended  then  ?  I  thought  it 
was  only  just  beginning,  when  I  saw  around  us  the  water  alive  with  fierce 
tusked  heads  evidently  bent  on  avenging  the  slaughter  of  their  comrades. 

Our  good  surgeon  was  as  fond  of  sport  as  anyone  ever  I  met,  but  he 
confessed  that  day  he  had  quite  enough'  of  it.  At  one  time  the  peril  we 
were  in  was  very  great  indeed.  Several  times  the  brutes  had  all  but  fast- 
ened their  terrible  tusks  on  the  gunwhale  of  our  boat.  Had  they  suc- 
ceeded, we  should  have  been  capsized,  and  entirely  at  their  mercy. 

The  surgeon,  with  his  great  bone-crushing  gun,  loaded  and  fired  as  fast 
as  fingers  could ;  but  still  they  kept  coming.  "  Ferlies  '11  never  cease," 
cried  the  worthy  medico,  blowing  the  brains  clean  out  of  one  which  had 
almost  swamped  the  boat  from  the  stern.  Meanwhile  it  fared  but  badly 
with  the  other  boat.  The  men  were  fighting  with  clubs  and  axes,  their 
ammunition  being  entirely  spent.  One  poor  fellow  was  pierced  through 
the  arm  by  the  tusk  of  a  walrus  and  fairly  dragged  into  the  water,  where 
he  sank  before  he  could  be  rescued. 

The  ship  herself  bore  down  to  our  assistance,  at  last,  and  such  a  rain  of 
bullets  was  poured  upon  the  devoted  heads  of  those  walruses  that  they 
were  fain  to  dive  below.  The  noise  of  this  battle  was  something  terrible  ; 
the  shrieks  of  the  cow  walruses,  and  the  grunting,  groaning  and  bellowing 
of  the  bulls,  defy  all  attempts  at  description. 

Loss  of  the  Ship  "  Essex." 

The  days  of  whaling  voyages  are  remarkable  for  the  dangers  through 
which  the  brave  soldiers  passed,  and  the  thrilling  narratives  they  have  given 


(783) 


784  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

of  their  hair-breadth  escapes.  One  of  our  American  seamen,  Captain  Pol- 
lard, has  furnished  us  with  a  full  account  of  the  loss  of  the  good  ship  Es- 
sex, which  we  give  in  his  own  graphic  language : 

My  first  shipwreck  was  in  the  open  sea,  near  the  equator.  The  vessel, 
a  South  Sea  whaler,  was  called  the  Essex.  One  day,  as  we  were  on  the 
look-out  for  sperm  whales,  and  had  actually  struck  two,  which  the  boats' 
crews  were  following  to  secure,  I  perceived  a  large  one — it  might  be 
eighty  or  ninety  feet  long — rushing  with  great  swiftness  through  the 
water,  right  towards  the  ship.  We  hoped  that  she  would  turn  aside,  and 
dive  under,  when  she  perceived  such  a  bulk  in  her  way.  But  no !  the 
animal  came  in  full  force  against  our  stern-post.  Had  any  quarter  less 
firm  been  struck,  the  vessel  must  have  burst :  as  it  was,  every  plank  and 
timber  trembled  throughout  her  whole  bulk. 

The  Vessel  Rapidly  Filling  With  Water. 

The  whale  shook  its  head,  and  sheered  off  to  so  considerable  a  distance, 
that  for  some  time  we  had  lost  sight  of  her  from  the  starboard  quarter ; 
of  which  we  were  very  glad,  hoping  that  the  worst  was  over.  Nearly  an 
hour  afterward  we  saw  the  same  fish — we  had  no  doubt  of  this,  from  her 
size,  and  the  direction  in  which  she  came — making  again  towards  us.  We 
were  at  once  aware  of  our  danger,  but  escape  was  impossible.  She 
dashed  her  head  this  time  against  the  ship's  side,  and  so  broke  it  in  that 
the  vessel  filled  rapidly,  and  soon  became  water-logged. 

At  the  second  shock,  expecting  her  to  go  down,  we  lowered  our  three 
boats  with  the  utmost  expedition ;  and  all  hands,  twenty  in  the  whole, 
got  into  them ;  seven,  and  seven,  and  six.  In  a  little  while,  as  she  did 
not  sink,  we  ventured  on  board  again ;  and,  by  scuttling  the  deck,  were 
enabled  to  get  some  biscuit,  beef,  water,  rum,  two  sextants,  a  quadrant, 
and  three  compasses.  These,  together  with  some  rigging,  a  few  muskets, 
powder,  etc.,  we  brought  away ;  and  dividing  the  stores  among  our 
three  small  crews,  rigged  the  boats  as  well  as  we  could ;  there  being  a 
compass  for  each,  and  a  sextant  for  two,  and  a  quadrant  for  one,  but 
neither  sextant  nor  quadrant  for  the  third. 

Then,  instead  of  pushing  away  for  some  port,  so  amazed  and  bewildered 
were  we,  that  we  continued  sitting  in  our  places,  gazing  upon  the  ship, 
as  though  she  had  been  an  object  of  the  tenderest  affection.  Our  eyes 
could  not  leave  her  till,  at  the  end  of  many  hours,  she  gave  a  slight  reel, 
then  down  she  sank.  No  words  can  tell  our  feelings.  We  looked  at 
each  other ;  we  looked  at  the  place  where  she  had  so  lately  been  afloat ; 
we  did  not  cease  to  look,  till  the  terrible  conviction  of  our  abandoned  and 
perilous  situation  roused  us  to  exertion,  if  deliverance  were  yet  possible. 


SHIPWRECKS  AND  OCEAN  ADVENTURES.  785 

We  now  consulted  about  the  course  which  it  might  be  best  to  take  ; 
westward,  to  India ;  eastward,  to  South  America ;  or  south  westward,  to 
the  Society  Isles.  We  knew  that  we  were  at  no  great  distance  from 
Tahiti ;  but  were  so  ignorant  of  the  state  and  temper  of  the  inhabitants, 
that  we  feared  we  should  be  devoured  by  cannibals  if  we  cast  ourselves 
on  their  mercy.  It  was  determined,  therefore,  to  make  for  South  America, 
which  we  computed  to  be  more  than  two  thousand  miles  distant.  Ac- 
cordingly we  steered  eastward,  and  though  for  several  days  harassed 
with  squalls,  we  contrived  to  keep  together. 

Sudden  and  Alarming-  Danger. 

It  was  not  long  before  we  found  that*  one  of  the  boats  had  started  a 
plank ;  which  was  no  wonder  ;  for  whale-boats  are  all  clinker-built,  and  very 
slight ;  being  made  of  half-inch  plank  only,  before  planing.  To  remedy 
this  alarming  defect,  we  all  turned  to,  and  having  emptied  the  contents  of 
the  damaged  boat  into  the  two  others,  we  raised  her  sides  as  well  as  we 
could,  and  succeeded  in  restoring  the  plank  at  the  bottom.  Through  this 
accident  some  of  our  biscuit  had  become  injured  by  the  salt  water.  This 
was  equally  divided  among  the  several  boats'  crews.  Food  and  water, 
meanwhile,  with  our  utmost  economy,  rapidly  failed.  Our  strength  was 
exhausted,  not  by  abstinence  only,  but  by  the  labors  which  we  were 
obliged  to  employ  to  keep  our  little  vessels  afloat,  amid  the  storms  which 
repeatedly  assailed  us.  One  night  we  were  parted  in  rough  weather ;  but 
though  the  next  day  we  fell  in  with  one  of  our  companion-boats,  we  never 
saw  or  heard  any  more  of  the  other,  which  probably  perished  at  sea,  being 
without  either  sextant  or  quadrant. 

When  we  were  reduced  to  the  last  pinch,  and  out  of  every  thing,  having 
been  more  than  three  weeks  abroad,  we  were  cheered  with  the  sight  of  a 
low,  uninhabited  island  which  we  reached  in  hope,  but  were  bitterly  disap- 
pointed. There  being  no  prospect  but  that  of  starvation  here,  we  deter- 
mined to  put  to  sea  again.  Three  of  our  comrades,  however,  chose  to 
remain ;  and  we  pledged  ourselves  to  send  a  vessel  to  bring  them  off,  if  we 
ourselves  should  ever  escape  to  a  Christian  port.  With  a  very  small  morsel 
of  biscuit  for  each,  and  a  little  water  we  again  ventured  out  on  the  wide 
ocean.  In  the  course  of  a  few  days  our  provisions  were  consumed.  Two 
men  died.  We  had  no  other  alternative  than  to  live  upon  their  remains. 
These  we  roasted  to  dryness  by  means  of  fires  kindled  on  the  ballast-sand 
at  the  bottom  of  the  boats. 

Casting  Lots  as  to  who  should  be  Eaten. 

When  this  supply  was  spent,  what  could  we  do  ?     We  looked  at  each 

•other  with  horrid  thoughts  in  our  minds,  but  we  held  our  tongues.     I  am 
50 


786  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

sure  that  we  loved  each  other  as  brothers  all  the  time;  and  yet  our  looks 
told  plainly  what  must  be  done.  We  cast  lots,  and  the  fatal  -one  fell  on  my 
poor  cabin-boy.  I  started  forward  instantly,  and  cried  out,  "  My  lad,  my 
lad,  if  you  don't  like  your  lot,  I'll  shoot  the  first  man  that  touches  you.'* 
The  poor  emaciated  boy  hesitated  a  moment  or  two  ;  then  quietly  laying 
his  head  down  upon  the  gunwale  of  the  boat,  he  said  "  I  like  it  as  well  as 
any  other."  He  was  soon  despatched,  and  nothing  of  him  left.  I  think 
then  another  man  died  of  himself;  and  him  too,  we  ate. 

But  I  can  tell  you  no  more  :  my  head  is  on  fire  at  the  recollection.  I 
hardly  know  what  I  say.  I  forgot  to  say  that  we  parted  company  with 
the  second  boat  before  now.  After  some  days  of  horror  and  despair,  when 
some  were  lying  down  at  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  not  able  to  rise,  and 
scarcely  one  of  us  could  move  a  limb,  a  vessel  hove  in  sight.  We  were 
taken  on  board  and  treated  with  extreme  kindness.  The  second  lost  boat 
was  also  picked  up  at  sea,  and  the  survivors  saved.  A  ship  afterward 
sailed  in  search  of  our  companions  on  the  desolate  island,  and  brought 
them  away. 

Captain  Pollard  closes  his  dreary  narrative  with  saying,  in  a  tone  of  de- 
spondency never  be  forgotten  by  him  that  heard  it :  After  a  time  I  found 
my  way  to  the  United  States,  to  which  I  belonged,  and  got  another  ship. 
That,  too,  I  have  lost  by  a  second  wreck  off  the  Sandwich  Islands  ;  and 
now  I  am  utterly  ruined. 

Wild  Tornadoes  and  Waterspouts. 

We  must  now  speak  of  those  phenomena  which  are  sometimes  classed 
by  American  meteorologists  with  whirlwinds,  and  sometimes  among 
hurricanes,  namely,  tornadoes.  Similar  in  form  to  waterspouts,  they  ex- 
ceed them  greatly  in  extent,  their  path  often  being  a  mile  in  width,  and 
their  length  varying  from  two  to  several  hundred  miles,  while  they 
move  at  the  average  rate  of  forty  miles  an  hour.  With  very  few  ex- 
ceptions, all  tornadoes  move  eastward,  with  a  slight  deviation  toward  the 
north,  and  sometimes  several  are  seen  rushing  in  parallel  courses  of 
from  twelve  to  sixty  miles  apart.  The  tornado  advances  in  leaps  and 
springs,  passing  over  the  tops  of  trees,  and  descending  to  the  ground  at 
intervals. 

The  current  of  air  in  tornadoes  is  generally  directed  towards  the 
centre,  while  in  cyclones  it  has  a  spiral  movement,  and  in  our  hemis- 
phere moves  in  a  direction  contrary  to  that  of  the  hands  of  a  clock.  In 
the  southern  hemisphere,  however,  it  moves  with  the  clock.  The  cyclone 
does  not  blow  with  regular  force,  but  in  violent  intermittent  gusts  and 
squalls,  with  an  accompaniment  of  torrents  of  rain,  and  mostly  thunder 


(787) 


788  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

and  lightning.  The  day  is  almost  as  dark  as  night.  The  ower  storm 
centre  draws  in  moisture-laden  masses  of  air,  while  overhead  the  gloomy 
storm  clouds  are  dispersed  outward  with  terrific  rapidity.  The  sky  is 
black  with  heavy  clouds  for  hundreds  of  miles  round  the  storm  centre. 
Loss  of  a  Thousand  Vessels. 

These  clouds  gather  in  the  upper  air,  and  growing  darker  as  the  day 
advances,  slowly  sink  almost  to  the  earth  itself.  Then  the  rain  begins 
in  unbroken  floods  that  continue  incessantly  day  and  night,  as  if  the 
dams  of  a  great  river  were  broken  through,  and  its  waves  poured  out  in 
masses  on  the  earth  below.  The  barometer  falls  lower  in  proportion  to 
its  nearness  to  the  storm  centre  and  to  the  violence  of  the  storm.  The 
fall  of  the  barometer  is  the  most  unfailing  sign  of  the  approaching  hurri- 
cane. A  little  time  generally  elapses  before  the  outbreak,  but  some- 
times the  storm  bursts  over  the  country  so  suddenly  that  the  barometric 
warnings  are  too  late.  In  the  terrible  typhoon  of  the  6th  of  October, 
1831,  the  storm  broke  at  the  very  moment  the  barometer  fell,  so  that  the 
ships  in  the  harbor  of  Mako  could  take  no  precautions,  and  thousands  of 
ships  were  lost. 

In  the  China  seas  these  sudden  outbreaks  of  typhoons  are  by  no 
means  of  rare  occurrence.  There  are,  however,  certain  general  signs  by 
which  the  approach  of  the  destroyer  may  be  heralded.  Very  fair  weather, 
attended  by  an  unusual  transparency  of  the  air,  great  heat,  and  calm, 
with  high  barometric  markings  during  the  south-west  monsoon,  are  very 
suspicious  to  the  sailor ;  and  if  at  the  same  time  the  sky  is  seen  to 
assume  a  strange  red  coloring,  with  rugged  clouds  moving  swiftly  against 
the  wind,  a  heavy  sea,  and  a  dark  bank  of  cloud  in  the  northeast  or  south- 
east quarter,  there  is  no  longer  room  for  doubt.  In  the  Bay  of  Bengal, 
cyclones  are  generally  formed  when  there  is  no  strong  atmospheric  cur- 
rent movin  over  its  waters ;  the  air  is  usually  calm,  or  only  stirred  by 
light,  variable  winds,  the  atmospheric  pressure  being  nearly  equal  along 
all  the  coas  and  only  a  little  rain  falling  on  the  eastern  and  northern 
coast  of  the  bay,  and  in  Bengal.  On  the  other  hand,  ships  in  the  centre 
of  the  bay,  crossing  the  focus  of  the  cyclone,  meet  with  incessant  rains 
and  a  temperature  lower  than  that  of  the  surrounding  coasts.  Finally, 
a  gusty  west  wind  blows  from  the  equator,  and  when  a  barometric  de- 
pression is  formed  in  the  centre  of  the  bay,  rushes  into  it,  and  furnishes 
the  principal  aliment  of  the  storm. 

Swift  Destruction  of  a  British  Fleet. 

One  of  the  most  disastrous  of  this  kind  of  storms  was  the  tornado  re- 
membered chiefly  for  the  destruction  of  the  British  fleet  under  Rodney. 


(789) 


790  EARTH,  SEA    AND  SKY. 

About  a  week  before  the  outbreak  of  the  whirlwind  itself,  a  hurricane  in 
Jamaica  destroyed  the  ships  Scarborough,  Barbadoes,  Victor  and  Phoenix ; 
while  the  Princess  Royal,  Henry  and  Sir  Austin  Hall,  in  the  harbor  of 
Savanna-la-Mar,  were  loosed  from  their  anchors,  and  driven  high  and  dry 
upon  th 2  land,  where  they  were  afterwards  used  as  dwelling  houses.  The 
centre  of  the  storm  advanced  across  Barbadoes  toward  Santa  Lucia,  and 
its  outer  limits  reached  Trinidad  and  Antigua.  In  Santa  Lucia  the  hur- 
ricane struck  the  squadron  of  Admiral  Hotham,  after  which  it  destroyed 
a  French  convoy  of  two  frigates  and  fifty  transport  ships  at  Martinique. 

The  storm  centre  then  made  its  way  to  Porto  Rico,  where  the  Deal 
Castle  foundered,  and  advanced,  via  Mona,  to  Silver  Keys,  where  the 
Stirling  Castle  went  down.  The  same  fate  befell  the  Thunderer,  above 
which  Walsingham's  flag  was  flying.  When  the  storm  had  travelled  to 
the  twenty-sixth  degree  of  north  latitude,  it  turned  sharp  round  to  the 
north-east,  meeting  the  dismasted  ships  Trident,  Ruby,  Bristol,  Hector  and 
Grafton,  with  Admiral  Rowley  in  command.  The  hurricane  then  made 
its  way  to  the  Bermudas,  whence  the  disabled  Berwick  was  being  des- 
patched to  England  for  repairs. 

Houses  and  People  Buried  Together. 

No  less  havoc  was  wrought  among  the  islands  of  the  West  Indies. 
Nine  thousand  men  perished  in  Martinique  :  one  thousand  in  St.  Pierre 
alone,  where  not  a  house  was  left  standing.  The  sea  rose  twenty-five  feet 
high,  and  150  houses  disappeared  from  the  shore  in  a  moment.  In  Port 
Royal,  the  cathedral,  seven  churches,  and  1,400  houses  were  thrown 
down,  and  1,600  sick  people  were  buried  under  the  ruins  of  the  hospital, 
a  few  only  escaping.  Almost  all  the  houses  built  on  the  shore  of  Dom- 
inique, the  royal  baking  establishment,  the  magazine,  and  a  part  of  the 
barracks,  were  destroyed.  In  St.  Eustace  the  storm  shattered  seven  ships 
against  the  rocks  of  Nort  Point,  and  out  of  nineteen  others,  which  had 
broken  from  their  moorings  and  drifted  out  to  sea,  only  one  returned.  In 
Santa  Lucia,  where  6,000  persons  had  perished,  the  most  massive  build- 
ings were  levelled  to  the  ground,  cannons  were  dashed  to  a  distance  of  a 
hundred  yards,  men  and  animals  were  lifted  into  the  air  and  hurled  to  the 
ground. 

The  sea  rose  to  such  a  terrific  height,  that  it  destroyed  the  fort,  and 
sent  a  ship  crashing  against  the  sailors'  hospital.  Even  the  coral  reefs 
covering  the  bottom  of  the  sea  were  rent  and  tossed  so  that  they  were 
later  seen  above  the  surface  of  the  water.  Out  of  the  six  hundred  houses 
at  Kingstown,  in  St.  Vincent,  only  fourteen  were  left. 


BOOK  III. 


THE    SKY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  MARVELS  OF  THE  HEAVENS. 

The  Sun  Twelve  Hundred  Thousand  Times  as  Large  as  Our  Earth— Sublime  Scen- 
ery of  the  Midnight  Sky— Starry  Splendors  over  Head— Innumerable  Worlds 
in  the  Firmament— The  Boundlessness  of  Space— Imperial  Suns  Burning  on 
High— Heavens  Piled  on  Heavens— A  Wonderful  Journey  Through  Space— Fly- 
ing on  a  Beam  of  Light — Rich  Clusters  of  Starry  Systems — Millions  of  Worlds — • 
Immeasurable  Distances— Swift  Motion  Everywhere— Astounding  Revelations 
of  the  Telescope— Lord  Rosse's  Ten  Thousand  Eyes— Far-Distant  Suns  Col- 
ored Like  the  Rainbow— Thomas  Moore's  Poetical  Tribute  to  the  Bright 
Heavens — Sublimity  of  Astronomical  Science. 

ROM  the  discoveries  of  astronomy  it  appears  that  our  earth  is 
but  as  a  point  in  the  immensity  of  the  universe — that  there  are 
worlds  a  thousand  times  larger,  enlightened  by  the  same  sun 
which  "  rules  our  day'7 — that  the  sun  himself  is  an  immense 
luminous  world,  whose  circumference  would  enclose  more  than  twelve 
hundred  thousand  globes  as  large  as  ours — that  the  earth  and  its  inhabi- 
tants are  carried  forward  through  the  regions  of  space  at  the  rate  of  a 
thousand  miles  every  minute — that  motions  exist  in  the  great  bodies  of 
the  universe,  the  force  and  rapidity  of  which  astonish  and  overpower  the 
imagination — and  that  beyond  the  sphere  of  the  sun  and  planets,  creation 
is  replenished  with  millions  of  luminous  globes,  scattered  over  immense 
regions  to  which  the  human  mind  can  assign  no  boundaries. 

Where  are  the  souls  to  whom  the  spectacle  of  starry  night  is  not  an 
eloquent  discourse?  Where  are  those  who  have  not  been  sometimes 
arrested  in  the  presence  of  the  bright  worlds  which  hover  over  our  heads, 
and  who  have  not  sought  for  the  key  of  the  great  enigma  of  creation  ? 
The  solitary  hours  of  night  are  in  truth  the  most  beautiful  of  all  our 
hours,  those  in  which  we  have  the  faculty  of  placing  ourselves  in  inti- 
mate communication  with  great  and  holy  Nature.  The  orb  of  day  con- 
ceals from  us  the  splendors  of  the  firmament ;  it  is  during  the  night  that 

(791) 


792  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  panoramas  of  the  sky  are  open  to  us.  At  the  hour  of  midnight,  the 
heavenly  vault  is  strewn  with  stars,  like  isles  of  light  in  the  midst  of  an 
ocean  extending  over  our  heads. 

Orbs  of  Amazing  Brilliancy. 

In  the  midst  of  darkness  our  eyes  gaze  freely  on  the  sky,  piercing  the 
deep  azure  of  the  apparent  vault,  above  which  the  stars  shine.  They 
traverse  the  white  constellated  regions,  visiting  distant  realms  of  space, 
where  the  most  brilliant  stars  lose  their  brightness  by  distance;  they  go 
beyond  this  unexplored  expanse,  and  mount  still  higher,  as  far  as  those 
faint  nebulae  whose  diffused  brightness  seems  to  mark  the  limits  of  the 
visible.  In  this  immense  passage  of  sight  thought  is  carried  away  by  its 
flight  and  wonders  at  these  distant  splendors.  It  is  then  that  thousands 
of  questions  spring  up  in  our  minds,  and  that  a  thousand  points  of  inter- 
rogation rise  to  our  sight.  The  problem  of  creation  is  a  great  problem ! 
The  science  of  the  stars  is  a  sublime  science;  its  mission  is  to  embrace 
all  created  things  !  At  the  remembrance  of  these  impressions,  does  it 
not  appear  that  the  man  who  does  not  feel  any  sentiment  of  admiration 
before  the  picture  of  the  starry  splendor,  is  not  yet  worthy  of  receiving 
on  his  brow  the  crown  of  intelligence  ? 

Of  all  the  sciences  astronomy  is  the  one  which  can  enlighten  us  best  on 
our  relative  value,  and  make  us  understand  the  relation  which  connects 
the  earth  with  the  rest  of  creation.  Without  it,  as  the  history  of  past 
centuries  testifies,  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  know  where  we  are  or  who  we 
are,  or  to  establish  an  instructive  comparison  between  the  place  which  we 
occupy  in  space  and  the  whole  of  the  universe;  without  it  we  should  be 
both  ignorant  of  the  actual  extent  of  our  country,  its  nature,  and  the  order 
to  which  it  belongs.  Enclosed  in  the  dark  meshes  of  ignorance,  we  can- 
not form  the  slightest  idea  of  the  general  arrangement  of  the  world;  a 
thick  fog  covers  the  narrow  horizon  which  contains  us,  and  our  mind 
remains  incapable  of  soaring  above  the  daily  theatre  of  life,  and  of  going 
beyond  the  narrow  sphere  traced  by  the  limits  of  the  action  of  our  senses, 
On  the  other  hand,  when  the  torch  of  the  Science  of  the  Worlds  enlight- 
ens us,  the  scene  changes,  the  vapors  which  darkened  the  horizon  fade 
away,  our  mistaken  eyes  contemplate  in  the  serenity  of  a  pure  sky  the 
immense  work  of  the  Creator.  The  earth  appears  like  a  globe  poised 
under  our  steps ;  thousands  of  similar  globes  are  rocked  in  ether;  the 
world  enlarges  in  proportion  as  the  power  of  our  examination  increases, 
and  from  that  time  universal  creation  develops  itself  before  us  in  reality, 
establishing  both  our  rank  and  our  relation  with  the  numerous  similar 
worlds  which  constitute  the  universe. 


THE  MARVELS  OF  THE  HEAVENS.  793 

If  we  imagine  the  terrestial  globe  suspended  in  space,  we  shall  under- 
stand that  the  side  turned  towards  the  sun  is  alone  illuminated,  whilst  the 
opposite  hemisphere  remains  in  shadow,  and  that  this  shadow  presents 
the  aspect  of  a  cone.  Moreover,  as  the  earth  turns  on  itself,  all  its  por- 
tions are  presented  successively  to  the  sun  and  pass  successively  into  this- 
shadow,  and  it  is  this  which  constitutes  the  succession  of  day  and  night 
in  every  country  of  the- world.  This  simple  statement  suffices  to  show 
that  the  phenomenon  to  which  we  give  the  name  of  night  belongs  really 
to  the  earth,  and  that  the  heavens  and  the  rest  of  the  universe  are  inde- 
pendent of  it. 

This  is  the  reason  why,  if  at  any  hour  of  the  night  we  let  our  minds 
soar  above  the  terrestial  surface,  it  will  follow  that,  far  from  remaining 
always  in  the  night,  we  shall  again  find  the  sun  pouring  forth  his  floods 
of  light  through  space.  If  we  carry  ourselves  away  as  far  as  one  of  the 
planets  which  like  the  earth,  revolves  in  the  region  of  space  where  we  are,, 
we  shall  understand  that  the  night  of  the  earth  does  not  extend  to  those 
other  worlds,  and  that  the  period  which  with  us  is  consecrated  to  repose 
does  not  exert  its  influence  there.  When  all  beings  are  buried  in  the- 
stillness  of  silent  night  here — above,  the  forces  of  nature  continue  the 
exercise  of  their  brillant  functions — the  sun  shines,  life  radiates,  move- 
ment is  not  suspended,  and  the  reign  of  light  pursues  its  dominant  action 
in  the  heavens  (as  on  the  opposite  hemisphere  to  ours),  at  the  same  hour 
when  sleep  overcomes  all  beings  on  the  hemisphere  we  inhabit. 
Space  Has  Neither  Beginning1  Nor  End. 

It  is  important  that  we  should  know,  first  of  all,  how  to  habituate  our- 
selves to  this  idea  of  the  isolation  of  the  earth  in  space,  and  to  believe 
that  all  the  phenomena  which  we  observe  upon  this  globe  are  peculiar  to 
it  and  foreign  to  the  rest  of  the  universe.  Thousands  and  thousands  of 
similar  globes  revolve  like  it  in  space.  -One  of  the  most  fatal  delusions 
which  it  is  important  we  should  get  rid  of  at  once,  is  that  which  presents 
the  earth  as  the  lower  half  of  the  universe,  and  the  heavens  as  its  upper 
half.  There  is  nothing  in  the  world  more  false  than  this.  The  heavens 
and  the  earth  are  not  two  separate  creations,  as  we  have  had  repeated  to 
us  thousands  and  thousands  of  times.  They  are  only  one.  The  earth 
is  in  the  heavens.  The  heavens  are  infinite  space,  indefinite  expanse,  a 
void  without  limits ;  no  frontier  circumscribes  them,  they  have  neither 
beginning  nor  end,  neither  top  nor  bottom,  right  or  left;  there  is  an  in- 
finity of  spaces  which  succeed  each  other  in  every  direction.  The  earth 
is  a  little  material  globe,  placed  in  this  space  without  support  of  any  kind, 
like  a  bullet  which  sustains  itself  alone  in  the  air,  like  the  little  captive 


794  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

balloons  which  rise  and  float  in  the  atmosphere  when  the  thin  cord  which 

retains  them  is  cut. 

Our  World  a  Star. 

The  earth  is  a  star  in  the  heavens;  it  forms  part  of  them;  it,  in  com- 
pany with  a  great  many  other  globes  similar  to  it,  peoples  them ;  it  is 
isolated  in  them;  and  all  these  other  globes  also  float  in  space.  This 
conception  of  the  universe  is  not  only  very  important,  but  is  also  a  truth 
which  it  is  absolutely  necessary  should  be  well  fixed  in  the  mind,  other- 
wise three-quarters  of  the  astronomical  discoveries  would  remain  incom- 
prehensible. Here,  then,  is  this  first  point  well  understood  and  thor- 
oughly established  in  our  thoughts.  The  heavens  surround  us  on  every 
side.  In  this  space  the  earth  is  a  globe  suspended;  but  the  earth  is  not 
.alone  in  space.  All  those  stars  which  sparkle  in  the  heavens  are  isolated 
globes,  suns  shining  by  their  own  light ;  they  are  very  distant  from  us ; 
but  there  are  stars  nearer  which  resemble  much  more  the  one  we  inhabit, 
in  the  sense  that  they  are  not  suns,  but  dark  earths  receiving,  like  ours, 
light  from  our  sun.  These  worlds  called  planets  are  grouped  in  a  family; 
ours  is  one  member  of  this  family.  At  the  centre  of  this  group  shines  our 
^sun,  a  source  of  light  which  illuminates  it,  and  of  heat  which  warms  it. 
Floating  in  the  bosom  of  the  space  which  surrounds  it  on  every  side,  this 
group  is  like  a  fleet  of  many  boats  rocked  in  the  ocean  of  the  heavens. 

A  multitude  of  suns,  surrounded  like  ours  with  a  family  of  which  they 
are  the  foci  and  the  light-givers,  float  likewise  in  all  parts  of  the  expanse. 
These  suns  are  the  stars  with  which  the  fields  of  heaven  are  scattered.  In 
spite  of  the  appearance  caused  by  perspective,  immense  spaces  separate 
.all  these  systems  from  ours,  spaces  so  great  that  the  highest  figures  of 
our  great  numeration  can  scarcely  number  the  smallest  amongst  them. 
A  distance  that  our  figures  can  scarcely  express  also  separates  these  stars 
from  each  other,  extending  from  depths  unto  depths. 
Heavens  Piled  on  Heavens. 

Notwithstanding  these  prodigious  intervals,  these  suns  are  in  number 
so  considerable  that  their  numeration  as  yet  exceeds  all  our  means ;  mil- 
lions joined  to  millions  are  inadequate  to  enumerate  the  multitude !  Let  the 
mind  try  if  it  is  possible  to  represent  to  itself  at  one  time  this  consider- 
able number  of  systems  and  the  distances  which  separate  them  one  from 
the  other !  Confused  and  soon  humbled  at.  the  aspect  of  this  infinite 
richness,  it  will  only  learn  to  admire  in  silence  this  indescribable  wonder. 
Continually  rising  on  the  other  side  of  the  heavens,  going  beyond  the 
•distant  shores  of  this  ocean  without  limits,  it  will  endlessly  discover  fresh 
new  space,  and  new  worlds  will  reveal  themselves  to  our  eager  gaze, 


RELATIVE  SIZES  OF  THE  SUN  AND  PLANETS. 


(795) 


796  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

heavens  will  succeed  to  heavens,  spheres  to  spheres ;  after  deserts  of  ex- 
panse will  open  other  deserts,  after  immensities  other  immensities  ;  and 
even  when  carried  away  without  rest,  during  centuries,  with  the  rapidity 
of  thought,  the  soul  would  continue  its  flight  beyond  the  most  inaccessi- 
ble limits  that  imagination  could  conceive, — there  even  the  infinite  of  an 
unexplored  expanse  would  remain  still  open  before  it ;  the  infinite  of 
space  would  oppose  itself  to  the  infinite  of  time ;  endlessly  rivalling,  with- 
out our  ever  being  able  to  take  away  from  the  other :  and  the  spirit  wili 
be  arrested,  overcome  with  fatigue,  at  the  entrance  of  infinite  creation,  as 
if  it  had  not  advanced  a  single  step  in  space. 

Ye  stars  !  bright  legions  that,  before  all  time, 

Camped  on  yon  plain  of  sapphire,  what  shall  tell 

Your  burning  myriads  but  the  eye  of  Him 

Who  bade  through  heaven  your  golden  chariots  wheel  ? 

Yet  who,  earth-born,  can  see  your  hosts,  nor  feel 

Immortal  impulses — eternity  ? 

What  wonder  if  the  o'erwrought  soul  should  reel 

With  its  own  weight  of  thought,  and  the  wild  eye 

See  fate  within  your  tracks  of  deepest  glory  lie  ? 

The  immensity  of  the  heavens  has  been  sung  on  many  lyres ;  but  how 
can  the  song  of  man  express  such  a  reality?     Poets  have  tried  to  render 
it  in  verse,  when  one  feels  the  insufficiency  of  speech   to   note  the  im- 
mense thoughts  which  this  wonderful  contemplation  develops  in  us. 
The  Illumined  Firmaments. 

Is  there  not  reason  for  stating  that  reality  is  superior  to  fiction,  even  from 
the  point  of  view  of  poetical  sentiments,  and  that  the  contemplation  of 
actual  nature  encloses  a  richer  and  more  fruitful  source  of  inspiration 
than  the  illusions  of  the  spectacle  offered  by  our  senses  ?  Instead  of  an 
immense  night  stretching  itself  to  the  azure  vaults,  instead  of  a  robe 
worked  with  gold  embroideries,  or  a  veil  covered  with  brilliant  ornaments, 
we  are  in  the  bosom  of  life  and  universal  brightness.  Night  is  but  an 
accident,  a  happy  accident,  which  enables  our  looks  to  extend  themselves 
beyond  the  limits  which  the  day  marks  for  us ;  we  are  like  a  traveller 
reclining  in  the  shadow  of  a  hill,  who  contemplates  the  illuminated  land- 
scape which  is  unfolded  as  far  as  the  distant  horizon.  Instead  of  the  im- 
mobility of  dead  silence,  we  are  present  at  the  spectacle  of  life  on  worlds. 
With  the  light  of  truth  the  arbitrary  vaults  disappear  and  heaven  opens  its 
depths  to  us;  the  infinite  of  creation  is  revealed  with  the  infinite  of  space, 
and  our  earth,  losing  the  preponderance  which  our  pretensions  had  ac- 
corded to  it,  gives  way  under  our  feet  and  disappears  in  the  shade,  losing 
itself  in  the  midst  of  a  multitude  of  similar  little  worlds. 


THE  MARVELS  OF  THE  HEAVENS.  797 

There  are  truths  before  which  human  thought  feels  itself  humiliated 
and  perplexed,  which  it  contemplates  with  fear,  and  without  the  power  to 
face  them,  although  it  understands  their  existence  and  necessity :  such 
are  those  of  the  infinity  of  space  and  eternity  of  duration.  Impossible 
to  define,  for  all  definition  could  only  darken  the  first  idea  which  is  in  us, 
these  truths  command  and  rule  us.  To  try  and  explain  them  would  be 
a  barren  hope  ;  it  suffices  to  keep  them  before  our  attention  in  order  that 
they  may  reveal  to  us,  at  every  instant,  the  immensity  of  their  value.  A 
thousand  definitions  have  been  given ;  we  will  however  neither  quote 
nor  recall  one  of  them.  But  we  wish  to  open  space  before  us  and  em- 
ploy ourselves  there,  in  trying  to  penetrate  its  depth.  The  velocity  of  a 
cannon-ball  from  the  mouth  of  the  cannon  makes  swift  way,  4 37  yards  per 
second.  But  this  would  be  too  slow  for  our  journey  through  space,  as 
our  velocity  would  scarcely  be  900  miles  an  hour.  In  nature  there  are 
movements  incomparably  more  rapid,  for  instance,  the  velocity  of  light. 
This  velocity  is  1 86,000  miles  per  second.  We  will  place  ourselves  on  a 
ray  of  light  and  be  carried  away  on  its  rapid  course. 

A  Marvelous  Flight  Through  Space. 

Taking  the  earth  as  our  starting-point,  we  will  go  in  a  straight  line  to 
any  point  of  the  heavens.  We  start,  and  at  the  end  of  the  first  second, 
we  have  already  traversed  186,000  miles;  at  the  end  of  the  second, 
372,000.  We  continue :  ten  seconds,  a  minute,  ten  minutes  have  elapsed — 
111,600,000  miles  have  been  passed.  Flying  away  during  an  hour,  a 
•day,  a  week,  without  ever  slackening  our  pace — during  whole  months, 
and  even  a  year,  the  time  which  we  have  traversed  is  already  so  long 
that  expressed  in  miles,  the  numbers  exceed  our  faculty  of  comprehen- 
sion, and  indicate  nothing  to  our  mind;  they  would  be  trillions,  and  mil- 
lions of  millions.  But  we  will  not  interrupt  our  flight.  Carried  on 
without  stopping  by  this  same  rapidity  of  186,000  miles  each  second,  let 
us  penetrate  the  expanse  in  a  straight  line  for  whole  years,  fifty  years,  even 
a  century. — Where  are  we?  For  a  long  time  we  have  gone  beyond  the 
last  starry  regions  which  are  seen  from  the  earth,  the  last  that  the  tele- 
scope has  visited;  for  a  long  time  we  travel  in  other  regions,  unknown 
and  unexplored.  No  mind  is  capable  of  following  the  road  passed  over; 
thousands  of  millions  joined  to  thousands  of  millions  express  nothing:  at 
the  sight  of  this  prodigious  expanse  the  imagination  is  arrested,  humbled. 
Well !  this  is  the  wonderful  point  of  the  problem :  we  have  not  advanced 
a  single  step  in  space.  We  are  no  nearer  a  limit  than  if  we  had  remained 
in  the  same  place ;  we  should  be  able  again  to  begin  the  same  course, 
starting  from  the  point  where  we  are,  and  add  to  our  voyage  a  voyage  of 


798  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  same  extent;  we  should  be  able  to  join  centuries  on  centuries  in  the 
same  itinerary,  with  the  same  velocity, — to  continue  the  voyage  without 
end  and  without  rest;  we  should  be  able  to  guide  ourselves  in  any  part 
of  space,  left,  right,  forwards,  backwards,  above,  below,  in  every  direction; 
and  when  after  centuries  employed  in  this  giddy  course,  we  should  stop 
ourselves,  fascinated  or  in  despair  before  the  immensity  eternally  open, 
eternally  renewed,  we  should  again  understand  that  our  flights  had  not 
measured  for  us  the  smallest  part  of  space,  and  that  we  were  not  more 
advanced  than  at  our  starting-point.  In  truth,  it  is  the  infinite  which  sur- 
rounds us,  as  we  before  expressed  it,  or  the  infinite  number  of  worlds. 
We  should  be  able  to  float  for  eternity  without  ever  finding  anything 
before  us  but  an  eternally  open  infinite. 

Burning-  Sims  in  a  Boundless  Expanse. 

Hence  it  follows,  that  all  our  ideas  on  space  have  but  a  purely  relative 
value.  When  we  say,  for  instance,  to  ascend  to  the  sky,  to  descend 
under  the  earth,  these  expressions  are  false  in  themselves,  for  being  situ- 
ated in  the  bosom  of  the  infinite,  we  can  neither  ascend  or  descend:  there 
is  no  above  nor  below;  these  words  have  only  an  acceptation  relative  to 
the  terrestrial  surface  on  which  we  live.  The  universe  must,  therefore,  be 
represented  as  an  expanse  without  limits,  without  shores,  illimited,  in- 
finite, in  the  bosom  of  which  float  suns  like  that  which  lights  us,  and 
earths  like  that  which  poises  under  our  steps.  Neither  dome,  nor  vaults 
nor  limits,  of  any  kind;  void  in  every  direction,  and  in  this  infinite  void 
an  immense  quantity  of  worlds. 

In  the  bosom  of  infinite  space,  the  unfathomable  extent  of  which  we 
have  tried  to  comprehend,  float  rich  clusters  of  stars,  each  separated  by 
immense  intervals.  Now  the  stars  are  not  scattered  in  all  parts  of  space 
at  hazard:  they  are  grouped  as  the  members  of  many  families.  If  we 
compared  the  ocean  of  the  heavens  with  the  oceans  of  the  earth,  we 
should  .say  that  the  isles  which  sprinkle  this  ocean  do  not  rise  separately 
in  all  parts  of  the  sea,  but  that  they  are  united  here  and  there  in  archi- 
pelagoes more  or  less  rich.  A  Power  as  ancient  as  the  existence  of 
matter  presided  at  the  creation  of  these  isles,  each  archipelago  of  which 
contains  a  great  number;  not  one  amongst  them  has  risen  spontaneously 
in  an  isolated  region ;  they  are  all  collected  in  tribes,  most  of  which 
count  their  members  by  millions. 

Luminous  Clusters  of  Stars. 

These  rich  groupings  of  stars  have  received  the  name  of  nebulae.  This 
name  was  given  at  the  time  of  the  invention  of  astronomical  lenses,  when 


THE  MARVELS  OF  THE  HEAVENS. 

these  starry  tribes  were  distinguished  only  under  a  diffused,  cloudy 
aspect,  which  did  not  enable  the  eye  to  distinguish  the  composing  stars. 
This  appearance  not  revealing  in  any  way  the  idea  of  solar  clusters,  it 
was  thought  that  they  were  only  phosphorescent  vapors,  whirlwinds  of 
luminous  substance,  or  possibly  primitive  fluids,  whose  progressive  con- 
densation would  in  the  future  effect  the  formation  of  new  stars.  They 
were  thought  to  assist  at  the  creation  of  distant  worlds,  and  sometimes  in 
remarking  their  different  degrees  of  luminosity,  people  thought  they 
could  infer  their  relative  ages,  as  in  a  forest  the  age  of  trees  of  the  same 
species  may  be  known  on  approach  according  to  their  size  or  the  concen- 
tric circles  which  are  formed  each  year  under  the  bark.  Thus  the  first 
nebula  observed  by  the  aid  of  the  telescope  and  pointed  out  as  an  object 
of  particular  nature,  the  nebula  of  Andromeda,  was  considered  for  three 
centuries  and  a  half  as  entirely  deprived  of  stars.  Simon  Marius  of  Fran- 
conia,  who  from  a  musician  became  an  astronomer — very  compatible 
tastes,  moreover — describing  this  oval  and  whitish  appearance,  which, 
more  brilliant  at  the  centre,  became  fainter  at  the  edges,  said  that  it  re- 
sembled the  light  of  a  candle  seen  at  a  distance  through  a  sheet  of  horn. 
Starry  Archipelagoes  in  the  Upper  Deep. 

Only  a  few  years  ago  a  Cambridge  astronomer  counted  within  the 
limits  of  this  nebula  1500  little  stars,  notwithstanding  which,  the  centre 
still  keeps  the  aspect  of  a  diffused  light,  in  spite  of  the  best  instruments. 
Later,  the  astronomer  Halley  thought  no  more  of  the  star-clusters. 

In  reality,  he  states,  these  spots  are  nothing  more  than  light  coming 
from  an  immense  space  situated  in  the  regions  of  ether,  filled  with  a  dif- 
fused and  luminous  medium  by  itself.  Others,  again,  imagined  that  at 
that  spot  the  brightness  of  empyrean  heaven  was  seen  through  an  open- 
ing in  the  firmament.  Derham  said  this,  the  author  of  astro-theology. 
But  when  optical  instruments  were  perfected,  this  appearance  of  diffused 
light  was  transformed  into  a  brilliant  dotting  ;  in  proportion  as  the  power 
of  the  telescope  became  more  searching,  the  number  of  apparent  nebulae 
diminished,  and  at  present  many  of  those  which  in  Galileo's  time  were 
regarded  as  cosmical  clouds  are  resolved  into  stars.  To  be  just,  it  must 
be  added  that  in  revealing  the  stellar  composition  of  the  first  nebulae,  the 
telescope  showed  others  whose  nature  has  only  quite  recently  been  found 
out;  these  nebulae  remain  in  an  indistinct  state,  not  only  on  account  of 
their  prodigious  distance,  but  because  they  are  composed  of  vast  cloud- 
masses  of  glowing  gas. 

Thus,  infinite  space  must  be  represented  as  an  immense  void  in  the 
bosom  of  which  are  suspended  archipelagoes  of  stars.  These  archipela- 


SOO  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

IVflAM  3HT 

goes  are  themselves  of  infinite  number ;  the  stars  which  compose  them 
can  be  counted  by  millions,  and  from  one  to  the  other  the  distance  is  in- 
calculable. They  are  distributed  in  space  in  every  direction,  following 
every  imaginable  course,  and  invested  with  every  possible  form. 

At  the  sight  of  these  globular  masses  one  may  ask  with  Arago, 
•"  What  is  the  number  of  stars  contained  in  some  of  these  clusters  ? " 
The  astronomer  himself  replied  to  his  question.  It  would  be  impossible 
to  count  in  detail  and  accurately  the  total  number  of  stars  of  which  cer- 
tain globular  nebulae  are  composed ;  but  one  may  be  able  to  arrive  at 
limits.  In  calculating  the  angular  space  of  the  stars  situated  near  the 
edges,  that  is  to  say,  in  the  region  where  they  do  not  project  on  each 
other,  and  comparing  them  with  the  total  diameter  of  the  group,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  a  nebula,  whose  apparent  superficial  extent  is  scarcely  equal  to  the 
tenth  of  that  of  the  lunar  disk,  does  not  contain  less  than  20,000  stars  ; 
this  is  the  minimum.  The  dynamic  conditions  proper  to  insure  the  in- 
definite preservation  of  a  similar  multitude  of  stars,  do  not  seem  easy  to 
imagine,  adds  the  celebrated  astronomer.  Supposing  the  system  at  rest, 
the  stars  in  time  will  fall  on  each  other.  Giving  it  a  rotary  movement 
round  a  single  axis,  shocks  will  inevitably  take  place.  After  all,  is  it  cer- 
tain that  the  globular  systems  of  stars  must  be  preserved  indefinitely  in 
the  state  in  which  we  now  see  them  ?  The  examination  of  changes 
which  have  taken  place  in  other  systems  led  to  the  belief,  on  the  contrary, 
that  there  is  nothing  infinitely  stable  there,  and  that  movement  governs 
these  clusters  of  suns,  as  well  as  it  governs  each  of  the  stars,  and  each 
of  the  little  worlds  which  revolve  round  them. 

Star  Clusters  of  Curious  Shapes. 

The  most  regular  nebulae  are  not  the  most  curious ;  notwithstanding, 
the  aspect  of  some  of  them  leaves  a  certain  wonder  in  the  mind.  There 
are  star-clusters  which,  instead  of  being  condensed  in  an  immense  globe, 
are  distributed  in  a  crown,  presenting  the  appearance  of  a  circular  or 
oval  nebula,  but  hollow  at  its  centre.  One  of  these  is  the  perforated  neb- 
ula of  Lyra ;  another  is  that  of  Andromeda.  In  the  one,  the  magnifi- 
cent telescope  of  Lord  Rosse  shows  dazzling  borders  of  stars  close 
together,  and  luminous  fringes  notching  the  outer  edge  ;  in  the  other,  two 
suns,  symmetrically  placed  on  one  side  and  the  other  of  the  ellipse,  ap- 
pear destined  to  the  government  of  this  system  in  its  passage  through 
space.  Perforated  nebulae  are  one  of  the  rarest  curiosities.  That  of  Lyra 
is  the  most  celebrated;  it  was  discovered  in  1799,  at  Toulouse,  by  Ar- 
quier,  at  the  time  when  the  comet  pointed  out  by  Bode  approached  the 
region  that  it  occupied.  It  is  about  the  apparent  size  of  the  disk  of  Ju- 


THE  MARVELS  OF  THE  HEAVENS.  801 

piter,  and  forms  an  ellipse,  its  two  diameters  being  in  the  ratio  of  four  to 
five.  The  interior  of  the  ring  is  not  dark,  but  slightly  luminous.  The 
hollow  space  is,  however,  of  a  very  deep  black  in  the  beautiful  perforated 
nebulae  of  the  southern  hemisphere.  All  are  probably  star-clusters  in 

form  of  rings. 

Ten  Thousand  Eyes  in  One. 

As  incidental  reference  has  been  made  to  the  telescope,  it  is  appropriate 
that  just  here  we  should  glance  at  this  wonderful  instrument.  The  first 
telescope  made,  Gallileo's  feeble  instrument,  only  magnified  objects  seven 
times,  and  yet  with  it  he  discovered  the  satellites  of  Jupiter.  The  first 
telescope  which  was  constructed  of  large  dimensions  was  that  of  Sir 
William  Herschel.  He  discovered  the  sixth  satellite  of  Saturn  with  it. 
The  tube  of  this  instrument  being  extremely  heavy,  movement  could  only 
be  communicated  by  a  very  complicated  mechanism ;  a  mass  of  ladders 
and  masts,  forming  a  gigantic  pyramid.  Its  length  was  nearly  forty  feet, 
its  diameter  nearly  five.  Euler  maintained  that  in  order  to  see  the  largest 
animals  in  the  moon,  it  would  be  requisite  to  have  a  telescope  several 
hundred  feet  in  length.  Hooke  thought  a  glass  10,000  feet  long  (nearly 
two  miles)  would  be  necessary,  and  projected  the  construction  of  one. 
The  telescope  of  Lord  Rosse  has  shown  that  we  can  obtain  this  advan- 
tage much  more  easily.  It  is,  says  Sir  David  Brewster,  one  of  our  most 
marvelous  combinations  of  art  and  science.  This  magnificent  instru- 
ment is  fixed  in  the  midst  of  walls  which  resemble  segments  of  fortifica- 
tions. The  telescope  tube  is  55  feet  in  length,  and  weighs  14,575  pounds 
avoirdupois.  With  it  one  can  gauge  the  immeasurable  depths  of  the 
heavens.  It  is  thought  that  by  means  of  this  instrument  we  could  easily 
perceive  a  monument  the  size  of  the  pyramids  of  Egypt,  if  any  existed 
on  the  moon.  The  surface  of  this  planet  is  there  as  accurately  depicted 
as  a  terrestial  landscape 

The  telescope  of  Lord  Rosse,  would  certainly  not  show  us  a  lunar 
elephant,  but  a  troop  of  animals  like  a  herd  of  American  buffaloes  would 
be  quite  visible.  Troops  marching  in  order  of  battle  would  be  clearly 
perceptible.  The  observatory  at  Paris  and  the  capitol  at  Washington 
would  be  very  easily  seen.  We  must  therefore  conclude  that  if  we  see 
nothing  of  this  kind  on  our  satellite,  it  is  because  its  surface,  formerly  all 
flame  and  volcano,  and  now  all  ice,  did  not  or  does  not  contain  anything 
of  the  kind.  j 

Sir  John  Herschel  explored  the  stars  with  instruments  which  multiplied 
6500  times.  Lord  Rosse  fathomed  the  depths  of  the  heavens  with  a 
telescope  having  a  six  feet  opening,  and  fifty-five  feet  in  length.  Thus  by 
51 


802  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  potency  of  this  immense  optic  tube,  in  which  a  man  could  walk  with 
ease,  we  see  several  nebulae,  which  up  to  the  present  time  had  defied  all 
our  instruments,  resolved  into  dense  swarms  of  stars.  Our  means  of  in- 
vestigation have  given  gigantic  proportions  to  the  field  of  science.  When 
the  sidereal  world  was  only  explored  with  the  naked  eye,  the  catalogue 
of  stars  compiled  from  antiquity  only  made  mention  of  about  a  thousand 
stars.  In  our  days  the  vault  of  heaven,  seen  through  a  telescope  twenty 
feet  long,  is  found,  according  to  Struve,  to  contain  more  than  20,000,000 
stars. 

But  Sir  William  Herschel  pried  yet  more  deeply  into  the  mysteries  of 
the  heavens.  By  means  of  his  telescope,  forty  feet  long,  the  milky  way, 
this  long  white  train  which  the  Arabs  called  the  Heavenly  River,  has 


LORD    ROSSE'S    GREAT    REFLECTING   TELESCOPE. 

been  resolved  into  a  stellar  cloud,  in  which  the  English  astronomer  esti- 
mated there  were  18,000,000  telescopic  stars.  And  yet  can  we  say  that 
with  these  overwhelming  numbers — these  numbers  which  confound  the 
imagination — we  have  reached  the  extreme  bounds  of  science,  and  that  it 
has  traced  out  the  farthest  limits  of  the  sidereal  universe  ?  Probably  not. 
Other  revelations,  not  less  marvelous,  may  yet  astonish  our  descendants ! 
Not  only  do  these  distant  systems,  some  of  them  peopled  with  myriads 
of  suns,  take  the  most  varied  forms,  not  only  do  they  present  a  diversity 
of  aspect  greater  than  it  is  possible  to  imagine;  but  some  of  them  also 
unfold  to  the  astonished  eye  which  contemplates  them  varied  shades  and 
real  colors.  One  is  of  a  beautiful  indigo  blue ;  another  is  rose-colored  at 
its  centre  with  a  white  border. 


CHAPTER  II. 

. 

REMARKABLE  PHENOMENA  IN  THE  SKY, 

. 

Strange  Appearances  in  the  Heavens— Fiery  Bodies  Sweeping  Through  the  Sky- 
Startling  Explosions — An  Aerolite  Suspended  in  a  Church— Fall  of  a  Great 
Stone— A  Brilliant  Meteorite  Seen  in  Connecticut— Balls  of  Fire  Leaping  and 
Whizzing  in  the  Air — A  Red  Globe  Apparently  as  Large  as  the  Moon— A  Shower 
of  Burning  Stones— The  Great  Meteor  at  Hurworth. 

ETEORITES  are  those  solid  fiery  bodies  which  from  time  to 
time  visit  the  earth,  sweeping  through  the  sky  with  immense 
velocity  in  every  direction,  and  remaining  visible  but  a  few 
moments;  they  are  generally  attended  by  a  luminous  train,  and 
during  their  progress  explosions  usually  occur,  followed  by  the  fall  of 
stones,  to  which  the  name  of  aerolites  is  given. 

In  November,  1462,  at  Ensisheim,  in  Germany,  a  loud  explosion  was 
heard  in  the  air,  and  a  stone  seen  to  fall  which  buried  itself  deep  in  the 
earth.  It  weighed  260  pounds,  and  by  the  order  of  the  Emperor  Maxi- 
milian, was  suspended  in  the  church  at  Ensisheim,  where  it  remained 
until  the  French  revolution.  A  portion  of  it  is  now  in  the  Parisian 
museum,  and  another  in  the  Imperial  Cabinet  at  Vienna.  In  June,  1635, 
a  fiery  mass  was  seen  passing  over  the  Veronese  territory  with  such 
velocity,  that  the  eye  could  scarcely  follow  its  motions.  Loud  explosions 
were  heard,  and  a  large  stone  fell  near  the  Benedictine  Convent,  about  six 
miles  from  Verona. 

At  half  past  six  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  the  1 4th  of  December,  1807, 
a  meteorite  was  seen  rushing  from  north  to  south,  over  Weston,  in  the 
State  of  Connecticut;  its  apparent  diameter  being  equal  to  one-half,  or 
two-thirds,  that  of  the  full  moon.  As  it  passed  behind  the  clouds,  it  ap- 
peared like  the  sun  through  a  mist,  and  shone  with  a  mild  and  subdued 
light;  but  when  it  shot  across  the  intervals  of  clear  sky,  the  glowing  bendy 
flashed  and  sparkled  like  a  firebrand  carried  against  the  wind.  Behind  it 
streamed  a  pale,  luminous  train,  tapering  in  form,  and  ten  or  twelve  times 
as  long  as  its  diameter.  The  meteorite  was  visible  for  the  space  of  half  a 
minute,  and  just  as  it  vanished  gave  three,  distinct  bounds.  About  thirty 
seconds  after  its  disappearance,  three  heavy  explosions  were  heard  like 
the  reports  of  a  cannon,  succeeded  by  a  loud  whizzing  noise.  Directly 
after  the  explosions,  a  person  heard  a  sound  resembling  that  occasioned 
(803) 


804  EARTH,  SEA,  AND 

by  the  fall  of  a  heavy  body,  and  upon  going  from  the  house  perceived  a 
fresh  hole  in  the  turf,  at  the  distance  of  twenty-five  feet  from  the  door. 
At  the  bottom  of  the  hole,  two  feet  below  the  surface,  an  aerolite  was  dis- 
covered which  weighed  nearly  thirty-five  pounds.  Another  mass,  which 
was  dashed  to  pieces  upon  a  rock,  was  judged,  from  the  fragments 
collected,  to  have  weighed  two  hundred  pounds.  Other  aerolites  fell 
in  various  parts  of  the  town.  The  stones,  at  the  time  of  their  descent, 
were  hot  and  crumbling,  but  gradually  hardened  upon  exposure  to 
tiie  air.  pjj[  "JQ  ^^nouftni  silt  i3t>nir 

At  Futtypore,  in  India,  in  November,  1814,  a  meteorite  was  seen, 
shortly  alter  sunset,  shooting  swiftly  towards  the  north-west.  It  appeared 
as  a  blaze  of  light  surrounding  a  red  globe  of  the  apparent  size  of  the 
moon.  As  it  proceeded  on  its  course,  loud  explosions  were  heard,  re- 
sembling the  sound  of  distant  artillery,  and  a  stone  fell,  which,  in  its  de- 
scent, emitted  sparks  like  those  proceeding  from  a  blacksmith's  forge. 
When  first  discovered,  the  aerolite  was  hot  and  exhaled  a  strong  sulphur- 
ous smell.  In  December,  1836,  just  before  midnight,  a  meteorite  of  ex- 
traordinary size  and  brilliancy  was  seen  over  the  village  of  Macao,  in 
Brazil,  traversing  a  cloudless  sky.  It  burst  with  a  sharp,  loud  noise,  and 
a  shower  of  stones  fell  within  a  circle  of  thirty  miles.  The  aerolites 
varied,  in  weight  from  one  pound  to  eighty,  and  descended  with  such 
force  as  to  break  through  the  roofs  of  houses,  and  bury  themselves  deep 
in  the  sand.  These  extraordinary  bodies  have  been  noticed  from  the 
earliest  ages,  and  in  all  parts  of  the  world;  and,  since  attention  has  been 
drawn  to  the  subject,  scarcely  a  year  now  passes  without  one  or  more 
well  attested  cases  of  the  fall  of  aerolites. 

Immense  Size  of  Meteorites. 

We  must  not  confound  the  magnitude  of  the  meteorite  with  that  of  the 
aerolite,  for  the  latter  is  nothing  more  than  a  fragment  thrown  orT  from 
the  former  and  falling  to  the  earth,  while  the  main  body  sweeps  onward 
in  its  course.  The  diameter  of  the  Weston  meteorite  was  computed  to 
be  300  feet,  and  that  of  a  meteorite  observed  at  Windsor,  in  August, 
1783,  was  calculated  to  be  no  less  than  3210  feet,  or  more  than  three- 
fifths  of  a  mile. 

Included  in  natural  electrical  phenomena  at  sea  is  a  round  ball  the 
size  of  a  full  moon,  but  much  brighter  and  redder,  passing  slowly  from 
one  cloud  to  another,  sometimes  succeeded  by  a  terrific  explosion  of 
thunder.  It  seems  strange  that  ships  are  not  oftener  struck  by  lightning, 
but,  although  the  bolts  sometimes  fall  in  quick  succession  around  a  shin, 
they  are  g^erally  diverted  by  the  superior  attraction  of  the  water. 


REMARKABLE  PHENOMENA  IN  THE  SKY. 


805 


These  flaming  electric  bolts  which  add  so  much  to  the  terror  and  beauty 
of  the  ocean  are  different  in  cause  from  the  brilliant  meteors  so  often  seen 
on  land.  Meteors  or  shooting  stars  may  be  occasionally  seen  on  any 
clear  night,  but  it  is  about  the  middle  of  August  and  November  that  the 
t  lisplay  is  most  brilliant.  Sometimes  meteoric  showers  of  several  hours' 
duration  are  witnessed.  Meteors  are  supposed  to  be  small  bodies  revolv- 
ing around  the  sun,  like  the  planets,  in  orbits  which  cross  that  of  the 
earth.  When  the  earth  in  its  annual  revolution  arrives  sufficiently  near, 
under  the  influence  of  its  attraction  they  approach  it  with  great  velocity, 
and  on  entering  the  atmosphere  of  the  earth  they  take  fire.  In  most 


THE  GREAT  METEOR  SEEN  AT  HURWORTH. 

cases  they  are  consumed  before  reaching  the  earth,  and  thus  disappear  in 
the  sky.  Sometimes,  however,  when  the  mass  is  large,  a  loud  explosion 
takes  place,  and  fragments  from  a  few  pounds  to  a  ton  in  weight  fall  to 
the  ground.  In  one  case  a  meteoric  stone  nearly  ten  tons  in  weight  was 
found  in  France.  Such  wanderers  from  far  distant  space  or  from  other 
worlds  are  made  up  of  materials  similar  to  those  we  find  in  the  earth — 
iron,  nickel,  quartz,  talc,  etc.  These  meteors,  when  large,  are  often  inex- 
pressibly brilliant  One  seen  at  Hurworth,  England,  in  1854,  lit  up  the 
heavens  for  half  an  hour  with  as  bright  a  light  as  that  of  the  sun,  and 
finally  burst  with  a  thunderous  explosion  heard  for  many  miles. 


806  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

A  multitude  of  theories  have  been  devised  to  account  for  the  origin  of 
these  remarkable  bodies.  The  idea  is  completely  inadmissible  that  they 
are  concretions  formed  within  the  limits  of  the  atmosphere.  The  ingre- 
dients that  enter  into  their  composition  have  never  been  discovered  in  it, 
and  the  air  has  been  analyzed  at  the  sea  level  and  on  the  tops  of  high 
mountains.  Even  supposing  that  to  have  been  the  case,  the  enormous 
volume  of  atmospheric  air  so  charged  required  to  furnish  the  particles  of 
a  mass  of  several  tons,  not  to  say  many  masses,  is,  alone,  sufficient  to 
refute  the  notion.  They  cannot,  either,  be  projectiles  from  terrestrial  vol- 
canoes, because  coincident  volcanic  activity  has  not  been  observed,  and 
aerolites  descend  thousands  of  miles  apart  from  the  nearest  volcano',  and 
their  substances  are  discordant  with  any  known  volcanic  product.  La- 
place suggested  their  projection  from  lunar  volcanoes. 

It  has  been  calculated  that  a  projectile  leaving  the  lunar  surface,  where 
there  is  no  atmospheric  resistance,  with  a  velocity  of  seven  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  seventy- one  feet  in  the  first  second,  would  be  carried  beyond 
the  point  where  the  forces  of  the  earth  and  moon  are  equal,  would  be 
detached,  therefore,  from  the  satellite,  and  come  so  far  within  the  sphere 
of  the  earth's  attraction  as  necessarily  to  fall  to  it.  But  the  enormous 
number  of  ignited  bodies  that  have  been  visible,  the  shooting  stars  of  all 
ages,  and  the  periodical  meteoric  showers  that  have  astonished  the  mod- 
erns, render  this  hypothesis  untenable ;  for  the  moon,  ere  this,  would  have 
undergone  such  a  waste  as  must  have  sensibly  diminished  her  orb,  and 
almost  blotted  her  from  the  heavens.  Olbers  was  one  of  the  first  to  prove 
the  possibility  of  a  projectile  reaching  us  from  the  moon  ;  but  at  the  same 
time  he  deemed  the  event  highly  improbable,  regarding  the  satellite  as  a 
.very  peaceable  neighbor,  not  capable  now  of  strong  explosions  from  the 
want  of  water  and  an  atmosphere. 

Wliere  do  Meteors  Come  From? 

The  theory  of  Chladni  will  account  generally  for  all  the  phenomena, 
be  attended  with  the  fewest  difficulties,  and,  with  some  modifications  to 
meet  circumstances  not  known  in  his  day,  it  is  now  widely  embraced.  He 
conceived  the  system  to  include  an  immense  number  of  small  bodies, 
either  the  scattered  fragments  of  a  larger  mass,  or  original  accumulations 
of  matter,  which,  circulating  round  the  sun,  encounter  the  earth  in  its 
orbit,  and  are  drawn  towards  it  by  attraction,  become  ignited  upon  enter- 
ing the  atmosphere,  in  consequence  of  their  velocity,  and  constitute  the 
shooting  stars,  aerolites,  and  meteoric  appearances  that  are  observed. 

Sir  Humphry  Davy,  in  a  paper  which  contains  his  researches  on  flame, 
strongly  expresses  an  opinion  that  the  meteorites  are  solid  bodies  moving 


A   SHOWER   OF    BRILLIANT   METEORS   ON   THE   OCEAN. 


(807) 


808  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

in  space,  and  that  the  heat  produced  by  the  compression  of  the  most  rare- 
fied air  from  the  velocity  of  their  motion  must  be  sufficient  to  ignite  their 
mass,  so  that  they  are  fused  on  entering  the  atmosphere.  It  is  estimated 
that  a  body  moving  through  our  atmosphere  with  the  velocity  of  one 
mile  in  a  second  would  extricate  heat  equal  to  thirty  thousand  degrees  of 
Fahrenheit — a  heat  more  intense  than  that  of  the  fiercest  artificial  furnace 
that  ever  glowed.  The  chief  modification  given  to  the  Chladnian  theory 
has  arisen  from  the  observed  periodical  occurrence  of  meteoric  showers — 
a  brilliant  and  astonishing  exhibition,— to  some  notices  of  which  we  pro- 
ceed. 

The  writers  of  the  middle  ages  report  the  occurrence  of  the  stars  falling 
from  heaven  in  resplendent  showers  among  the  physical  appearances  of 
their  time.  The  experience  of  modern  days  establishes  the  substantial 
truth  of  such  relations,  however  once  rejected  as  the  inventions  of  men  de- 
lighting in  the  marvelous.  Conde,  in  his  history  of  the  dominion  of  the 
Arabs,  states,  referring  to  the  month  of  October,  in  the  year  902  of  our 
era,  that  on  the  night  of  the  death  of  King  Ibrahim  ben  Ahmed,  an  infi- 
nite number  of  falling  stars  were  seen  to  spread  themselves  like  rain  over 
the  heavens,  from  right  to  left ;  and  this  year  was  afterwards  called  the 
"  year  of  stars." 

In  some  Eastern  annals  of  Cairo,  it  is  related  that,  "  In  this  year  (1029 
of  our  era,)  in  the  month  Redjeb,  (August,)  many  stars  passed,  with  a 
great  noise  and  brilliant  light;  "  and  in  another  place  the  same  documeht 
states,  "  In  the  year  599,  on  Saturday  night,  in  the  last  Moharrem,  (1202 
of  our  era,  and  on  the  I9th  of  October,)  the  stars  appeared  like  waves 
upon  the  sky,  towards  the  east  and  west ;  they  flew  about  like  grasshop- 
pers, and  were  dispersed  from  left  to  right ;  this  lasted  till  daybreak ;  the 
people  were  alarmed."  The  researches  of  the  Orientalist,  Von  Hammer, 
have  brought  these  singular  accounts  to  light.  Theophanes,  one  of  the 
Byzantine  historians,  records  that  in  November  of  the  year  472  the  sky 
appeared  to  be  on  fire  over  the  city  of  Constantinople  with  the  corusca  - 
tions  of  flying  meteors. 

"Divers  Great  Wonders." 

The  chronicles  of  the  West  agree  with  those  of  the  East  in  reporting 
such  phenomena.  A  remarkable  display  was  observed  on  the  4th  of 
April,  1095,  both  in  France  and  England.  "  The  stars  seemed,"  says  one, 
"  falling  like  a  shower  of  rain  from  heaven  upon  the  earth  ;  "  and  in  an- 
other case,  a  bystander,  having  noted  the  spot  where  an  aerolite  fell,"  cast 
water  upon  it,  which  was  raised  in  steam  with  a  great  noise  of  boiling." 
The  chronicle  of  Rheims  describes  the  appearance,  as  if  all  the  stars  in 


REMARKABLE  PHENOMENA  OF  THE  SKY.         809 

heaven  were  driven,  like  dust,  before  the  wind.  "  By  the  reporte  of  the 
common  people,  in  this  kynge's  time,  (William  Rufijs,")  says  Rastel, 
"divers  great  wonders  were  seen;  and  therefore  the  king  was  told  by 
divers  of  his  familiars,  that  God  was  not  content  with  his  lyvyng,  but  he 
was  so  wilful  and  proude  of  minde,  that  he  regarded  little  their  saying." 
There  can  be  no  hesitation  now  in  giving  credence  to  such  narrations  as 
these,  since  similar  facts  have  passed  under  the  notice  of  the  present  gen- 
eration. 

The  first  grand  phenomenon  of  a  meteoric  shower  which  attracted  atten- 
tion in  modern  times  was  witnessed  by  the  Moravian  missionaries  at  their 
settlements  in  Greenland.  For  several  hours  the  hemisphere  presented  a 
magnificent  and  astonishing  spectacle — that  of  fiery  particles,  thick  as  hail, 
crowding  the  concave  of  the  sky,  as  though  some  magazine  of  combustion 
in  celestial  space  were  discharging  its  contents  towards  the  earth.  This 
was  observed  over  a  wide  extent  of  territory.  Humboldt,  then  travelling 
in  South  America,  accompanied  by  M.  Bonpland,  thus  speaks  of  it : 
"Towards  the  morning  of  the  I3th  of  November,  1799,  we  witnessed  a 
most  extraordinary  scene  of  shooting  meteors.  Thousands  of  bodies  and 
falling  stars  succeeded  each  other  during  four  hours.  Their  direction  was 
very  regular  from  north  to  south.  From  the  beginning  of  the  phenom- 
enon there  was  not  a  space  in  the  firmament  equal  in  extent  to  three  diam- 
eters of  the  moon  which  was  not  filled  every  instant  with  bodies  or  falling 
stars.  All  the  meteors  left  luminous  traces  or  phosphorescent  bands 
behind  them,  which  lasted  seven  or  eight  seconds." 

A  Spectacle  of  Awful  Grandeur. 

An  agent  of  the  United  States,  Mr.  Ellicott,  at  that  time  at  sea  between 
Cape  Florida  and  the  West  India  Islands,  was  another  spectator,  and  thus 
describes  the  scene  :  "  I  was  called  up  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
to  seethe  shooting  stars,  as  they  are  called.  The  phenomenon  was  grand 
and  awful.  The  whole  heavens  appeared  as  if  illuminated  with  sky  rockets, 
which  disappeared  only  by  the  light  of  the  sun  after  daybreak.  The  me- 
teors, which  at  any  one  instant  of  time  appeared  as  numerous  as  the  stars, 
flaw  in  all  possible  directions,  except  from  the  earth,  towards  which  they 
all  inclined  more  or  less ;  and  some  of  them  descended  perpendicularly 
over  the  vessel  we  were  in,  so  that  I  was  in  constant  expectation  of  their 
filling  on  us." 

The  next  exhibition  upon  a  great  scale  of  the  falling  stars  occurred  on 
the  1 3th  of  November,  1831,  and  was  seen  off  the  coast  of  Spain  and  in 
the  United  States.  This  was  followed  by  another  in  the  ensuing  year  at 
exactly  the  same  time.  Captain  Hammond,  then  in  the  Red  Sea,  off 


810  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

Mocha,  in  the  ship  Restitution,  gives  the  following  account  of  it :  u  From 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  till  after  daylight,  there  was  a  very  unusual 
phenomenon  in  the  heavens.  It  appeared  like  meteors  bursting  in  every 
direction.  The  sky  at  the  time  was  clear,  the  stars  and  moon  bright,  with 
streaks  of  light  and  thin  white  clouds  interspersed  in  the  sky.  On  landin  - 
in  the  morning  I  inquired  of  the  Arabs  if  they  had  noticed  the  above. 
They  said  they  had  been  observing  it  most  of  the  night.  I  asked  them 
if  ever  the  like  had  appeared  before.  The  oldest  of  them  replied  that  it 
had  not."  The  shower  was  witnessed  from  the  Red  Sea  westward  to  the 
Atlantic,  and  from  Switzerland  to  the  Mauritius. 

People  Stricken  \vitli  Terror. 

We  now  come  to  by  far  the  most  splendid  display  on  record  ;  which, 
as  it  was  the  third  in  successive  years,  and  on  the  same  day  of  the  month 
as  the  two  preceding,  seemed  to  invest  the  meteoric  showers  with  a 
periodical  character;  and  hence  originated  the  title  of  the  November 
meteors.  The  chief  scene  of  the  exhibition  was  included  within  the 
limits  of  the  longitude  of  sixty-one  degrees  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and 
that  of  one  hundred  degrees  in  Central  Mexico,  and  from  the  North 
American  lakes  to  the  West  Indies.  Over  this  wide  area  an  appearance 
presented  itself  far  surpassing  in  grandeur  the  most  imposing  artificial 
fireworks.  An  incessant  play  of  dazzlingly  brilliant  luminosities  was  kept 
up  in  the  heavens  for  several  hours.  Some  of  these  were  of  considerable 
magnitude  and  peculiar  form. 

One  of  large  size  remained  for  some  time  almost  stationary  in  the 
zenith,  over  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  emitting  streams  of  light.  The  wild 
dash  of  the  waters,  as  contrasted  with  the  fiery  uproar  above  them,  formed 
a  scene  of  unequalled  sublimity.  In  many  districts  the  mass  of  the  popu- 
lation were  terror-stricken,  and  the  more  enlightened  were  awed  at  con- 
templating so  vivid  a  picture  of  the  Apocalyptic  image — that  of  the  stars 
of  heaven  falling  to  the  earth,  even  as  a  fig-tree  casting  her  untimely  figs, 
when  she  is  shaken  of  a  mighty  wind. 

A  planter  of  South  Carolina  thus  describes  the  effect  of  the  scene  upon 
the  ignorant  blacks :  "  I  was  suddenly  awakened  by  the  most  distressing 
cries  that  ever  fell  on  my  ears.  Shrieks  of  horror  and  cries  for  mercy  I 
could  hear  from  most  of  the  negroes  of  three  plantations,  amounting  in 
all  to  about  six  or  eight  hundred.  While  earnestly  listening  for  the  cause, 
I  heard  a  faint  voice  near  the  door  calling  my  name.  I  arose,  and  taking 
my  sword,  stood  at  the  door.  At  this  moment,  I  heard  the  same  voice 
still  beseeching  me  to  rise,  and  saying,  *  O  my  God,  the  world  is  on  fire !' 
I  then  opened  the  door,  and  it  is  difficult  to  say  which  excited  me  more 


REMARKABLE  PHENOMENA  OF  THE  SKY.         811 

— the  awfulness  of  the  scene  or  the  distressed  cries  of  the  negroes.  Up- 
wards of  one  hundred  lay  prostrate  on  the  ground,  some  speechless,  and 
some  with  the  bitterest  cries,  but  with  their  hands  raised,  imploring  God 
to  save  the  world  and  them.  The  scene  was  truly  awful ;  for  never  did 
rain  fall  much  thicker  than  the  meteors  fell  towards  the  earth ;  east,  west, 
north  and  south  it  was  the  same." 

Almost  Hit  by  a  Meteor. 

A  remarkable  story  is  related  by  Captain  Swart,  of  the  Dutch  bark,  J. 
P.  A.  The  Captain  thinks  that  his  theory,  derived  from  a  recent  ex- 
perience, will  account  for  the  sudden  disappearance  of  many  vessels  at 
sea.  He  says  that  March  19,  1 887,  his  ship,  while  in  latitude  37.39  and 
longitude  57  west,  met  a  heavy  storm.  At  about  five  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon a  meteor  was  observed  flying  through  the  air. 

It  looked  like  two  balls,  one  very  black  and  the  other  brightly  illumin- 
ated. The  latter  fell,  and  as  it  seemed  that  it  would  strike  the  vessel  she 
was  hove  to  under  storm  sails.  The  meteor  dropped  into  the  sea  close 
along  side,  making  in  its  flight  a  tremendous  roaring  noise.  Before 
reaching  the  water,  the  upper  atmosphere  was  darkened,  while  below  and 
on  board  everything  appeared  like  a  sea  of  fire.  The  force  of  the  meteor 
in  striking  the  water  caused  heavy  breakers,  which  washed  over  the  vessel, 
making  her  roll  in  a  dangerous  manner.  At  the  same  time  the  atmosphere 
became  uncomfortably  warm  and  the  air  was  full  of  sulphur.  Immediately 
afterwards  solid  lumps  of  ice  fell  on  the  decks,  and  the  decks  and  rigging 
became  coated  with  an  icy  crust,  caused  by  the  immense  evaporation. 

The  barometer  during  the  phenomenon  oscillated  so  violently  that  no 
reading  could  be  taken.  After  close  examination  of  the  vessel  and  rigging 
no  damage  was  found  on  deck,  but  on  the  side  where  the  meteor  fell  into 
the  water  the  ship  appeared  all  black  and  some  of  the  copper  sheathing 

was  blistered. 

. 

. 


''aj          a/lA  TUO  GZK&VR  CU5IOW  A 


rbjo}  otf  jtaomta  nnncpoa  orla  Judl ..,aobhcr{r; 
JDy  si  ,boi3bi?*noD  ^bosijadfi  ,3or 
oo,\££  iuocfjs  si  nooi 
HJB  DAB  "i-B^  3/io  tnhjpoi  bluow  3i  tmBD}?.  lo  ei- 

CHAPTER  III. 
A  WORLD  BURNED  OUT  AND  DEAD. 

The  Earth  Cushioned  with  Air— The  Weight  of  Every  Human  Being  Seventeen 
Tons— Our  Nearest  Planetary  Neighbor — Time  Required  by  a  Railway  Train  to 
Reach  the  Moon— Lunar  Mountains— Moon  Torn  by  Furious  Volcanoes— The 
Fires  Extinct— The  Surface  Cold— Craters  and  Caverns— Lunar  Seas— A  Desert 
World — Eternal  Silence — No  Air  nor  Water — No  Sky — Young  Lady  in  the 
Moon — Perpetual  Changes — White-Crested  Mountains — The  Moon's  Attractive 
Features— The  Moon  a  One-Sided  Creature — Strange  Conjectures  as  to  the  Side 
Turned  Away — The  First  Quarter — Immense  Cavities  in  the  Moon's  Surface — 
Measuring  Craters— Excitement  over  First  Discoveries— Droll  Superstitions — A 
Satellite  Supposed  to  Rule  almost  Everything. 

UR  planet  is  entirely  enveloped  by  a  thick  layer  of  air,  which 
forms  round  it  the  softest  cushion  imaginable.  Notwithstand- 
ing its  apparent  lightness,  this  atmosphere  weighs  heavily  upon 
all  bodies  on  the  earth,  and  exerts  greater  pressure  in  propor- 
tion as  they  offer  a  larger  surface.  Physiologists  consider  that  each  of  us 
has  a  weight  of  about  35,300  pounds  to  support,  but  this  great  weight  is 
not  usually  felt,  because  it  is  counterbalanced  by  a  counter  action  equal 
in  all  directions,  so  that  the  one  destroys  the  other. 

The  earth  is  not  rich  in  respect  to  satellites,  possessing  as  it  does  only 
one,  which,  however,  is  of  dimensions  ample  enough  as  compared  to  it ; 
this  is  the  moon,  the  faithful  companion  of  its  course.  Other  planets,  it 
is  true,  like  Jupiter  and  Saturn,  are  more  richly  endowed,  and  have  from 
four  to  eight  satellites ;  but  again  there  are  others  which  do  not  possess 
any,  as  is  the  case  with  Venus  and  Mercury. 

The  sole  and  faithful  satellite  of  the  earth,  formed  by  a  fragment  detached 
from  it,  now  cold  and  wan,  rolled  round  us  when  it  began,  a  red  and 
blazing  sphere,  vomiting  torrents  of  fire  from  its  whole  surface.  Whilst 
gravitation  was  regulating  its  form  and  path,  the  moon,  in  the  course  of 
thousands  of  years,  exhausted  its  fires  to  show  us  at  last  its  pale  and 
silvery  face,  the  sad  luminary  of  our  nights,  the  splendid  nocturnal  mirror 
which  reflects  to  us,  pale  and  cold,  the  divergent  rays  of  the  sun. 

Compared  to  the  immeasurable  distances  of  the  nebulae  and  stars,  the 
space  which  separates  us  from  our  satellite  is  quite  insignificant ;  she  is 
our  next-door  neighbor  and  the  eye  can  so  clearly  discern  her  form  and 
(812) 


A  WORLD  BURNED  OUT  AND  DEAD. 


813 


peculiarities,  thai  she  seems  almost  to  touch  us.  But  this  insignificant 
distance,  abstractly  considered,  is  yet  vast  enough.  The  distance  from 
the  earth  to  the  moon  is  about  237,000  miles.  If  it  were  possible  to  get 
there  by  means  of  steam,  it  would  require  one  year  and  about  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty-two  days  for  a  locomotive  starting  from  our  globe  and 
travelling  at  a  high  rate  of  speed  to  reach  the  moon  and  land  its  passen- 
gers ;  yet  this  is  but  a  step  compared  to  the  distances  of  the  stars. 


VOLCANIC   CRATERS   ON   THE   MOON'S   SURFACE   AT   SUNSET. 

The  moon  is  in  every  part  roughened  with  eminences  of  different 
shapes,  but  they  only  very  rarely  group  themselves  into  mountain  chains 
comparable  to  those  of  our  globe.  The  Alps,  Caucasus,  and  the  Apen- 
nines represent  the  principal  ones.  Certain  isolated  summits  have  re- 
ceived the  names  of  celebrated  men,  but  those  of  past  times  have  been 
chosen  in  order  not  to  excite  any  jealousy ;  we  travel  from  the  Mountain 
of  Aristotle  to  that  of  Hipparchus,  from  that  of  Ptolemy  to  that  of  Co- 
pernicus. The  astronomers  have  very  properly  not  forgotten  their  claims. 


814  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  highest  lunar  mountains  attain  an  altitude  which  surpasses  most 
terrestrial  elevations,  a  fact  which  may  well  astonish  us.  Generally 
they  do  not  rise  beyond  22,750  feet.  But  in  proportion  to  the  size  of 
the  planet,  we  may  say  that  the  mountains  in  the  moon  are  much  loftier 
than  those  of  the  earth.  The  summits  of  Mount  Doerfel  are  24,700  feet 
above  the  valleys  which  environ  it,  whilst  the  crest  of  Mont  Blanc  only 
rises  15,632  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

Most  of  the  mountains  of  our  pale  companion  are  of  volcanic  origin, 
and  its  surface  has  been  so  shattered  by  subterranean  fires  that  in  many 
places  the  craters  are  heaped  up  close  beside  each  other.  Probably  no 
star  was  ever  so  horribly  torn  by  the  fury  of  volcanoes.  These  even 
attain  proportions  far  beyond  what  is  seen  in  our  globe.  Some  of  those 
lunar  craters  are  four  or  five  leagues  in  diameter,  and  the  gaping  mouth 
of  the  volcano  of  Aristillus,  still  more  prodigious,  is  ten  leagues  from 
one  ridge  to  the  other  !  Our  glasses  enable  us  to  see  these  extinct  cra- 
ters in  such  proportions,  that  none  of  their  details  escape  us  ;  whilst, 
were  we  on  the  moon,  our  telescopes,  according  to  Humboldt,  would 
scarcely  enable  us  to  make  out  terrestrial  volcanoes. 
Immense  Lunar  Caverns. 

Seen  from  the  earth  many  lunar  volcanoes  appear  very  much  depressed, 
and  the  edges  of  their  craters  resemble  so  many  flattened  rings,  projecting 
very  little  above  the  plains.  Some  regions  are  so  riddled  with  them  that 
their  mouths  touch.  Others  surmount  lofty  summits,  and  their  crenel- 
ated ramparts  surround  enormous  excavations,  which  pierce  deep  into 
the  mountains  below  the  level  of  the  plains. 

Formerly  the  dark  patches  which  cover  part  of  the  moon's  surface 
were  considered  as  representing  lunar  seas,  but  at  present  men  are  dis- 
posed to  look  upon  them  as  only  immense  plains.  The  first  astronomers 
gave  them  names  full  of  poetry.  There  was  the  Sea  of  Tranquility,  the 
Sea  of  Clouds,  the  Sea  of  Nectar,  the  Ocean  of  Tempests,  and  the  Sea  of 
Serenity. 

The  rocky  and  shattered  soil  of  our  satellite  is  perfectly  bare ;  not  a 
blade  of  grass  grows  there,  not  a  flower  opens.  Totally  deprived  of  water 
and  air,  life  is  an  impossibility.  A  threefold  death  would  overtake  the 
least  animal  that  happened  to  alight  there ;  a  squirrel  would  perish  of 
hunger,  thirst,  and  asphyxia !  In  these  cold  and  horrid  realms  of  the 
moon,  everything  is  plunged  in  torpor  and  silence ;  the  echoes  are  mute 
and  the  breath  of  a  zephyr  never  plays  round  the  summits  of  the  rugged 
mountains. 

By  means  of  our  instruments,  which  have  now  been  brought  to  so 


A  WORLD  BURNED  OUT  AND  DEAD.  815 

great  perfection,  we  can  pry  into  the  minutest  details  of  our  satellite,  and 
examine  them  with  as  much  accuracy  as  if  it  were  some  distant  view  on 
earth ;  hence  we  can  to  a  certain  extent  make  out  its  geological  disposi- 
tion. The  precision  of  our  glasses  has  been  carried  to  such  a  pitch,  that 
we  could  with  them  easily  perceive  large  buildings,  if  any  existed  on  the 
lunar  surface ;  we  could  even  make  out  troops  of  animals  moving  about. 
It  would,  it  is  true,  be  impossible  to  perceive  one  of  its  inhabitants  trav- 
ersing the  valleys  of  its  silver  crescent,  but  if  the  much  spoken  of  Sele- 
nites  existed,  we  should  certainly  perceive  their  movements  when  they 
were  collected  into  dense  masses.  According  to  Humboldt,  however, 
there  is  only  a  noiseless,  silent  desert  there. 

Sir  Walter  Scott  gives  us  in  one  of  his  fine  poetical  outbursts  this  apos- 
trophe to  the  lunar  world : 

Hail  to  thy  cold  and  clouded  beam, 

Pale  pilgrim  of  the  troubled  sky  ! 

Hail,  though  the  mists  that  o'er  the  stream 

Lend  to  thy  brow  their  sullen  dye  ! 

How  should  thy  pure  and  peaceful  eye 

Untroubled  view  our  scenes  below  ? 

Or  how  a  tearless  beam  supply  ! 

To  light  a  world  of  war  and  woe  ? 

There  is  a  great  contrast,  not  only  apparent  but  real,  between  the  serene 
tranquility  of  the  lunar  disk  and  the  great  movements  which  are  ceaselessly 
carried  on  on  the  surface  of  our  world.  On  approaching  the  moon  nothing 
is  seen  of  the  physical  causes  which  make  the  earth  a  vast  laboratory 
wherein  a  thousand  elements  contend  or  unite  with  each  other.  There 
are  none  of  those  tumultuous  tempests  which  sometimes  sweep  over  our 
undulated  plains ;  none  of  those  hurricanes  which  descend  in  waterspouts 
to  be  swallowed  up  in  the  depth  of  the  sea  ;  no  wind  blows,  no  cloud  rises 
to  the  heavens.  There  white  trains  of  cloudy  vapors  are  not  seen,  nor 
those  laden  masses  with  heavy  cohorts;  the  rain  never  falls;  and  neither 
snow,  nor  hail,  nor  any  of  the  meteorological  phenomena  are  manifested  there. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  magnificent  tints  which  color  our  sky  at 
sunrise  and  twilight,  the  radiation  of4  the  heated  atmosphere,  are  never 
seen  there ;  if  winds  and  tempests  never  blow,  neither  is  there  the  balmy 
breeze  which  descends  upon  our  coasts.  In  this  kingdom  of  sovereign 
immobility,  the  lightest  zephyr  never  comes  to  caress  the  hill-tops  ;  the 
sky  remains  eternally  asleep  in  a  calm  incomparably  more  complete  than 
that  of  our  hottest  days  when  not  a  leaf  moves  in  the  air.  This  is  because 
on  the  surface  of  this  strange  world  there  is  no  atmosphere.  From  this 
privation  results  a  state  of  things  difficult  to  realize. 


816  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

In  the  first  place,  the  absence  of  air  implies  also  the  absence  of  water  and 
every  liquid,  for  water  and  liquids  can  only  exist  under  atmospheric 
pressure :  if  this  pressure  is  taken  away  they  evaporate  and  their  beds  are 
dried  up.  Thus,  for  instance,  if  you  place  a  vessel  filled  with  water  under 
the  receiver  of  an  air-pump,  and  then,  by  pumping  out  the  air  which  is  in 
the  receiver,  you  make  a  vacuum,  you  will  soon  see  the  water  boil,  even 
when  the  place  where  the  experiment  is  made  is  frozen  with  the  most 
intense  cold.  The  boiling  disengages  vapors,  and,  finally,  the  water  is 
evaporated.  Now  let  us  suppose,  that,  at  a  certain  period  of  its  past  exist- 
ence the  moon  had,  like  the  earth,  seas  and  rivers,  and  that  by  the  aid  of 
any  apparatus,  its  seas  and  rivers  were  made  to  boil  and  to  fall  into  vapor 
again ;  by  continuing  this  operation  long  enough  the  moon  would  be 
made  completely  dry :  this  is  precisely  what  has  happened. 

Since  the  distant  period  of  its  formation  in  a  fluid  state,  it  has  lost  all 
its  liquids  and  vapors,  and  now  a  linnet  would  die  of  thirst  in  the  midst  of 
the  seas  of  the  moon.  These  seas  do  not  contain  a  drop  of  water.  These, 
it  will  be  said,  are  singular  seas.  And,  indeed,  no  one  will  hold  that  their 
title  is  logical.  But,  we  have  seen  that  they  were  named  at  a  time  when 
people  did  not  know  the  lunar  surface  sufficiently  well  to  guess  that  it 
existed  without  air  and  water.  From  the  absence  of  air  follows  another 
very  curious  fact — the  absence  of  sky.  An  immensity  without  depth  is 
traversed  by  the  sight,  and  in  the  day  as  in  the  night  are  seen  the  stars, 
planets,  comets,  and  all  the  bodies  of  our  universe.  The  sun  passes  among 
them  without  extinguishing  them,  as  it  does  to  us.  Not  only  does  the 
moon  not  possess  this  perpetual  diversity  which  the  movements  of  the  air 
produce  on  our  world,  but  it  has  not  the  azure  vault  which  covers  the 
earth  with  such  a  magnificent  dome ;  space  is  a  black  and  a  perpetually 

black  abyss. 

Awful  Silence  and  Desolation. 

Whilst  on  high  there  reigns  darkness,  below  there  is  silence.  Not  the 
least  sound  is  ever  heard  ;  the  sigh  of  the  wand  in  the  woods,  the  rustling 
of  foliage,  the  song  of  the  morning  lark,  or  the  sweet  warbling  of  the 
nightingale  never  awakens  the  eternally  dumb  echoes  of  this  world.  No 
voice,  no  speech  has  ever  disturbed  the  intense  solitude  with  which  it  is 
overspread.  Unchangeable  silence  reigns  there  in  sovereignty.  Tall  per- 
pendicular mountains  divide  its  surface.  Here  and  there  are  seen  worn 
out  craters  rising  towards  the  sky,  white  rocks  heaped  up  like  the  ruin:; 
of  some  long-passed  revolution,  crevasses  crossing  the  surface  as  in  lands 
dried  by  the  burning  rays  of  long  summer  days.  That  which  renders  the 
spectacle  more  strange  is  that  the  absence  of  vapors  causes  the  absence 


A  WORLD  BURNED  OUT  AND  DEAD. 


817 


of  perspective  as  well  as  the 'absence  of  all  tints,  and  we  see  only  white  or 
black  according  as  the  object  is  in  the  sun's  light  or  in  shadow,  the  ob- 


jects succeeding  each  other  as  far  as  the  horizon  without  losing  brightness 
or  contour.  The  moon  is  such  a  singular  world  that  its  mountains  may 
be  measured  as  well  by  depth  as  height.  This  paradox,  rather  difficult 

52 


818  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

to  understand,  arises  from  the  fact  that  the  mountains  of  the  moon  are 
not  like  those  of  the  earth,  but  are  hollow.  When  we  arrive  at  the  top 
there  is  a  ring,  the  white,  rugged  and  sterile  mountains,  and  lofty  and  de- 
serted craters.  These  solitary  and  dried-up  landscapes  remind  us  of 
what  Fontenelle  said  regarding  the  changes  at  work  on  the  surface  of  our 
satellite,  caused,  not  by  the  movements  of  life,  like  those  which  regulate 
terrestrial  nature,  but  by  the  simple  falling  down  of  lands.  "  Everything 
is  in  perpetual  motion,"  he  says.  "  Even  including  a  certain  young  lady, 
who  was  seen  in  the  moon  with  a  telescope  about  forty  years  ago,  every- 
thing has  considerably  aged.  She  had  a  pretty  good  face,  but  her  cheeks 
are  now  sunken,  her  nose  is  lengthened,  her  forehead  and  chin  are  now 
prominent  to  such  an  extent,  that  all  her  charms  have  vanished,  and  I 
fear  for  her  days." 

"What  are  you  relating  to  me  now?"  interrupted  the  Marchioness. 

"  This  is  no  jest,"  returned  the  author.  "  Astronomers  perceived  in  the 
moon  a  particular  figure  which  had  the  aspect  of  a  woman's  head,  which 
came  forth  from  between  the  rocks,  and  then  occurred  some  changes  in 
this  region.  Some  pieces  of  mountain  fell,  and  disclosed  three  points 
which  could  only  serve  to  compose  a  forehead,  a  nose,  and  an  old 
woman's  chin."  We  do  not  know  whether  the  face,  of  which  the  inge- 
nious writer  speaks,  existed  anywhere  but  in  his  imagination;  but 
changes,  even  caused  by  simple  fallings,  are  extremely  rare,  if  even  they 
are  still  produced.  For  a  hundred  years,  for  instance,  during  which 
period  a  day  has  not  elapsed  in  which  the  moon  has  been  visible,  with- 
out it  being  observed  by  the  telescope,  the  slightest  movement  has  never 

been  noticed. 

A  Lonely  and  Deserted  Planet. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  century,  it  is  true,  people  fancied  they 
observed  active  volcanoes,  but  they  have  since  discovered  that  very  prob- 
ably what  were  then  taken  for  volcanoes  were  nothing  more  than  the 
white  crests  of  certain  mountains,  their  form  or  their  structure  being  more 
favorably  adapted  to  reflect  light.  Thus  the  orb  of  night  remains  dumb 
and  silent,  revolving  in  the  heavens  like  a  deserted  planet.  Why  this 
sad  and  solitary  fate  ?  Why  deprived  of  movement  and  life  ?  This  is 
the  question  asked  by  the  poet  Shelley : 

Art  thou  pale  for  weariness, 
Of  climbing  heaven  and  gazing  on  the  earth, 

Wandering  companionless 
Among  the  stars  that  have  a  different  birth, 
And  ever  changing,  like  a  joyless  eye 
That  finds  no  object  worth  its  constancy  ? 


A  WORLD  BURNED  OUT  AND  DEAD.  819 

Now  that  we  have  pointed  out  how  the  moon  is  an  inhospitable  world, 
poor  and  destitute  of  nature's  gifts,  it  is  necessary  to  retrace  our  steps, 
and  show  it  to  you  as  a  magnificent  world,  worthy  of  admiration  and 
esteem.  We  do  not  wish  to  contradict  the  foregoing  words;  but  in 
order  not  to  leave  a  bad  impression  with  regard  to  our  faithful  friend,  we 
wish  to  remind  you  that  nature,  even  when  it  appears  to  disgrace  some 
of  its  works  from  some  points  of  view,  favors  them  with  very  desirable 
riches  when  regarded  under  other  aspects. 

To  an  astronomer,  the  moon  would  be  a  magnificent  observatory.  In 
the  daytime  he  could  observe  the  stars  at  noon,  and  thus  discover,  with- 
out trouble,  that  they  reside  eternally  in  the  heavens.  With  us,  on  the 
contrary,  among  the  ancients,  were  a  great  number  who  imagined  that 
they  were  lighted  up  in  the  evening  and  extinguished  in  the  morning. 
If,  then,  people  make  astronomical  observations  on  the  moon,  the  sun  is 
not  a  tyrant  who  governs  the  heavens  absolutely;  it  allows  the  stars  to  be 
enthroned  peaceably  with  it  in  space ;  and  studies  commenced  during  the 
night  can  be  carried  on  without  difficulty  during  the  day  until  the  follow- 
ing night.  On  our  satellite  the  nights  are  fifteen  times  twenty-four  hours 
long,  and  the  days  are  of  the  same  length;  but  there  is  an  essential  diff- 
erence to  remark  between  the  nights  of  the  lunar  hemisphere,  which  faces 
us,  and  those  of  the  hemisphere  which  we  do  not  see. 

Strange  Old  Fancies  About  the  Moon. 

You  must  have  noticed  that  the  moon  always  presents  the  same  side  to 
us.  From  the  beginning  of  the  world  it  has  never  shown  but  this  side. 
We  read  in  Plutarch,  who  wrote  nearly  two  thousand  years  ago,  a 
thousand  conjectures  relative  to  the  side  of  the  moon  always  turned 
toward  us.  Some  said  it  was  a  large  mirror,  well  polished  and  excellent, 
which  sent  back  from  afar  the  image  of  the  earth;  the  dark  portions 
represented  the  oceans  and  seas,  while  the  bright  portions  represented 
the  continents.  Others  believed  that  the  spots  were  forests,  where  some 
placed  the  hunts  of  Diana,  and  that  the  most  brilliant  parts  were  the 
plains.  Others,  again,  saw  in  it  a  very  light,  celestial  earth ;  they  stated 
that  its  inhabitants  must  pity  the  earth  which  is  below  them,  and  which  is 
only  a  mass  of  mud.  Others,  again,  and  their  singular  opinion  was  widely 
spread,  added  that  the  beings  who  peopled  it  were  fifteen  times  larger 
than  those  of  our  earth,  and  by  the  side  of  the  lunar  trees  our  oaks  would 
only  be  small  bushes.  All  this  to  explain  the  nature  of  the  lunar  face 
eternally  turned  towards  us. 

Now,  if  we  never  see  but  one  side  of  the  moon,  it  follows  that  there  is 
only  one  side  of  this  body  which  sees  us  ;  so  that  half  of  the  moon  has  a 


820 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


moon — namely,  our  earth,  and  the  other  half  is  deprived  of  one.  If  there 
are  any  inhabitants  on  the  hemisphere  turned  from  us,  they  do  not  guess 
that  the  moon  is  only  a  body  placed  for  illumination  of  our  nights,  and 
they  must  be  greatly  astonished  when  the  narratives  of  travellers  relate  to 
them  the  existence  of  our  earth  in  the  heavens.  If  the  travellers  there 
resemble  those  here,  what  tales  must  they  spread  with  regard  to  us  ? 
But,  also,  how  useful  must  the  earth  be  to  the  lunar  nights,  and  how 
beautiful  we  are — from  afar  ! 

Fancy  to  yourself  fourteen  moons  like  that  which  gives  us  light,  or 


THE    EARTH    AS    SEEN    FROM    THE    MOON. 

more  properly  speaking,  a  moon  with  fourteen  times  the  extent  of  surface, 
and  you  will  have  an  idea  of  the  earth  as  seen  from  the  moon.  Some- 
times it  only  presents  a  fringed  crescent,  a  few  days  after  the  new  earth ; 
sometimes  it  presents  the  first  quarter ;  sometimes  it  shines  out  with  its 
full  disk,  spreading  its  silvered  light  in  floods.  The  most  fortunate  thing 
is,  that  it  begins  to  shine  precisely  in  the  evening,  that  its  brightest  light, 
its  full  disk,  is  precisely  at  midnight,  and  that  it  fades  away  in  the  morning 
at  the  time  when  it  is  no  longer  required.  And  it  is  known  that  from  the 
evening  to  the  morning  is  fifteen  times  twenty-four  hours  with  our  neigh- 
bors the  Selenites.  How  much  more  reasonable  are  these  inhabitants 
than  we  are  in  believing  that  the  moon  was  created  and  placed  in  the 


A  WORLD  BURNED  OUT  AND  DEAD.  821 

world  expressly  for  them,  and  that  we  are  only  their  very  humble  servants ! 
The  lunar  caverns  form  a  very  peculiar  and  prominent  feature  of  the 


SINGULAR    ASPECT    OF    THE    MOON'S    SURFACE. 

moon's  surface,  and  are  to  be  seen  in  almost  every  region,  but  are  most 
numerous   in  the  south-west  part  of  the  moon.     Nearly  a  hundred  of 


822  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

them,  great  and  small,  may  be  distinguished  in  that  quarter.  They  are 
nearly  of  a  circular  shape,  and  appear  like  a  very  shallow  egg  cup.  The 
smaller  cavities  appear  within  almost  like  a  hollow  cone,  with  the  sides 
tapering  towards  the  centre ;  but  the  larger  ones  have,  for  the  most  part, 
flat  bottoms,  from  the  centre  of  which  there  frequently  rises  a  small,  steep 
conical  hill,  which  gives  them  a  resemblance  to  the  ridges  and  mountains 
already  described. 

In  some  instances  their  margins  are  level  with  the  general  surface  of 
the  moon  ;  but  in  most  cases  they  are  encircled  with  a  high  ridge  of 
mountains  marked  with  lofty  peaks.  Some  of  the  larger  of  these  cavities 
contain  smaller  cavities  of  the  same  kind  and  form,  particularly  in  their 
sides.  The  mountainous  ridges  which  surround  these  cavities  reflect  the 
greatest  quantity  of  light ;  and  hence  that  region  of  the  moon  in  which 
they  abound  appears  brighter  than  any  other.  From  their  lying  in  every 
possible  direction,  they  appear,  at  and  near  the  time  of  full  moon,  like  a 
number  of  brilliant  streaks  or  radiations.  These  radiations  appear  to 
converge  towards  a  large  brilliant  spot  surrounded  by  a  faint  shade, 
near  the  lower  part  of  the  moon,  which  is  known  by  the  name  ofTycho, 
and  which  every  one  who  views  the  full  moon  even  with  a  common 
telescope,  may  easily  distinguish. 

Caverns  Miles  in  Depth. 

In  regard  to  their  dimensions,  they  are  of  all  sizes,  from  three  miles  to 
fifty  miles  in  diameter  at  the  top  ;  and  their  depth  below-  the  general  level 
of  the  lunar  surface  varies  from  one  third  of  a  mile  to  three  miles  and  a 
half.  Twelve  of  these  cavities,  as  measured  by  Schroeter,  were  found  to 
be  above  two  miles  in  perpendicular  depth.  These  cavities  constitute  a 
peculiar  feature  in  the  scenery  of  the  moon,  and  in  her  physical  constitu- 
tion, which  bears  scarcely  any  analogy  to  what  we  observe  in  the  physi- 
cal arrangements  of  our  globe. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  surface  of  the  lunar  hemisphere  was  known 
before  that  of  our  own  earth,  and  the  heights  of  all  its  mountains  were 
measured  before  the  same  thing-was  done  for  our  own.  The  volcano  of 
Aristillus  in  particular  was  one  of  the  first  and  best  known.  Lecoutu- 
rier,  the  author  of  a  very  good  map  of  the  moon,  gave  a  long  description 
of  it,  and  this  description  may  be  applied  to  most  of  the  lunar  moun- 
tains. It  is  composed  of  a  crater  about  twenty-four  miles  across,  from 
the  centre  of  which  rise  two  cones,  the  highest  of  which  attains  nearly 
984  yards ;  the  whole  is  surrounded  by  a  circular  rampart. 

When  the  bottom  of  the  crater  is  examined  with  a  powerful  telescope, 
and  under  favorable  circumstances,  numerous  rough  portions  are  noticed 


A  WORLD  BURNED  OUT  AND  DEAD.  823 

which  seem  to  indicate  hardened  lava  and  blocks  of  rock  heaped  together. 
From  this  mountain,  taken  as  a  centre,  start  five  or  six  lines  and  rocky 
ramifications  directed  towards  the  east  and  south.  These  ramifications 
give  rise  to  the  radiation  of  Aristillus.  They  are  surmounted  by  an 
enormous  quantity  of  peaks  or  basaltic  columns  which  rise  from  their 
summits,  and  make  them  resemble  from  afar  the  multitude  of  bell  towers 
that  are  seen  on  some  Gothic  cathedrals.  Aristillus  presents  the  gen- 
eral aspect  of  most  of  the  mountains  of  our  satellite. 

Thus  the  moon  would  appear  very  inhospitable  to  us.  The  sense  of 
speech,  like  the  sense  of  hearing,  would  be  lost,  and,  consequently,  would 
not  exist.  To  the  privation  of  these  two  senses,  perhaps,  must  be  added 
an  inferiority  in  the  pleasures  which  sight  gives  to  us,  seeing  that 
wherever  the  eye  would  be  directed,  it  would  only  meet  with  a  scene  of 
comparative  desolation. 

Of  all  heavenly  bodies,  this  is  the  one  men  understood  the  first  and 
best.  Since  the  invention  of  the  first  telescopes,  scarcely  250  years 
ago — those  primitive  instruments  whose  power  was  far  from  attaining 
the  stellar  regions,  and  could  only  be  effectually  applied  to  this  nearest 
body — astronomers,  astrologers,  alchemists,  and  all  those  who  were 
occupied  with  science,  felt  themselves  urged  by  a  desire  to  penetrate 
into  the  mysteries  of  this  celestial  land.  The  first  observations  of  Gali- 
leo did  not  make  less  noise  than  the  discovery  of  America ;  many  saw 
in  them  another  discovery  of  a  new  world  much  more  interesting  than 
America,  as  it  was  beyond  the  earth.  It  is  one  of  the  most  curious 
episodes  in  history,  that  of  the  prodigious  excitement  which  was  caused 
by  the  unveiling  of  the  moon. 

Superstitions  About  the  Moon. 

Imagination  at  once  took  flight  to  the  new  celestial  world.  Very 
curious  voyages  to  the  moon  then  appeared,  astonishing  excursions, 
unpardonable  fancies,  and  serious  studies  were  soon  eclipsed  by  the 
visions  of  impatient  minds.  Notwithstanding  all  this,  astronomical  dis- 
covery rapidly  advanced.  Encouraged  by  the  first  revelations  of  the 
telescope,  astronomers  undertook  the  complete  study  of  the  lunar  sur- 
face. The  aspect  of  the  moon  to  the  naked  eye,  that  rude  face  that  was 
seen  with  little  good  will  on  its  pale  disk,  was  transformed  in  the  field  of 
the  telescope,  and  at  first  very  bright  portions  and  very  dark  portions 
were  alone  distinguished. 

Examining  it  more  attentively,  and  increasing  the  magnifying  power 
of  the  instrument,  it  was  discovered  that  the  aspect  of  the  details  changed 
according  as  the  sun  was  on  one  side  or  the  other  of  the  moon;  that  on 


824  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

the  days  when  the  sun  was  at  the  left  of  the  bright  portion,  dark  lines 
were  seen  to  the  right,  whilst  in  the  opposite  case,  the  dark  shadow 
appeared  to  the  left.  It  was  then  easy  to  prove  that  the  bright  portions 
were  mountains,  that  the  dark  portions  which  were  close  to  them  were 
valleys,  or  low  countries ;  and  lastly,  that  the  large  plains  were  lands 
which  reflected  the  solar  light  less  perfectly. 

It  is  doubtless  this  proximity  which  has  caused  the  great  reputation 
of  the  lunar  orb  amongst  us.  No  celestial  body,  except  the  sun,  has 
ever  had  a  similar  influence.  The  whole  world,  it  was  supposed,  was 
accessible  to  the  lunar  influences,  men,  animals,  plants,  minerals.  The 
astrological  opinions  with  regard  to  this  body  were  most  singular.  We 
must  quote  some ;  they  are  really  too  curious  to  be  passed  over  in 
silence.  Let  us  choose  one  or  two  good  astrologers,  learned  on  the 
moon,  and  let  us  question  them. 

Old  Ideas  of  What  the  Moon  Did. 

Cornelius  Agrippa,  a  famous  geomancer,  thus  expresses  himself:  The 
moon  is  called  Phoebe,  Diana,  Lucinus,  Proserpine,  Hecate,  who  governs 
the  months,  half-formed;  who  illuminates  the  nights,  wandering,  in 
silence,  with  two  horns;  queen  of  divinities,  queen  of  heaven,  who  rules 
over  all  the  elements,  to  whom  respond  the  stars,  to  whum  return  the 
seasons,  and  whom  the  elements  obey ;  at  whose  direction  the  thunders 
sound,  the  seeds  germinate,  the  germs  increase ;  the  primordial  mother 
of  fruits,  heart  of  Phoebus,  shining  and  brilliant,  carrying  light  from  one 
planet  to  another,  illuminating  by  her  light  all  the  divinities,  stopping 
various  intercourses  with  the  stars,  distributing  the  light  rendered  uncer- 
tain on  account  of  meetings  with  the  sun ;  queen  of  beauty,  mistress  of 
shores  and  winds,  giver  of  riches,  nurse  of  men,  governor  of  all  states 
good  and  unhappy ;  protecting  men  by  sea  and  land,  moderating  the 
reverses  of  fortune;  dispensing  with  destiny,  nourishing  all  which  comes 
out  of  the  earth,  arresting  the  insults  of  phantoms,  holding  the  cloisters 
of  the  earth  closed,  the  heights  of  heaven  luminous,  the  currents  of  the 
sea  salutary,  and  ruling  at  will  the  deplorable  silence  of  the  lower  regions, 
governing  the  world,  treading  Tartarus  under  foot ;  of  whom  the  majesty 
causes  the  birds  which  fly  in  the  sky,  savage  beasts  in  the  mountains, 
the  serpents  hidden  under  the  earth,  and  the  fish  in  the  sea,  to  tremble. 

According  to  Eteilla,  the  moon  governs  comedians,  butchers,  tallow 
and  wax  chandlers,  ropemakers,  lemonade-vendors,  publicans,  play- 
wrights of  all  kinds,  masters  of  great  works,  menageries  of  animals ; 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  professional  gamblers,  spies,  sharpers,  cheats, 
bankrupts,  false  money-coiners,  and  mad-houses ;  that  is  to  say,  the 


A  WORLD  BURNED  OUT  AND  DEAD.  825 

moon  rules  over  all  those  whose  business  it  is  to  work  during  the  night 
until  sun-rising,  or  to  sell  provisions  for  the  night;  and  it  also  rules  over 
all  which  people  would  be  ashamed  to  commit  in  full  day,  in  sight  of 
those  who  have  manners.  Thus  each  reader,  on  reading,  may  easily  find 
out  of  what  denomination  he  is. 

Rainbow  at  Night. 

The  iris  lunaris,  or  lunar  rainbow,  is  a  much  rarer  object  than  the 
solar  one.  It  frequently  consists  of  a  uniformly  white  arch,  but  it  has 
often  been  seen  tinted,  the  colors  differing  only  in  intensity  from  those 
caused  by  the  direct  solar  illuminations.  Aristotle  states  that  he  was 
the  first  observer  of  this  interesting  spectacle,  and  that  he  only  saw  two 
in  the  course  of  fifty  years ;  but  it  must  have  been  repeatedly  witnessed, 
without  a  record  having  been  made  of  the  fact.  Thoresby  relates  an 
account,  received  from  a  friend,  of  an  observation  of  the  bow  fixed  by 
the  moon  in  the  clouds.  She  had  passed  the  full  about  twenty-four 
hours.  The  evening  had  been  rainy,  but  the  clouds  had  dispersed,  and 
the  moon  was  shining  very  clearly.  This  lunar  iris  was  more  remarka- 
ble than  that  observed  by  Dr.  Plot,  of  which  there  is  an  account  in  his 
History  of  Oxford,  that  being  only  of  a  white  color;  but  this  had  all 
the  hues  of  the  solar  rainbow,  beautiful  and  distinct,  but  fainter. 

Bucke  remarks  upon  having  had  the  good  fortune  to  witness  several, 
two  of  which  were  perhaps  as  fine  as  were  ever  witnessed  in  any  country. 
The  first  formed  an  arch  over  the  vale  of  Usk.  The  moon  hung  over  the 
Blorenge  ;  a  dark  cloud  was  suspended  over  Myarth ;  the  riyer  murmured 
over  beds  of  stones,  and  a  bow,  illumined  by  the  moon,  stretched  from  one 
side  of  the  vale  to  another.  The  second  was  seen  from  the  castle  overlook- 
ing the  Bay  of  Carmarthen,  forming  a  regular  semicircle  over  the  River 
Towy.  It  was  in  a  moment  of  vicissitude  ;  and  the  fancy  of  the  observer 
willingly  reverted  to  the  various  soothing  associations  under  which  sacred 
authority  unfolds  the  emblem  and  sign  of  a  merciful  covenant. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
MAGNIFICENT  AURORAL  DISPLAYS. 

Most  Striking  of  Optical  Splendors — Auroral  Arc — Streams  of  Light  Shooting  Up- 
ward— Trembling  Gleams  and  Flashes — "The  Merry  Dancers" — Lights  of  Rain- 
bow Colors — What  Parry  and  Franklin  Saw — The  Heavens  in  Gay  Attire — Lieu- 
tenant Chappell's  Auroral  Umbrella — Arch  of  Silvery  Light— The  Canopy  Glow- 
ing with  Splendid  Scenery — Polar  Night — Six  Months  without  a  Sun — Animals 
Dying  of  Gloom — Dazzling  Standards  Unfurled — Magnetism— Fiery  Tempests  in 
the  Sun — Magnetic  Stones  on  Earth — Outbreak  of  Auroral  Magnificence — Sir 
John  Herschel's  Conclusions — The  Jerking  Needle — Reference  by  Aristotle — 
Northern  Lights  more  Common  than  formerly  in  the  Northern  Zones. 

MONG  the  remarkable  phenomena  of  the  sky  must  be  placed 
the  bright  aurora.  Of  all  optical  phenomena,  the  aurora  bore- 
alis,  or  the  northern  daybreak,  is  one  of  the  most  striking, 
especially  in  the  regions  where  its  full  glory  is  revealed. 

What  fills  with  dazzling  beams  the  illumined  air? 

What  wakes  the  flames  that  light  the  firmament  ? 
The  lightnings  flash :  there  is  bright  splendor  there, 

And  earth  and  heaven  with  fiery  sheets  are  blent ; 
The  winter's  night  now  gleams  with  brighter,  lovelier  ray, 
Than  ever  yet  adorned  the  golden  summer's  day. 

The  appearances  exhibited  by  the  aurora  are  so  various  and  wonderful. 
A  cloud,  or  haze,  is  commonly  seen  in  the  northern  region  of  the  heavens, 
but  often  bearing  towards  the  east  or  west,  assuming  the  form  of  an  arc, 
seldom  attaining  a  greater  altitude  than  forty  degrees,  but  varying  in 
extent  from  five  to  one  hundred  degrees.  The  upper  edge  of  the  cloud 
is  luminous,  sometimes  brilliant  and  irregular.  The  lower  part  is  fre- 
quently dark  and  thick,  with  the  clear  sky  appearing  between  it  and  the 
horizon.  Streams  of  light  shoot  up  in  columnar  forms  from  the  upper 
part  of  the  cloud,  now  extending  but  a  few  degrees,  then  as  far  as  the 
zenith,  and  even  beyond  it. 

Instances  occur  in  which  the  whole  hemisphere  is  covered  with  these 
coruscations  ;  but  the  brilliancy  is  the  greatest,  and  the  light  the  strong- 
est, in  the  north,  near  the  main  body  of  the  meteor.  The  streamers  have 
in  general  a  tremulous  motion,  and  when  close  together  present  the 
appearance  of  waves,  or  sheets  of  light,  following  each  other  in  rapid 
succession.  But  no  rule  obtains  with  reference  to  these  streaks,  which 
have  acquired  the  name  of  "  the  merry  dancers,"  from  their  volatility^ 
(826) 


MAGNIFICENT  AURORAL  DISPLAYS.  82T 

becoming  more  quick  in  their  motions  in  stormy  weather,  as  if  sympa- 
thizing with  the  wildness  of  the  blast.  Such  is  the  extraordinary  aspect 
they  present,  that  it  is  not  surprising  the  rude  Indians  should  gaze  upon 
them  as  the  spirits  of  their  fathers  roaming  through  the  land  of  souls. 
They  are  variously  white,  pale  red,  or  of  a  deep  blood  color,  and  some- 
times the  appearance  of  the  whole  rainbow  as  to  hue  is  presented. 
Lights  of  Various  Colors. 

When  several  streamers  emerging  from  different  points  unite  at  the 
zenith,  a  small  and  dense  meteor  is  formed,  which  seems  to  burn  with 
greater  violence  than  the  separate  parts,  and  glows  with  a  green,  blue,  or 
purple  light.  The  display  is  over  sometimes  in  a  few  minutes,  or  con- 
tinues for  hours,  or  through  the  whole  night,  and  appears  for  several 
nights  in  succession.  Captain  Beechey  remarked  a  sudden  illumination 
to  occur  at  one  extremity  of  the  auroral  arch,  the  light  passing  along  the 
belt  with  a  tremulous,  hesitating  movement  towards  the  opposite  end,  ex- 
hibiting the  colors  of  the  rainbow;  and  as  an  illustration  of  this  appear- 
ance, he  refers  to  that  presented  by  the  rays  of  some  molluscous  animals 
in  motion. 

Captain  Parry  notices  the  same  effect  as  a  common  one  with  the  aurora, 
and  compares  it,  as  far  as  its  motion  is  concerned,  to  a  person  holding  a 
long  ribbon  by  one  end,  and  giving  it  an  undulatory  movement  through 
its  whole  length,  though  its  general  position  remains  the  same.  Captain 
Sabine  likewise  speaks  of  the  arch  being  bent  into  convolutions,  resem- 
bling those  of  a  snake  in  motion.  Both  Parry,  Franklin,  and  Beechey 
agree  in  the  observation  that  no  streamers  were  ever  noticed  shooting 
downwards  from  the  arch. 

The  preceding  statement  refers  to  aurora  in  high  northern  latitudes, 
where  the  full  magnificence  of  ithe  phenomenon  is  displayed.  It  forms  a 
fine  compensation  for  the  long  and  dreary  night  to  which  these  regions 
are  subject,  the  gay  and  varying  aspect  of  the  heavens  contrasting  refresh- 
ingly with  the  repelling  and  monotonous  appearance  of  the  earth.  We 
have  already  stated  that  the  direction  in  which  the  aurora  generally 
makes  its  first  appearance,  oj"  the  quarter  in  which  the  arch  formed  by 
this  meteor  is  usually  seen,  is  to  the  northward.  But  this  does  not  hold 
good  of  very  high  latitudes,  for  by  the  expeditions  which  have  wintered 
in  the  ice,  it  was  almost  always  seen  to  the  southward ;  while,  by  Captain 
Beechey, in  the  "Blossom,"  in  Kotzerne  Sound, two  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
to  the  southward  of  the  ice,  it  was  always  observed  in  a  northern  direc- 
tion. It  would  appear,  therefore,  from  this  fact,  that  the  margin  of  the 
region  of  packed  ice  is  most  favorable  to  the  production  of  the  meteor. 


828  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  reports  of  the  Greenland  ships  confirm  this  idea:  for,  according 
to  their  concurrent  testimony,  the  meteor  display  has  a  more  brilliant 
aspect  to  vessels  passing  near  the  situation  of  the  compact  ice,  than  to 
others  entered  far  within  it.  Instances,  however,  are  not  wanting  of  the 
aurora  appearing  to  the  south  of  the  zenith  in  comparatively  low  latitudes. 
Lieutenant  Chappell,  in  his  voyage  to  Hudson's  Bay,  speaks  of  its  form- 
ing in  the  zenith,  in  a  shape  resembling  that  of  an  umbrella,  pouring  down 
streams  of  light  from  all  parts  of  its  periphery,  which  fell  vertically  over 
the  hemisphere  in  every  direction.  As  we  retire  from  the  pole,  the 
phenomenon  becomes  a  rarer  occurrence,  and  is  less  perfectly  and  dis- 
tinctly developed.  In  September,  1828,  it  was  observed  in  England  as  a 
vast  arch  of  silvery  light,  extending  over  nearly  the  whole  of  the  heavens, 
transient  gleams  of  light  separating  from  the  main  body  of  the  luminosity. 

Dalton  has  furnished  the  following  account  of  an  aurora,  as  observed 
by  him  :  Attention  was  first  excited  by  a  remarkably  red  appearance  of 
the  clouds  to  the  south,  which  afforded  sufficient  light  to  read  by  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  though  there  was  no  moon  nor  light  in  the  north. 
From  half  past  nine  to  ten  there  was  a  large,  luminous,  horizontal  arch  to 
the  southward,  and  several  faint  concentric  arches  northward.  It  was 
particularly  noticed  that  all  the  arches  seemed  exactly  bisected  by  the 
plain  of  the  magnetic  meridian.  At  half  past  ten  o'clock  streamers  ap- 
peared, very  low  in  the  south-east,  running  to  and  fro  from  west  to  east. 
They  increased  in  number,  and  began  to  approach  the  zenith,  apparently  with 
an  accelerated  velocity,  when  all  on  a  sudden  the  whole  hemisphere  was  cov- 
ered with  them,  and  exhibited  such  an  appearance  as  surpasses  all  description. 
A  Spectacle  Sublimely  Brilliant. 

The  intensity  of  the  light,  and  prodigious  number  and  volatility  of  the 
beams,  the  grand  intermixture  of  all  the  prismatic  colors  in  their  utmost 
-splendor,  variegating  the  glowing  canopy  with  the  most  luxuriant  and 
enchanting  scenery,  afforded  an  awful,  but  at  the  same  time  the  most 
pleasing  and  sublime  spectacle  in  nature.  Every  one  gazed  with  aston- 
ishment, but  the  uncommon  grandeur  of  the  scene  only  lasted  one  minute. 
The  variety  of  colors  disappeared,  and  the  beams  lost  their  lateral  motion, 
and  were  converted  into  the  flashing  radiations. 

The  great  distinction  between  the  polar  countries  and  the  other  regions 
of  the  globe,  is  their  long  day  and  long  night.  Describing  an  immense 
spiral  around  the  horizon,  the  sun  gradually  mounts  to  the  highest  point 
of  his  course ;  then,  in  the  same  manner,  it  returns  towards  the  horizon, 
and  bids  farewell  to  earth,  slowly  dying  away  in  a  gloomy  and  ghastly 
twilight.  And,  for  six  months,  the  Arctic  wildernesses  know  it  not. 


MAGNIFICENT  AURORAL  DISPLAYS. 

When  the  navigator,  says  Captain  Parry,  finds  himself  buried  for  the  first 
time  in  the  silent  shadows  of  the  polar  night,  he  cannot  conquer  an  invol- 
untary emotion  of  dread ;  he  feels  transported  out  of  the  sphere  of  ordina- 
ry existence.  These  deadly  and  sombre  deserts  seem  like  those  uncreated 
voids  which  Milton  has  placed  between  the  realms  of  life  and  death.  The 
very  animals  are  affected  by  the  melancholy  which  veils  the  face  of  nature. 
Under  the  influence  of  the  almost  perpetual  gloominess  Dr.  Kane's  New- 
foundland dogs  went  mad,  and  died. 

Six  Months'  Night. 

But  if  the  sun  for  six  months  of  the  year  deprives  the  circumpolar 
countries  of  the  splendor  of  its  fires,  an  imposing  phenomenon  frequently 
illuminates  the  long  nights  with  dazzling  radiance,  as  if  nature  sought  to 
compensate  for  the  absence  of  the  orb  of  day  by  the  most  impressive  of  all 
her  optical  wonders.  The  polar  nights  are  nearly  always  lighted  up  by  the 
gorgeous  lustre  of  the  aurora;  called  borealis  or  australis,  according  to  the 
poles  at  which  it  is  produced.  Shafts  and  rays  of  light  shoot  upwards  to 
the  zenith.  These  luminous  sheaves  pass  through  all  the  colors  of  the 
rainbow;  from  violet  and  sapphire  to  green  and  purple- red.  Sometimes 
the  columns  of  light  issue  from  the  resplendent  arch  mixed  with  blackish 
rays ;  sometimes  they  rise  simultaneously  at  different  points  of  the  horizon, 
and  unite  to  form  a  sea  of  flame  pervaded  by  rapid  undulations.  On  other 
occasions,  fiery  dazzling  standards  are  unfurled  to  float  lightly  in  the  air. 
A  kind  of  canopy  of  soft  and  tranquil  light,  which  is  known  as  the  corona, 
announces  the  close  of  the  phenomenon.  Thereupon  the  luminous  shafts 
begin  to  wane  in  splendor,  the  richly  colored  arcs  dissolve,  die  out,  and  soon 
of  all  the  magnificent  spectacle  nothing  remains  but  a  whitish  cloudy  haze. 

The  arch  of  the  aurora  is  only  part  of  a  ring  of  light,  which  is  elevated 
considerably  above  the  surface  of  our  globe,  and  whose  centre  is  situated 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  pole.  It  is  easy,  then,  to  account  for  the  different 
aspects  it  presents  to  obervers  placed  at  different  angles  to  it.  A  person 
some  degrees  south  of  the  ring  would  necessarily  see  only  a  very  small  arc 
of  it  towards  the  north,  from  the  interposition  of  the  earth  between  him  and 
the  observer;  if  he  stood  nearer  the  north,  the  arc  would  appear  larger 
and  higher ;  if  immediately  below  it,  he  would  see  it  apparently  traversing 
the  zenith;  or  if  within  the  ring  and  still  further  north,  he  would  suppose 
it  to  culminate  in  the  south.  It  is  supposed  that  the  centre  of  the  ring 
corresponds  with  the  magnetic  north  point,  in  the  island  of  Boothia  Felix. 
Flags  and  Streamers  of  Light  Fluttering  in  the  Sky. 

The  phenomenon  generally  lasts  several  hours,  and  is  frequently  divers- 
ified by  peculiar  features  ;  so  that  sometimes  it  seems  to  present  the  hem- 


830  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

ispherical  segment  of  a  gigantic  wheel ;  sometimes  it  waves  and  droops 
like  a  rich  tapestry  of  colored  light,  in  a  thousand  prismatic  folds  ;  and,  at 
other  times,  it  may  be  compared  to  a  succession  of  resplendent  banners,  or 
.streamers,  waving  in  the  dark  and  intense  sky. 

The  arch  varies  in  elevation,  but  is  seldom  found  more  than  ninety  miles 
above  the  terrestrial  surface.  Its  diameter  must  be  enormous,  for  it  has 
been  known  to  extend  from  Italy  to  the  polar  regions,  and  has  been  simul- 
taneously visible  in  Sardinia,  Connecticut,  and  New  Orleans. 

According  to  some  authorities,  the  phenomenon  is  accompanied  by 
noises  resembling  the  discharge  of  fireworks,  or  the  crackling  of  silk  when 
•one  piece  is  rolled  over  another ;  but  this  statement  is  not  confirmed  by 
the  experience  of  our  ablest  Arctic  voyagers. 

Of  the  magneto-electric  origin  of  the  aurora  no  doubt  can  be  enter- 
tained. When  it  occurs,  the  magnetic  needle  is  invariably  affected,  the 
perturbation  being  greatest  at  the  climax  of  the  auroral  brilliancy.  The 
vortex  of  the  arch  is  almost  always  in  or  near  the  magnetic  meridian. 
The  lights  would  seem  to  result  from  a  discharge  at  or  around  the  mag- 
netic poles  of  electricity  which  has  gradually  accumulated  at  these  oppo- 

.site  points. 

Startling  Changes  on  the  Sim's  Surface. 

The  needle  has  been  found  to  oscillate  through  a  long  cycle  of  changes, 
one  occupying  in  its  completion  a  little  more  than  eleven  years  :  that  is 
to  say,  between  the  time  when  the  oscillation  is  least  and  that  when  it  is 
greatest  there  elapses  a  period  of  five  and  a  half  years,  and  an  equal  per- 
iod before  it  returns  again  to  its  first  value.  Now,  a  cycle  of  changes 
takes  place  on  the  face  of  the  sun  agreeing  most  perfectly  with  this,  not 
merely  in  length,  but  in  maximum  for  maximum,  and  minimum  for  mini- 
mum. 

To  make  this  clear,  the  nature  of  the  facts  involved  must  be  stated,  and 
this  can  be  done  in  no  better  words  than  those  of  Sir  John  Herschel  : 
"  One  of  the  first  achievements  of  the  telescope  was  the  discovery  of 
black  spots  on  the  surface  of  the  sun.  These  spots  are  not  permanent, 
but  come  and  go ;  and  their  number  varies  greatly.  Sometimes  his  face 
is  quite  spotless ;  at  others,  the  spots  swarm  upon  it.  And  as  to  their  ac- 
tual size,  some  are  comparatively  small,  others  of  stupendous  extent.  One 
spot  which  I  measured,  in  1837,  occupied  no  less  than  3,780,000,000 
square  miles ;  another,  which  was  nearly  round,  would  have  allowed  the 
earth  to  drop  through  it,  leaving  a  thousand  miles  clear  of  contact  on 
every  side ;  and  many  other  instances  of  much  larger  spots  than  these  are 
•on  record.  What  are  we  to  think,  then,  of  the  awful  scale  of  hurricane 


(831) 


832 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


and  turmoil  and  fiery  tempest  which  can  in  a  few  days  totally  change  the 
form  of  such  a  region,  break  it  up  into  distinct  parts — open  up  great 
abysses  in  one  part,  such  as  I  have  just  described,  and  fill  up  others  be- 
side them ! 

"  Now  it  has  lately  been  ascertained  by  a  careful  comparison  of  all  the 
recorded  observations  of  the  spots,  that  the  periods  of  their  scarcity  and 
abundance  succeed  one  another  at  regular  intervals  of  a  trifle  more  than 


AURORAL  FLAMES  IN  THE  NORTHERN  SKY. 

five  years  and  a-half :  so  that  in  eleven  years  and  one-tenth,  or  nine  times 
in  a  century,  the  sun  passes  through  all  its  states  of  purity  and  spottiness. 
Now  there  are  two  classes  of  phenomena  or  facts  which  occur  here  on 
earth  which  stand  in  very  singular  accordance  with  the  appearance  and 
disappearance  of  the  sun's  spots.  The  first  is  that  splendid  and  beautiful 
appearance  in  the  sky  which  we  call  aurora  or  northern  lights ;  and 
which,  by  comparison  of  the  recorded  displays,  have  been  ascertained  to 
be  much  more  frequent  in  the  years  when  the  spots  are  abundant,  and 
extremely  rare  in  those  years  when  the  sun  is  free  from  spots. 


MAGNIFICENT  AURORAL  DISPLAYS. 

"  The  other  is  a  class  of  facts  not  so  obvious  to  common  observation, 
but  of  very  great  importance  to  us  ;  because  it  is  connected  with  the  his- 
tory and  theory  of  the  mariner's  compass,  and  with  the  magnetism  of  the 
earth,  which  we  all  know  to  be  the  cause  of  the  compass  needle  pointing 
to  the  north.  But  besides  this  (the  oscillations  already  described),  the 
needle  is  subject  to  irregular,  sudden,  and  capricious  variations — jerking 
as  it  were,  aside,  and  oscillating  backwards  and  forwards  without  any 
visible  cause  of  disturbance.  And,  what  is  still  more  strange ;  these  dis- 
turbances aiid  jerks  sometimes  go  on  for  many  hours  and  even  days,  and 
often  at  the  same  instant  of  time,  over  very  large  regions  of  the  globe ; 
and  in  some  remarkable  instances,  over  the  whole  earth — the  same  jerks 
and  jumps  occurring  at  the  same  moments  of  time  (allowance  made  for 
the  difference  of  longitude).  These  occurrences  are  called  magnetic 
storms,  and  they  invariably  accompany  great  displays  of  the  aurora ;  and 
are  very  much  more  frequent  when  the  sun  is  most  spotted,  and  rarely  or 
never  witnessed  in  the  years  of  few  spots." 

The  history  of  auroral  phenomena  goes  back  to  the  time  of  Aristotle, 
who  undoubtedly  refers  to  the  exhibition  in  his  work  on  meteors,  describ- 
ing it  as  occurring  on  calm  nights,  having  a  resemblance  to  flame  mingled 
with  smoke,  or  to  a  distant  view  of  burning  stubble,  purple,  bright  red, 
and  blood-color  being  the  predominant  hues.  Notices  of  it  are  likewise 
found  in  many  of  the  classical  writers ;  and  the  accounts  which  occur  in 
the  chronicles  of  the  middle  ages,  of  surprising  lights  in  the  air,  converted 
by  the  imagination  of  the  vulgar  into  swords  gleaming  and  armies  fight- 
ing, are  allusions  to  the  play  of  the  northern  lights.  There  is  strong 
reason  to  believe,  though  the  fact  is  perfectly  inscrutable,  that  the  aurora 
has  been  much  more  common  in  the  European  region  of  the  northern 
zone,  during  the  last  century  and  a  half,  than  in  former  periods. 
53 


CHAPTER  V. 
IMAGES  IN  THE  HEAVENS. 

Optical  Phenomenon  at  Buffalo— Topmasts  Rising  out  of  the  Water — Deceitful  Fog 
Bank — Extraordinary ''Fata  Morgana'' in  Sicily— A  Spectacle  that  Excites  the 
Pjpalace—  Ascribing  the  Mirage  to  the  Devil —Prophecy  Concerning  Elec- 
tricity—Prismatic Colors  of  Amazing  Beauty — Troops  of  Clouds  in  the  Sky — 
Heighth  of  Clouds — Poetical  Fancies  from  Ossian — Mist  on  the  Water— Ac- 
counting for  Vapors— What  Colors  the  Sun— The  Great  Orb  Shorn  of  His 
Glories — Why  the  Sun  is  Red  at  Rising  and  Setting— Remarkable  Halos — 
Strange  Mock  Suns — Parhelia — Historic  Halos — What  Gassendi  Saw — Parhelia 
Observed  by  Hevelius — Beautiful  Sky  Picture  in  Tennessee— Perfection  of 
Creative  Skill — Phenomena  of  Light  —Wonderful  Waves  and  Circles — Light  a 
Magnificent  Painter — Innumerable  Vibrations. 

few  years  ago,  at  Buffalo,  an  amusing  optical  illusion  was 
observed,  which  was  produced  by  fog.  The  following  descrip- 
tion is  from  one  of  the  nev/spapers  of  that  city :  "  A  peculiar 
appearance  was  presented  in  the  atmosphere  over  the  lake  on 
Saturday  morning,  the  like  of  which  had  never  been  noticed  before  by 
those  accustomed  to  daily  intercourse  with  all  the  beauties  and  terrors 
peculiar  to  our  waters.  At  an  early  hour  some  gentlemen,  looking  out 
upon  the  bay,  discovered  the  top  hamper  and  loftier  sails  of  a  vessel, 
apparently  rising  from  the  surface  of  the  water,  the  hull  and  lower  masts 
being  entirely  invisible.  Soon  another  craft,  similarly  situated,  was  pointed 
out,  and  '  still  the  wonder  grew/  It  could  not  be  that  both  these  vessels 
had  foundered  and  settled  down  so  as  to  rest  upon  the  bottom,  on  an  even 
keel ;  yet  there  they  were,  as  -  distinct  as  possible,  sunk  to  their  topmasts, 
the  glassy  surface  of  the  water  just  reaching  their  lower  mast  heads. 

"  A  tug  was  firing  up,  and  when  ready  slowly  steamed  out  into  the 
lake.  For  a  time  there  was  nothing  remarkable  in  her  conduct ;  but  sud- 
denly she  too  sunk,  and  there  was  her  smoke  stack,  just  emerging  from 
the  deep,  and  ploughing  through  it  without  a  ripple.  It  was  a  beautiful 
sight,  rendered  more  so  by  the  perfect  placidity  of  the  elements,  the  bright 
morning  sun,  and  the  soft,  balmy  temperature.  The  illusion  grew  out  of 
a  heavy  fog  bank,  which  lay  upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  but  did  not 
obscure  objects  upon  land;  thus  deceiving  the  eye  as  to  the  true  level  of 
the  lake." 

Of  all  instances  of  optical  illusion,  the  fata  morgana,  familiar  to  the 


IMAGES  IN  THE  HEAVENS.  835 

inhabitants  of  Sicily,  is  the  most  curious  and  striking.  It  occurs  off  the 
Pharo  of  Messina,  in  the  strait  which  separates  Sicily  from  Calabria,  and 
has  been  variously  described  by  different  observers,  owing,  doubtless,  to 
the  different  conditions  of  the  atmosphere  at  the  respective  times  of 
observation.  The  spectacle  consists  in  the  images  of  men,  cattle,  houses, 
rocks,  and  trees,  pictured  upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  in  the  air 
immediately  over  the  water,  as  if  called  into  existence  by  an  enchanter's 
wand,  the  same  object  having  frequently  two  images,  one  in  the  natural 
and  the  other  in  an  inverted  position.  A  combination  of  circumstances 
must  concur  to  produce  this  novel  panorama.  The  spectator,  standing 
with  his  back  to  the  east  on  an  elevated  place,  commands  a  view  of  the 
strait.  No  wind  must  be  abroad  to  ruffle  the  surface  of  the  sea;  and  the 
waters  must  be  pressed  up  by  currents,  which  is  occasionally  the  case,  to 
a  considerable  height  in  the  middle  of  the  strait,  so  that  they  may  present 
a  slightly  convex  surface. 

Slrang-e  Appearances  on  the  Water  and  Above  it. 

When  these  conditions  are  fulfilled,  and  the  sun  has  risen  over  the  Cala- 
brian  heights,  so  as  to  make  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees  with  the  hori- 
zon, the  various  objects  on  the  shore  at  Reggio,  opposite  to  Messina,  are 
transferred  to  the  middle  of  the  strait,  forming  an  immovable  landscape 
of  rocks,  trees,  and  houses,  and  a  movable  one  of  men,  horses,  and  cattle, 
upon  the  surface  of  the  water.  If  the  atmosphere  at  the  time  is  highly 
charged  with  vapor,  the  phenomena  apparent  on  the  water  will  also  be 
visible  in  the  air,  occupying  a  space  which  extends  from  the  surface  to 
the  height  of  about  twenty-five  feet.  Two  kinds  of  morgana  may  there- 
fore be  discriminated ;  the  first  at  the  surface  of  the  sea,  or  the  marine 
morgana ;  the  second  in  the  air,  or  the  aerial.  The  term  applied  to  this 
strange  exhibition  is  of  uncertain  derivation,  but  supposed  by  some  to  re- 
fer to  the  vulgar  presumption  of  the  spectacle  being  produced  by  a  fairy 
or  magician.  The  populace  are  said  to  hail  the  vision  with  great  exulta- 
tion, calling  every  one  abroad  to  partake  of  the  sight,  with  the  cry  of 
"  Morgana,  morgana  ! " 

Brydone,  writing  from  Messina,  states :  It  has  often  been  remarked, 
both  by  the  ancients  and  moderns,  that  in  the  heat  of  summer,  after  the 
sea  and  air  have  been  much  agitated  by  winds,  and  a  perfect  calm  suc- 
ceeds, there  appears  about  the  time  of  dawn,  in  that  part  of  the  heavens 
over  the  straits,  a  great  variety  of  singular  forms,  some  at  rest,  and  some' 
moving  about  with  great  velocity.  These  forms,  in  proportion  as  the 
light  increases,  seem  to  become  more  aerial,  till  at  last  some  time  before 
sunrise  they  entirely  disappear.  The  Sicilians  represent  this  as  the  most 


836 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


beautiful  sight  in  nature.  Leanti,  one  of  their  latest  and  best  writers, 
came  here  on  purpose  to  see  it.  He  says  the  heavens  appeared  crowded 
with  a  variety  of  objects :  he  mentions  palaces,  woods,  gardens,  etc.,  besides 
the  figures  of  men  and  other  animals  that  appear  in  motion  amongst  them. 
No  doubt  the  imagination  must  be  greatly  aiding  in  forming  this  aerial 


SHIPS   PAINTED    ON   THE   SKY    BY   ATMOSPHERIC   REFRACTION. 

creation ;  but  as  so  many  of  their  authors,  both  ancient  and  modern, 
agree  in  the  fact,  and  give  an  account  of  it  from  their  own  observation, 
there  certainly  must  be  some  foundation  for  the  story. 

The  common  people,  according  to  custom,  give  the  whole  merit  to  the 
devil ;  and  indeed  it  is  by  much  the  shortest  and  easiest  way  of  account- 


IMAGES  IN  THE  HEAVENS. 

ing  for  it.  Those  who  pretend  to  be  philosophers,  and  refuse  him  this 
honor,  are  greatly  puzzled  what  to  make  of  it.  They  think  it  may  be  ow- 
ing to  some  uncommon  refraction  or  reflection  of  the  rays  from  the  water 
of  the  straits,  which,  as  it  is  at  that  time  carried  about  in  a  variety  of 
eddies  and  vortices,  must  consequently,  say  they,  make  a  variety  of  ap- 
pearances on  any  medium  where  it  is  reflected.  This,  I  think,  is  non- 
sense, or  at  least  very  near  it.  I  suspect  it  is  something  of  the  nature  of 
our  aurora  borealis,  and,  like  many  of  the  great  phenomena  of  nature, 
depends  upon  electrical  causes  ;  which  in  future  ages,  I  have  little  doubt, 
will  be  found  to  be  as  powerful  an  agent  in  regulating  the  universe. 

The  electrical  fluid  in  this  country  of  volcanoes  is  probably  produced 
in  a  much  greater  quantity  than  in  any  other.  The  air,  strongly  impreg- 
nated with  this  matter,  and  confined  betwixt  two  ridges  of  mountains — 
at  the  same  time  exceedingly  agitated  from  below  by  the  violence  of  the 
current  and  the  impetuous  whirling  of  the  waters — may  it  not  be  sup- 
posed to  produce  a  variety  of  appearances  ?  And  may  not  the  lively 
Sicilian  imaginations,  animated  by  a  belief  in  demons,  and  all  the  wild 
offspring  of  superstition,  give  these  appearances  as  great  a  variety  of 
forms  ?  Remember,  I  do  not  say  it  is  so,  and  hope  yet  to  have  it  in  my 
power  to  give  you  a  better  account  of  this  matter. 

The  Strange  Phenomenon  Explained. 

Ingenious  as  Brydone  was,  he  here  indulges  a  most  unfortunate  specu- 
lation, which,  had  he  enjoyed  the  good  fortune  of  personally  observing 
the  phenomenon,  most  likely  he  would  not  have  proposed.  It  is  to  be 
accounted  for  upon  optical  principles,  which  Biot  thus  applies :  When  the 
rising  sun  shines  from  that  point  whence  its  incident  ray  forms  an  angle 
of  forty-five  degrees  on  the  Sea  of  Reggio,  and  the  bright  surface  of  the 
water  in  the  bay  is  not  disturbed  either  by  wind  or  current — when  the 
tide  is  at  its  height,  and  the  waters  are  pressed  up  by  the  current  to  a 
great  elevation  in  the  middle  of  the  channel;  the -spectator  being  placed 
on  an  eminence,  with  his  back  to  the  sun  and  his  face  to  the  sea,  the 
mountains  of  Messina  rising  like  a  wall  behind  it,  and  forming  the  back- 
ground of  the  picture — on  a  sudden  there  appear  in  the  water,  as  in  a 
catoptric  theatre,  various  multiplied  objects — numberless  series  of  pilasters, 
arches,  castles,  well-delineated,  regular  columns,  lofty  towers,  superb 
palaces,  with  balconies  and  windows,  extended  alleys  of  trees,  delightful 
plains,  with  herds  and  flocks,  armies  of  men  on  foot,  on  horseback,  and 
many  other  things  in  their  natural  colors  and  proper  actions,  passing 
rapidly  in  succession  along  the  surface  of  the  sea,  during  the  whole  of  the 
short  period  of  time  while  the  above-mentioned  causes  remain. 


838  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

The  objects  are  proved,  by  accurate  observations  of  the  coast  of  Reggio, 
to  be  derived  from  objects  on  shore.  If,  in  addition  to  the  circumstances 
already  described,  the  atmosphere  be  highly  impregnated  with  vapor  and 
dense  exhalations,  not  previously  dispersed  by  the  action  of  the  wind  and 
waves,  or  rarefied  by  the  sun,  it  then  happens  that  in  this  vapor,  as  in  a 
curtain  extended  along  the  channel  to  the  height  of  above  thirty  feet, 
and  nearly  down  to  tke  sea,  the  observer  will  behold  the  scene  of  the 
same  objects  not  only  reflected  on  the  surface  of  the  sea,  but  likewise  in 
the  air,  though  not  so  distinctly  or  well  defined. 

Lastly,  if  the  air  be  slightly  hazy  and  opaque,  and  at  the  same  time 
dewy,  and  adapted  to  form  the  iris,  then  the  above-mentioned  objects  will 
appear  only  at  the  surface  of  the  sea,  as  in  the  first  case,  but  all  vividly 
colored  or  fringed  with  red,  green,  blue,  or  other  prismatic  colors. 

The  ancient  classical  fable  of  Niobe  on  Mount  Sipylus  belongs  to  the 
same  category  of  atmospheric  deceptions ;  and  the  tales  common  in  moun- 
tainous countries,  of  troops  of  horse  and  armies  marching  and  counter- 
marching in  the  air,  have  been  only  the  reflection  of  horses  pasturing  upon 
an  opposite  height,  or  of  the  forms  of  travellers  pursuing  their  journey. 
A  View  of  Cloud-Lantl. 

The  formation  of  visible  vapors,  and  their  aggregation  in  masses,  take 
place  generally  in  high  regions  of  the  atmosphere  under  the  action  of 
currents,  in  consequence  of  a  decrease  of  temperature  and  a  due  supply  of 
aqueous  elastic  vapor  being  present  in  those  parts  where  clouds  arise.  It 
is  easy  to  perceive  that  these  two  conditions,  necessary  to  the  production  of 
cloud-land,  may  be  fulfilled  in  one  stratum  of  the  atmosphere  and  not  in 
another;  and  hence  the  frequent  diversity  in  the  appearance  of  the  sky,  the 
clear  blue  fields  and  patches  of  ether  alternating  with  visible  vaporous 
structures. 

The  clouds  are  supposed  to  consist  of  minute  globules  of  water  filled 
with  air ;  but  there  is  great  difficulty,  even  with  the  aid  of  this  view  of  their 
structure,  in  explaining  their  suspension  aloft,  for  the  globules  must  be 
specifically  heavier  than  the  air  by  which  they  are  upborne.  The  theory 
of  ascending  currents  of  heated  air  has  been  proposed  by  Lussac  to  account 
for  their  position;  and  the  retention  of  solar  heat  in  the  clouds  themselves, 
buoying  them  up  and  causing  them  to  float,  by  Fresncl. 

The  clouds  float  at  different  elevations,  but  the  higher  we  ascend  the 
drier  the  atmosphere  is  found,  and  the  less  loaded  with  vapors.  We  shall 
not  err  much,  says  Leslie,  if  we  estimate  the  position  of  extreme  humidity 
at  the  height  of  two  miles  at  the  pole,  and  four  miles  and  a  half  under  the 
equator,  or  a  mile  and  a  half  beyond  the  limit  of  congelation.  Dalton 


L  r     =      ,  .51        ~i    :=   ^ 


1 


REMARKABLE   APPEARANCES   OF   CLOUD-LAND. 


840  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

asserts  that  small,  fleecy  patches  of  cloud  are  frequently  from  three  to  five 
miles  in  height,  and  such  have  been  observed  sailing  above  the  most 
elevated  peaks  of  the  Andes,  which  rise  twenty-five  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea ;  but  other  authorities  claim  for  some  visible  clouds  a  still 
greater  elevation.  The  height  varies  at  different  seasons  of  the  year,  and 
there  is  little  doubt  that  it  is  much  more  frequently  below  than  above  a 
mile. 

The  effect  is  striking  when,  from  an  eminence  which  commands  a  view 
of  an  extensive  plain  or  valley,  we  see  the  gossamer  curtain  of  the  night 
resting  upon  the  surface,  gradually  rent  and  torn  by  the  action  of  the 
sun's  rays,  reflecting  their  golden  hue  as  it  disappears.  Many  of  the 
most  felicitous  images  of  poetry  are  derived  from  this  source,  as  in 
Ossian :  "  The  soul  of  Nathos  was  sad,  like  the  sun  in  a  day  of  mist, 
when  his  face  looks  watery  and  dim ;  "  and  again,  when  two  contending 
factions  are  silenced  by  Cathmor:  "They  sunk  from  the  king  on  either 
side,  like  two  columns  of  morning  mist,  when  the  sun  rises  between  them 
on  the  glittering  rocks." 

Why  Mists  Settle  Over  Rivers. 

The  stratus  is  occasionally  seen  under  peculiar  and  striking  circum- 
stances, extending  over  the  surface  of  a  sheet  of  water,  without  passing 
the  boundary  of  its  banks.  Thus  a  lake  or  river  will  exhibit  a  white 
cloud  of  visible  vapor  resing  upon  it,  from  which  the  adjacent  land  is 
perfectly  free.  Sir  Humphry  Davy  thus  explains  this  curious  phenom- 
enon :  "  All  persons  who  have  been  accustomed  to  the  observation  of 
nature  must  have  frequently  witnessed  the  formation  of  mists  over  the 
beds  of  rivers  and  lakes  in  calm  and  clear  weather  after  sunset;  and 
whoever  has  considered  these  phenomena  in  relation  to  the  radiation  and 
communication  of  heat  and  the  nature  of  vapor,  can  hardly  have  failed  to 
discover  the  true  cause  of  them.  As  soon  as  the  sun  has  disappeared 
from  any  part  of  the  globe,  the  surface  begins  to  lose  heat  by  radiation, 
and  in  greater  proportions  as  the  sky  is  clear ;  but  the  land  and  water  are 
cooled  by  this  operation  in  a  very  different  manner :  the  impression  of 
cooling  on  the  land  is  limited  to  the  surface,  and  very  slowly  transmitted 
to  the  interior ;  whereas  in  water  above  forty  degrees  Fahrenheit,  as  soon 
as  the  upper  stratum  is  cooled,  whether  by  radiation  or  evaporation,  it 
sinks  in  the  mass  of  fluid,  and  its  place  is  supplied  by  water  from  below ; 
and  till  the  temperature  of  the  whole  mass  is  reduced  to  nearly  forty 
degrees  Fahrenheit,  the  surface  cannot  be  the  coolest  part. 

"  It  follows,  therefore,  that  wherever  water  exists  in  considerable  mass, 
and  has  a  temperature  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the  land,  or  only  a  few 


IMAGES  IN  THE  HEAVENS.  841 

degrees  below  it,  and  above  forty  degrees  Fahrenheit  at  sunset,  its  surface 
during  the  night,  in  calm  and  clear  weather,  will  be  warmer  than  that  of 
the  contiguous  land;  and  the  air  above  the  land  will  necessarily  be 
colder  than  that  above  the  water ;  and  when  they  both  contain  their  due 
proportion  of  aqueous  vapor,  and  the  situation  of  the  ground  is  such  as 
to  permit  the  cold  air  from  the  land  to  mix  with  the  warmer  air  above 
the  water,  mist  or  fog  will  be  the  result." 

What  Colors  the  Sun. 

The  atmosphere  of  our  globe  is  composed  mainly  of  two  gases,  oxygen 
and  hydrogen,  whose  combination  forms  a  perfectly  transparent  medium. 
In  this  medium,  however,  there  floats  at  all  times  a  vast  quantity  of  aque- 
ous vapor,  raised  daily  by  the  heat  of  the  sun,  in  the  form  of  steam,  from 
the  surface  of  the  sea  and  of  the  dry  land.  The  amount  of  water  thus 
lifted  into  the  air  by  the  process  of  evaporation  is  very  great,  and  far 
exceeds  that  discharged  into  the  ocean,  during  the  same  length  of  time, 
by  all  the  rivers  of  the  earth.  iriv/  , 

The  aqueous  vapor  produced  in  this  manner  is  diffused  through  the 
whole  body  of  the  atmosphere,  and  is  in  a  state  of  perpetual  motion  and 
change,  being  rarefied  into  an  invisible  condition,  or  condensed  into  mists 
and  clouds,  according  to  the  varying  degrees  of  heat  or  cold  to  which  it 
is  exposed;  and  in  this  way  it  affects,  sometimes  more  and  sometimes 
less,  the  general  transparency  of  the  air,  and  modifies  both  the  colors 
and  the  forms  of  objects  seen  through  it.  And  in  the  present  chapter 
we  are  to  speak  of  the  various  aspects  which  it  gives  to  the  solar  orb. 

The  sun,  viewed  through  a  vaporous  atmosphere,  appears  in  {t  false 
colors."  When  the  vapor  is  dry  and  rarefied,  or  in  an  invisible  con- 
dition, the  air  is  clear,  and  the  sun  is  seen  in  his  natural  brightness.  But 
if  the  vapor  be  slightly  condensed,  and  takes  the  form  of  mist,  he  appears 
through  it  as  if  shorn  of  his  glories,  a  white  orb,  upon  which  the  eye  can 
rest  without  pain  or  inconvenience ;  as  he  descends  he  grows  still  more 
dull ;  and  finally,  as  he  approaches  the  horizon,  he  gradually  assumes  a 
rosy  tint,  and  at  last  a  deep  red  color.  These  changes  are  thus  explained. 
Every  ray  of  the  sunlight  which  comes  to  us  has  to  pass  through  the: 
whole  thickness  of  the  atmosphere,  and  the  greater  the  distance  it  has  to 
travel  the  greater  the  portion  of  it  that  is  absorbed  by  the  vapors  in  the 
air.  And  this  distance,  as  is  obvious,  increases  with  the  increased  decli- 
nation of  the  sun. 

If  we  admit  the  atmosphere  to  extend  vertically  to  the  height  of  sixty- 
two  miles,  a  ray  of  light  coming  from  the  sun  at  the  zenith  has  only  these 
sixty-two  miles  to  pass  through  in  order  to  reach  us.  But  a  ray  from  the; 


342  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

sun  on  the  horizon  has  to  travel  through  706  miles,  or  more  than  eleven 
times  the  former  distance,  and  that,  too,  through  the  densest  portion  of 
the  atmosphere.  In  traversing  this  great  distance,  the  various  colors  com- 
bined in  the  perfectly  white  ray,  except  the  red,  are,  for  the  most  part, 
absorbed  by  the  slowly  condensing  vapors  along  the  cooling  surface  of 
the  earth.  Hence  the  red  color  in  which  the  sun  appears  at  its  setting 

and  rising. 

What  Changes  the  Sun's  Apparent  Form. 

The  sun,  viewed  through  a  vaporous  atmosphere,  often  appears,  also, 
in  a  "  false  form."  Seen  on  the  meridian,  through  a  clear  sky,  he  ap- 
pears as  a  perfect  circle,  which  is  his  true  outline.  But  as  seen  near  the 
horizon,  in  certain  conditions  of  the  atmosphere,  instead  of  being  circular, 
he  appears  of  an  oval  form,  the  upper  and  lower  sides  being  flattened,  and 
the  latter  more  so  than  the  former.  On  high  mountains,  and  on  plateaux 
near  the  seacoast,  this  flattening  of  the  disk  appears  very  considerable, 
amounting  sometimes  to  one-fifth  the  apparent  diameter  of  the  sun.  This 
peculiar  deformation  is  caused  by  the  refraction  or  bending  of  the  rays  of 
light  in  passing  through  the  vapors  of  the  atmosphere.  Sometimes  the 
want  of  homogeneity  in  the  successive  layers  of  the  atmosphere,  caused 
by  the  unequal  admixture  of  vapors,  gives  to  the  sun  an  apparent  form  of 
so  irregular  a  character  that  he  is  scarcely  recognizable. 

Again,  the  sun,  viewed  through  the  atmospheric  vapors,  in  a  certain 
state,  appears  surrounded  by  appendages  which  do  not  belong  to  him. 
When  the  sky  is  hazy,  and  presents  a  dull,  milky  appearance,  there  is 
frequently  to  be  seen  around  the  sun  a  colored  circle,  or  halo,  and  the  sun 
occupying  the  centre  of  the  circle,  as  h  h.  The  inner  edge  of  the  circle 
is  colored  red,  and  is  well  defined.  The  sky  within  the  halo  is  much 
darker  than  it  is  for  some  distance  without.  Sometimes  there  may  be 
seen  around  the  sun  a  second  halo  or  colored  circle,  as  H  H.  The  inner 
edge  of  this  also  is  red,  and  tolerably  well  defined,  while  the  outer  edge  is 
of  a  pale  blue  color,  and  but  faintly  marked.  At  rare  intervals,  a  third 
halo,  radius,  as  H'  H',  has  been  observed,  surrounding  the  sun.  Unlike 
the  other  two  halos,  this  one  shows  scarcely  a  trace  of  color. 

All  these  phenomena  are  produced  by  the  refraction  of  the  sunlight  in 
passing  through  the  minute  crystals  of  frozen  vapors  floating  in  the  at- 
mosphere ;  these  crystals  being  of  various  kinds  and  'having  their  facets 
set  at  different  inclinations  to  one  another,  refract  the  various  colors  of 
the  sunrays  at  different  angles,  and  thus  produce  halos  of  different  diame- 
ters. 

When  a  halo  is  formed  around  the  sun,  there  is  often  to  be  seen  a 


IMAGES  IN  THE  HEAVENS. 


843 


white  circle  passing  through  the  sun,  and  parallel  to  the  horizon,  as  rep- 
resented by  A  P.  P.  This  is  called  parhelic  circle,  and  is  produced  like 
the  foregoing  by  the  reflection  of  the  sun's  light  from  ice  prisms  or  snow 
crystals,  whose  surfaces  have  a  vertical  position.  At  or  near  those  points 
where  halos  cut  the  parhelic  circle,  there  is  a  double  cause  of  light ;  and 
here  the  illumination  is  sometimes  so  great  as  to  present  the  appearance 
of  a  mock-sun,  and  is  called  parhelion.  The  number  of  these  mock- 
suns,  or  parhelia,  visible  at  the  same  time,  is  variable ;  sometimes  one  or 


HALOS   AND    PARHELIA. 

two  only  are  to  be  seen,  at  other  times  four  or  five ;  on  some  occasions 
as  many  as  seven  have  been  observed  at  once.  The  mock-suns  generally 
seem  about  the  size  of  the  true  sun,  but  not  quite  so  bright,  though  occa- 
siona^ly  they  are  said  to  rival  their  parent  luminary  in  splendor.  These 
h-jautiful  phenomena  appear  most  commonly  in  high  latitudes,  but  often 
occur  in  the  more  temperate  regions. 

Parhelia  have  been  observed  frequently  both  in  ancient  and  modern 
times.     Aristotle  records  two  appearances  of  these  meteors,  and  Pliny 


844 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


mentions  their  occurrence  at  Rome.  A  double  parhelion,  which  was 
noticed  before  the  Christian  era,  is  referred  to  by  St.  Augustine.  Many 
others  have  been  observed  from  different  points  on  the  continent.  On 
the  2d  of  January,  1586,  Christopher  Rotham  saw,  at  Cassel,  before  sun- 
rise, an  upright  column  of  light  of  the  breadth  of  the  sun's  disk.  As  he 
rose  to  view,  he  was  preceded  and  followed  by  a  parhelion,  which  ap- 
peared in  contact  with  his  orb,  and  continued  visible  for  thirty  minutes, 
and  then  were  hidden  by  a  cloud.  On  the  28th  of  February,  1551,  mock- 
suns  were  seen  at  Antwerp ;  and  on  the  i^th  of  March  of  the  same  year, 
a  similar  phenomenon,  with  two  halos,  was  witnessed  at  the  same  place. 


PARHELIA   OBSERVED    BY   GASSENDI. 

Four  days  after  the  last  named,  two  parhelia,  with  three  halos,  were  seen 
at  Magdeberg. 

Scheiner  witnessed  a  singular  one  at  Rome,  on  the  2Oth  of  March, 
1629.  From  the  zenith  as  a  centre  there  was  seen  a  great  white  circle, 
having  the  true  sun  in  its  circumference ;  this  was  intersected  by  two 
concentric  circles  around  his  disk.  Where  the  outer  of  these  smaller 
rings  cut  the  zenithal  circle,  two  parhelia  appeared,  and  in  the  great  circle,1 
nearly  opposite  to  these,  but  separated  by  a  wider  arc,  two  others  were 
visible. 

Gassendi  describes  a  very  remarkable  instance  of  this  phenomenon, 


IMAGES  IN  THE  HEAVENS. 


845 


which  was  seen  in  1630.  Around  the  sun  were  two  concentric  halos  ; 
the  larger  cut  the  horizon,  and  consequently  was  incomplete ;  these  were 
colored  like  the  rainbow,  excepting  that  the  red  was  internal.  In  the 
direction  of  the  zenith,  there  was  a  tangental  arc  external  to  these  halos; 
and  with  the  zenith  as  a  centre,  a  great  white  circle  ran  parallel  with  the 
horizon,  having  the  true  sun  in  its  circumference.  At  the  five  intersections 
of  these  circles  and  arcs  parhelia  appeared,  and  a  sixth  was  seen  in  the 
internal  halo  between  the  true  sun  and  the  zenith. 


PARHELIA   OBSERVED    BY   HEVELIUS. 

One  of  the  finest  meteors  of  this  kind  on  record  was  seen  by  Hevelius, 
at  Sedan,  on  the  2Oth  of  February,  1661.  "A  little  before  1 1  o'clock,"  he 
says  "  the  sun  being  towards  the  south  and  the  sky  very  clear,  there 
appeared  seven  suns  together,  in  several  circles,  some  white  and  others 
colored,  and  these  with  very  long  tails  waving  and  pointing  from  the  true 
sun,  together  with  certain  white  arches  crossing  one  another  The  true 
sun  was  about  25°  high,  and  surrounded  almost  entirely  by  a  circle  whose 
diameter  was  45°,  and  colored  like  a  rainbow  with  purple,  red  and  yellow, 
its  under  limb  being  scarcely  2}^°  above  the  horizon.  On  each  side  of 


346 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


the  sun,  towards  the  west  and  east,  there  appeared  two  mock-suns,  colored, 
especially  towards  the  sun,  with  very  long-  and  splendid  tails  of  a  whitish 
color,  terminating  in  a  point.  A  far  greater  circle  encompassed  the  sun 
and  the  former  lesser  circle,  and  extended  itself  down  to  the  horizon.  It 
was  very  strongly  colored  in  its  upper  part,  but  was  somewhat  duller  and 
fainter  on  each  side.  At  the  tops  of  these  two  circles  were  two  inverted 
arcs,  whose  common  centre  lay  in  the  zenith,  and  these  were  very  bright 
and  beautifully  colored. 

In  the  middle  of  the  lower  arc,  where  it  coincided  with  the  circle,  there 
appeared  another  mock-sun,  but  its  light  and  colors  were  dull  and  faintish. 
There  appeared  a  circle  much  bigger  than  the  former,  of  a  uniform  and 
whitish  color,  parallel  to  the  horizon,  which  arose  as  it  were  from  the  col- 


PARHELIA   OBSERVED    IN   TENNESSEE. 

lateral  mock-suns,  and  passed  through  three  other  parhelia,  of  a  uniform 
whitish  color  like  silver.  There  passed  also  two  other  white  arches  of  the 
greatest  circle  of  the  sphere  through  the  eastern  and  western  parhelia,  and 
also  through  the  pole  of  the  ecliptic.  They  went  down  to  the  horizon, 
crossing  the  great  white  circle  and  obliquely,  so  as  to  make  a  white  cross 
at  each  parhelion  ;  so  that  seven  suns  appeared  very  plainly  at  the  same 
time.  This  phenomenon,  with  certain  changes  in  the  brightness  of  its 
several  parts,  continued  visible  for  an  hour  and  twenty  minutes." 

Such  parhelia  have  been  observed  at  various  times  and  places  in  North 
America.  Barker  describes  a  curious  halo  with  accompanying  mock- 
suns,  which  he  saw  at  Fort  Gloucester,  near  Lake  Superior.  A  circle 
with  tangental  arc  surrounded  the  sun ;  about  midway  between  the  hori- 


IMAGES  IN  THE  HEAVENS. 


847 


zon  and  zenith,  a  circle  ran  parallel  to  the  horizon,  having  the  sun  in  its 
circumference ;  in  this  horizontal  circle  there  appeared  altogether  five 
mock-suns,  with  this  peculiarity,  that,  directly  opposite  the  true  sun  in 
this  great  circle,  a  St.  Andrews  cross  was  seen,  the  upper  limbs  of  which 
extended  higher  above,  than  the  lower  one  descended  below,  this  circle  ; 
in  the  intersection  of  this  cross  and  the  circle,  one  of  the  parhelia  was 
placed.  A  very  curious  system  of  circles,  with  several  mock-suns,  appeared 
on  the  i pth  of  August,  1825,  at  Jackson,  Tennessee. 

An  exceedingly  curious  optical  appearance  belonging  to  this  class  of 
phenomena,  was  observed  by  Mr.  Fallows,  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
when  the  sun's  disk  was  just  dipping  in  the  ocean.  On  either  side  of  the 


BRIGHT   HALO   IN  NORWAY. 

true  luminary,  and  within  the  breadth  of  a  degree  and  a  half  of  his  disk, 
four  mock-suns  appeared  on  the  left,  and  three  on  the  right.  They  had 
the  same  shape  as  the  true  sun,  touched  the  water  at  the  same  instant, 
and  all  of  them  disappeared  together,  shining  as  bright  spots  upon  the 
water's  edge.  This  magnificent  scene  occurred  on  a  delightful  evening, 
when  not  a  cloud  was  to  be  seen. 

Such  are  a  few  of  the  marvelous  appendages  which  the  vapors  of  tlv* 
atmosphere  sometimes  create  around  the  great  luminary  of  the  day. 

Now,  evanescent  as  is  the  nature  of  all  these  meteoric  phenomena  at 
which  we  have  glanced,  and  irregular  as  their  occurrence  may  be,  yet 
they  are  in  no  sense  to  be  regarded  as  the  result  of  chance.  On  the 


848  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

contrary,  we  see  in  them  the  play  of  exact  and  beautiful  laws.  All  are 
produced  according  to  the  principles  of  order  established,  in  the 
beginning,  by  the  One  Supreme  Lawgiver.  In  all,  brightness  and 
shade  prevail  in  their  ordained  degrees  ;  and  heat  and  cold  produce 
their  designed  effects  in  sea  and  land  and  sky.  The  sunrays  in  their 
passage  through  visible  mists,  or  viewless  vapors,  are  reflected,  refracted, 
and  absorbed,  according  to  uniform  rules. 

The  diameters,  distances  and  intersections  of  the  encircling  halos  are 
all  measured  off  after  the  undeviating  principles  of  geometry.  Every 
tint  and  shade  in  their  coloring,  and  every  facet  and  angle  in  the  frozen 
particles  that  produce  them,  display  the  operations  of  the  unerring  laws 
of  optics.  Invisible  vapors,  icy  crystals,  luminous  arches,  colored  halos, 
splendid  parhelia — all  proclaim  the  observance  of  law  and  order.  And 
though  the  whole  magnificent  diorama  may  fade  and  vanish  within  the 
brief  space  .of  five  minutes,  yet,  in  its  production,  nothing  has  been 
slighted,  nothing  imperfectly  formed,  nothing  left  to  be  determined  by 

chance. 

Marvelous  Waves  of  Light. 

If  a  pebble  be  dropped  into  the  bosom  of  a  still  and  smooth  sheet  of 
water,  a  circular  depression  is  formed,  at  the  point  where  it  sank,  which 
spreads  wider  and  wider,  with  uniform  velocity.  In  the  meanwhile  an 
elevation  has  been  formed  at  the  point  where  the  pebble,  in  entering  the 
water,  had  originally  caused  a  depression ;  then  as  this  sinks  back  to  its 
original  level  it  produces  a  wall-like  circular  elevation  around  it,  which 
follows  up  the  preceding  circular  depression  with  equal  velocity.  Whilst 
the  water  continues  its  up-and-down  movement  at  the  point  struck,  fresh 
wave-rings  appear  to  proceed  from  this  central  point,  which,  owing  to 
their  constantly  spreading  more  and  more  widely,  give  the  illusory  appear- 
ance of  the  fluid  streaming  out  on  all  sides  from  the  middle  point. 

Now,  let  us  suppose  that,  instead  of  one  pebble,  two  are  dropped  into 
the  water  at  the  same  instant,  but  at  a  short  distance  one  from  the  other. 
We  shall  have  then  two  systems  of  circular  waves  moving  and  spreading 
out  as  before.  As  these  two  systems  intersect  each  other,  they  divide  the 
surface  of  the  water  into  a  regular  net-work  of  small  elevations  and  depres- 
sions, as  represented  in  the  annexed  figure.  Yet  the  one  does  not  destroy 
or  efface  the  other ;  at  the  points  where  two  wave-crests  meet,  the  surface 
of  the  water,  if  the  two  waves  are  equal,  rises  to  twice  the  height,  and 
where  two  depressions  meet,  it  sinks  to  double  the  depth.  Thus  each 
wave  maintains  and  extends  unbroken  its  circular  and  moving  form,  as  if 
it  had  the  entire  surface  to  itself.  And  if,  instead  of  two,  we  had  three, 


IMAGES  IN  THE  -HEAVENS. 


849 


or  in  fact,  any  number  of  pebbles  dropped,  the  same  result  would  be  pro- 
duced by  each  of  them.  In  other  words,  it  may  be  said,  that  every  wave 
system  superimposes  itself  upon,  or  adds  itself  to,  a  surface  already  moved 
by  waves,  as  it  would  do  were  it  acting  alone  on  that  surface  at  rest. 
Every  wave  system  forms  itself  unhindered  by  those  already  present, 
and  spreads  after  it  has  crossed  these,  upon  the  still  quiescent  surface  of 
the  water  as  if  it  had  suffered  no  interruption  in  its  outward  progress. 

Once  more :  suppose  that  when  we  have  flung  a  ha'ndful  of  pebbles 
upon  the  water,  each  creating  its  little  system  of  spreading  waves,  a 
succession  of  large  billows  or  swells  be  produced  by  the  wind  or  a  pass- 
ing steamboat,  we  shall  see  that  even  these  do  not  destroy  the  little 
waves  of  the  pebbles,  but  take  them  on  their  backs,  and  having  passed, 
leave  them  behind 
with  their  original 
forms  and  motions 
unaltered.  Of  all 
this  we  may  witness 
a  beautiful  illustra- 
tion when  large 
drops  of  rain  begin 
to  fall  upon  the 
agitated  surface  of  a 
lake  or  river. 

Now,  similar  re- 
sults, though  invisi- 
ble, are  produced  in 
the  atmosphere  by  a 
blow  on  a  drum  or  INTERSECTION  OF  TWO  WAVE  SYSTEMS. 

a  bell,  or  by  any  number  of  such  blows  given  in  succession.  These 
aerial  vibrations,  like  the  waves  upon  the  water,  do  not  destroy  or 
extinguish  one  another.  If  a  whole  orchestra,  composed  of  numerous 
and  diverse  instruments,  play  a  piece  of  music  together,  each  pipe 
and  each  string  will  create  its  own  system  of  vibrations,  which  will 
pass  outward  through  the  atmosphere  without  disorder,  each  being  en- 
dowed with  an  individuality  as  indestructible  as  if  it  alone  had  disturbed 
the  quietude  of  the  still  air. 

If  now  we  advance  to  the  far  more  attenuated  and  elastic  medium  of 
light,  the  ether,  we  shall  find  the  same  law  still  hold  good.  Here,  as  jro 
the  water  and  in  the  air,  one  system  of  vibrations,  whether  set  in  motion 
immediately  by  the  sun,  or  by  reflection  of  the  sun's  rays  from  some 

54 


850  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

terrestial  object,  does  not  interrupt  or  confuse  another  system.  Each, 
though  it  may  have  crossed  a  hundred  or  a  thousand  others,  maintains  its 
existence  and  its  identity  unchanged,  and  bears  on  its  bosom  a  correct 
and  clear  representation  of  the  centre  or  object  from  which  it  has  pro- 
ceeded. These  radiant  vehicles  of  light  are  infallible  in  their  progress 
and  office  ;  from  ten  thousand  points,  and  in  ten  thousand  directions,  they 
unceasingly  carry  and  imprint  the  messages  of  the  world  and  of  the  uni- 
verse. If  we  enter  the  garden,  and  bend  over  a  bed  of  diverse  flowers, 
we  shall  find  that  each  green  leaf  and  each  variegated  petal  sends  forth 
its  little  system  of  ethereal  vibrations,  announcing  infallibly  its  particular 
form  and  color.  If  we  stand  confronted  by  a  regiment  of  soldiers,  the 
countenance  of  each  individual,  in  like  manner,  sends  forth  its  system  of 
vibrations,  and  all  meet  in  the  eye,  and  imprint  their  pictures  of  those 
countenances  on  the  retina  within  a  circle  that  does  not  exceed  in  circum- 
ference that  of  a  dime — not  one  is  omitted  ;  not  one  is  blurred. 
A  Stupendous  Marvel  of  Creation. 

If  we  look  out  on  the  broad  landscape,  each  of  its  great  features  and 
countless  objects  does  the  same.  And  if  we  lift  our  eyes  to  the  heavens 
on  a  clear  night,  vibratory  waves  still  issue  from  those  uncounted  stars  as 
their  centres,  and  like  the  circles  created  by  the  drops  of  a  shower  on  the 
surface  of  a  lake,  cross,  coincide,  oppose,  and  pass  through  each  other 
without  confusion  or  extinction.  The  waves  of  the  zenith  do  not  jostle 
out  of  existence  those  from  the  horizon,  nor  those  from  the  horizon  such 
as  descend  from  the  zenith,  but  each  star,  wherever  situated,  is  clearly 
seen  across  all  the  entanglement  of  wave-motions  produced  by  all  other 
stars.  The  eye  receives  as  perfect  and  distinct  an  impression  of  each,  as 
if  no  other  shone  in  the  whole  celestial  concave. 

What  a  marvel  of  creation,  then,  have  we  in  this  ethereal  element — its 
illimitable  extent,  its  inconceivable  tenuity,  its  undecaying  elasticity,  its 
•countless  and  instantaneous  vibrations — without  which  the  earth,  and  the 
stars,  and  even  the  sun  itself  would  have  been  wrapped  in  eternal  dark- 
ness !  And  what  an  organ  have  we  in  the  eye,  with  its  congeries  of  re- 
lated parts,  to  adapt  it  to  receive  and  interpret  these  ether  vibrations  with- 
out effort  or  delay,  and  thus  derive  from  it  a  thousand  advantages  and 
pleasures  every  hour!  And  to  what  shall  we  ascribe  all  this?  To 
chance?  Sooner  let  us  say  that  the  pictures  of  Raphael  have  been  pro- 
duced by  the  dashing  of  the  waves ;  or  that  the  unerring  chronometer, 
which  guides  the  mariner  over  the  trackless  main,  has  resulted  from  the 
fortuitous  dancing  of  a  cloud  of  dust. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
STRANGE  WANDERERS  THROUGH  SPACE. 

Sudden  Appearances — Unusual  Phenomena— Great  History  of  the  Heavens — Bod- 
ies Governed  by  Solar  Attraction— Elongated  Orbits— Marvelous  Comet  of 
1680— Period  Estimated  at  Three  Thousand  Years— Thousands  of  Miles  in  a 
Minute— Sir  Isaac  Newton's  Prediction — Halley's  Comet— A  Frightened  Em- 
peror— Shocking  Calamities  Supposed  to  be  Foreshadowed — Visitation  During 
a  Bloody  War — Hideous  Faces  and  Bristling  Hair — Byron's  Graphic  Descrip- 
tion—Substance of  Comets — Thin  Vapor — A  Comet  Enveloping  Jupiter — The 
Poet  Conder's  Apostrophe. 

HOSE  tailed  bodies,  which  suddenly  come  to  light  up  the 
heavens,  were  long  regarded  with  terror,  like  so  many  warn- 
ing signs  of  divine  wrath.  Men  have  always  thought  them- 
selves much  more  important  than  they  really  are  in  the  univer- 
sal order;  they  have  had  the  vanity  to  pretend  that  the  whole  creation 
was  made  for  them,  whilst  in  reality  the  whole  creation  does  not  suspect 
their  existence.  The  earth  we  inhabit  is  only  one  of  the  smallest  worlds  ; 
and  therefore  it  can  scarcely  be  for  it  alone  that  all  the  wonders  of  the 
heavens,  of  which  the  immense  majority  remains  hidden  from  it,  were 
created. 

In  this  disposition  of  man  to  see  in  himself  the  centre  and  the  end  of 
everything,  it  was  easy  indeed  to  consider  the  steps  of  nature  as  unfolded 
in  his  favor ;  and  if  some  unusual  phenomenon  presented  itself,  it  was 
considered  to  be  without  doubt  a  warning  from  heaven.  If  these  illusions 
had  had  no  other  result  than  the  amelioration  of  the  more  timorous  of 
the  community  one  would  regret  those  ages  of  ignorance ;  but  not  only 
were  these  fancied  warnings  of  no  use,  seeing  that  once  the  danger 
passed,  man  returned  to  his  former  state ;  but  they  also  kept  up  among 
people  imaginary  terrors,  and  revived  the  fatal  resolutions  caused  by  the 
fear  of  the  end  of  the  world. 

The  history  ol  a  comet  would  be  an  instructive  episode  of  the  great 
history  of  the  heavens.  In  it  could  be  brought  together  the  description 
of  the  progressive  movement  of  human  thought,  as  well  as  the  astronomi- 
cal theory  of  these  extraordinary  bodies.  Let  us  take,  for  example,  one 
of  the  most  memorable  and  best-known  comets,  and  give  an  outline  of  its 
successive  passages  near  the  earth.  Like  the  planetary  worlds,  comets 

(851) 


852  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

belong  to  the  solar  system,  and  are  subject  to  the  rule  of  the  Star  King. 
It  is  the  universal  law  of  gravitation  which  guides  their  path  ;  solar  attrac- 
tion governs  them,  as  it  governs  the  movement  of  the  planets  and  the 
small  satellites. 

The  chief  point  of  difference  between  them  and  the  planets  is,  that  their 
orbits  are  very  elongated  ;  and,  instead  of  being  nearly  circular,  they  take 
the  elliptical  form.  In  consequence  of  the  nature  of  these  orbits,  the 
same  comet  may  approach  very  near  the  sun,  and  afterwards  travel  from 
it  to  immense  distances.  Thus,  the  period  of  the  comet  of  1680  has  been 
estimated  at  3000  years.  It  approaches  the  sun,  so  as  to  be  nearer  to  it 
than  our  moon  is  to  us,  whilst  it  recedes  to  a  distance  853  times  greater 
than  the  distance  of  the  earth  from  the  sun.  On  the  i/th  of  December, 
1680,  it  was  at  its  perihelion — that  is,  at  its  greatest  proximity  to  the  sun; 
it  is  now  continuing  its  path  beyond  the  Neptunian  orbit.  Its  velocity 
varies  according  to  its  distance  from  the  solar  body.  At  its  perihelion  it 
travels  thousands  of  leagues  per  minute ;  at  its  aphelion  it  does  not  pass 
over  more  than  a  few  yards.  Its  proximity  to  the  sun  in  its  passage  near 
that  body  caused  Newton  to  think  that  it  received  a  heat  28,000  times 
greater  than  that  we  experience  at  the  summer  solstice ;  and  that  this  heat 
being  2000  times  greater  than  that  of  red-hot  iron,  an  iron  globe  of  the 
same  dimensions  would  be  50,000  years  entirely  losing  its  heat. 
Singular  Prediction  of  Newton. 

Newton  added  that  in  the  end  comets  will  approach  so  near  the  sun 
that  they  will  not  be  able  to  escape  the  preponderance  of  its  attraction, 
and  that  they  will  fall  one  after  the  other  into  this  brilliant  body,  thus 
keeping  up  the  heat  which  it  perpetually  pours  out  into  space.  Such  is 
the  deplorable  end  assigned  to  comets  by  the  author  of  the  "  Principia," 
an  end  which  makes  De  la  Bretonne  say  to  R6tif :  "  An  immense  comet, 
already  larger  than  Jupiter,  was  again  increased  in  its  path  by  being 
blended  with  six  other  dying  comets.  Thus  displaced  from  its  ordinary 
route  by  these  slight  shocks,  it  did  not  pursue  its  true  elliptical  orbit;  so 
that  the  unfortunate  thing  was  precipitated  into  the  devouring  centre  of 
the  sun."  "  It  is  said,"  added  he,  "  that  the  poor  comet,  thus  burned 
alive,  sent  forth  dreadful  cries !  " 

It  will  be  interesting  then,  in  a  double  point  of  view,  to  follow  a  comet 
in  its  different  passages  in  sight  of  the  earth.  Let  us  take  the  most  im- 
portant in  astronomical  history — the  one  whose  orbit  has  been  calculated 
by  Edmund  llalley,  and  which  was  named  after  him.  It  was  in  1682 
that  this  comet  appeared  in  its  greatest  brilliancy,  accompanied  with  a 
tail  which  did  not  measure  less  than  thirty-two  millions  of  miles.  By  the 


STRANGE  WANDERERS  THROUGH  SPACE.  853 

observation  of  the  path  which  it  described  in  the  heavens,  and  the  time  it 
occupied  in  describing  it,  this  astronomer  calculated  its  orbit,  and  recog- 
nized that  the  comet  was  the  same  as  that  which  was  admired  in  1531 
and  i6o/,and  which  ought  to  have  reappeared  in  1759.  Never  did  scien- 
tific prediction  excite  a  more  lively  interest.  The  comet  returned  at  the 
appointed  time;  and  on  the  I2thof  March,  1759,  reached  its  perihelion. 
Since  the  year  12  before  the  Christian  era,  it  had  presented  itself  twenty- 
four  times  to  the  earth.  It  was  principally  from  the  astronomical  annals 
of  China  that  it  was  possible  to  follow  it  up  to  this  period. 

An  Emperor  Terribly  Frightened. 

Its  first  memorable  appearance  in  the  history  of  France  is  that  of  837, 
in  the  reign  of  Louis  le  Debonnaire.  An  anonymous  writer  of  chronicles 
of  that  time,  named  "  the  Astronomer,"  gives  the  following  details  of 
this  appearance,  relative  to  the  influence  of  the  comet  on  the  imperial 


imagination : 


During  the  holy  days  of  the  solemnization  of  Easter,  a  phenomenon  ever 
fatal  and  of  gloomy  foreboding,  appeared  in  the  heavens.  As  soon  as  the 
Emperor,  who  paid  attention  to  these  phenomena,  received  the  first  an- 
nouncement of  it,  he  gave  himself  no  rest  until  he  had  called  a  certain 
learned  man  and  myself  before  him.  As  soon  as  I  arrived,  he  anxiously 
asked  me  what  I  thought  of  such  a  sign ;  I  asked  time  of  him,  in  order  to 
consider  the  aspect  of  the  stars,  and  to  discover  the  truth  by  their  means, 
promising  to  acquaint  him  on  the  morrow ;  but  the  Emperor,  persuaded 
that  I  wished  to  gain  time,  which  was  true,  in  order  not  to  be  obliged  to  an- 
nounce anything  fatal  to  him,  said  to  me :  "  Go  on  the  terrace  of  the  palace 
and  return  at  once  to  tell  me  what  you  have  seen,  for  I  did  not  see  this 
star  last  evening,  and  you  did  not  point  it  out  to  me  ;  but  I  know  that  it  is 
a  comet;  tell  me  what  you  think  it  announces  to  me."  Then  scarcely  allow- 
ing me  time  to  say  a  word,  he  added :  "  There  is  still  another  thing  you 
keep  back  :  it  is  that  a  change  of  reign  and  the  death  of  a  prince  are  an- 
nounced by  this  sign."  And  as  I  advanced  the  testimony  of  the  prophet, 
who  said :  "  Fear  not  the  signs  of  the  heavens  as  the  nations  fear  them," 
the  prince  with  his  grand  nature  and  the  wisdom  which  never  forsook 
him,  said,"  We  must  only  fear  Him  who  has  created  both  us  and  this  star. 
But  as  this  phenomenon  may  refer  to  us,  let  us  acknowledge  it  as  a  warn- 
ing from  Heaven." 

The  Comet  Supposed  to  Bring-  Awful  Calamities. 

Louis  le  Debonnaire  gave  himself  and  court  to  fasting  and  prayer,  and 
built  churches  and  monasteries.  He  died  three  years  later,  in  840,  and 
historians  have  profited  by  this  slight  coincidence  to  prove  that  the  appear- 


854  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

ance  of  the  comet  was  a  harbinger  of  death.  The  historian,  Raoul  Glaber, 
added  later :  "  These  phenomena  of  the  universe  are  never  presented  to 
man  without  surely  announcing  some  wonderful  and  terrible  event." 

Halley's  comet  again  appeared  in  April  1066,  at  the  moment  when 
William  the  conqueror  invaded  England.  It  was  pretended  that  it  had  the 
greatest  influence  on  the  fate  of  the  battle  of  Hastings,  which  delivered  over 
England  to  the  Normans. 

A  contemporary  poet,  alluding  probably  to  the  English  diadem  with 
which  William  was  crowned,  had  proclaimed  in  one  place,  "  that  the  comet 
had  been  more  favorable  to  William  than  nature  had  been  to  Caesar;  the 
latter  had  no  hair,  but  William  had  received  some  from  the  comet."  A 
monk  of  Malmesbury  apostrophized  the  comet  in  these  terms :  "  Here  thou 
art  again,  thou  cause  of  the  tears  of  many  mothers !  It  is  long  since  I 
have  seen  thee,  but  I  see  thee  now,  more  terrible  than  ever ;  thou  threat- 
enest  my  country  with  complete  ruin  !" 

In  1455,  the  same  comet  made  a  more  memorable  appearance  still. 
The  Turks  and  Christians  were  at  war,  the  West  and  the  East  seemed 
armed  from  head  to  foot — on  the  point  of  annihilating  each  other.  The 
crusade  undertaken  by  Pope  Calixtus  III.  against  the  invading  Saracens, 
was  waged  with  redoubled  ardor  on  the  sudden  appearance  of  the  star 
with  the  flaming  tail.  Mahomet  II.  took  Constantinople  by  storm  and 
raised  the  siege  of  Belgrade.  But  the  Pope  having  put  aside  both  the 
curse  of  the  comet  and  the  abominable  designs  of  the  Mussulmans,  the 
Christians  gained  the  battle,  and  vanquished  their  enemies  in  a  bloody 
fight.  The  Angelus  to  the  sound  of  bells  dates  from  these  ordinances  of 
Calixtus  III.  referring  to  the  comet. 

Blood  and  Hideous  Faces. 

Comets  like  those  of  1577  appear,  moreover,  to  justify  by  their  strange 
form  the  titles  with  which  they  are  generally  greeted.  The  most  serious 
writers  were  not  free  from  this  terror.  Thus,  in  a  chapter  on  celestial 
monsters,  the  celebrated  surgeon,  Ambrois  Pare,  described  the  comet  of 
1528  under  the  most  vivid  and  frightful  colors :  "This  comet  was  so 
horrible  and  dreadful  that  it  engendered  such  great  terror  to  the  people, 
that  they  died,  some  with  fear,  others  with  illness.  It  appeared  to  be  of 
immense  length,  and  of  blood  color;  at  its  head  was  seen  the  figure  of  a 
curved  arm,  holding  a  large  sword  in  the  hand  as  if  it  wished  to  strike. 
At  the  point  of  the  sword  there  were  three  stars,  and  on  either  side  were 
seen  a  great  number  of  hatchets,  knives,  and  swords  covered  with  blood, 
amongst  which  were  numerous  hideous  human  faces,  with  bristling 
beards  and  hair."  The  imagination  has  good  eyes  when  it  exerts  itself. 


STRANGE  WANDERERS  THROUGH  SPACE.  855 

In  the  last  century,  people  still  believed  in  the  terrible  power  of  these 
unhappy  stars.  In  the  present  day,  and  especially  since  the  famous 
comet  of  181 1,  country  people  have  imagined  rather  that  they  predicted 
excellent  vintages.  These  ideas  are  as  void  of  proof  as  the  former. 
Although  these  bodies  have  greatly  lost  their  prestige,  they  have  not 
J  been  entirely  despoiled  of  it.  Moreover,  who  could  efface  the  impression 
produced  by  some  of  their  aspects  ?  Often  they  have  been  considered 
as  signs  of  curses  hovering  over  men  and  empires.  Such  is  the  lamen- 
tation of  Byron  in  "  Manfred,"  to  whom  the  seventh  spirit  addresses  the 

following  words : 

The  star  which  rules  thy  destiny  . 
Was  ruled,  ere  earth  began,  by  me : 
It  was  a  world  as  fresh  and  fair 
As  e'er  revolved  round  sun  in  air : 
Its  course  was  free  and  regular, 
Space  bosom' d  not  a  lovelier  star. 
The  hour  arrived— and  it  became 
A  wandering  mass  of  shapeless  flame, 
A  pathless  comet,  and  a  curse, 
The  menace  of  the  universe  ; 
Still  rolling  on  with  innate  force, 
Without  a  sphere,  without  a  course, 
A  bright  deformity  on  high, 
The  monster  of  the  upper  sky ! 

Nevertheless,  nothing  proves  that  comets  are  gifted  with  any  influence 
whatever,  we  do  not  say  on  the  morals  of  men,  but  on  the  physics  of  the 
world.  Their  lightness,  the  extreme  diffusion  of  their  substance,  induces 
us  to  believe  rather  that  they  possess  no  kind  of  action  on  the  planets. 
At  their  approach  to  the  sun,  their  substance  distends  itself,  assumes  a 
wonderful  size,  and  develops  itself  over  an  expanse  of  many  million 
leagues.  They  are  of  such  lightness  and  suppleness  that  a  ray  of  heat 
may,  at  its  will,  cause  them  to  take  any  shape ;  you  have  an  instance  of 
this  lightness  in  the  comet  that  was  observed  in  1862;  the  form  and 
position  of  the  luminous  appendages  changed  from  day  to  day;  and 
observers  might  have  believed  that  even  a  portion  of  the  substance  of  the 
nucleus  flowed  into  space 

Comets  Only  Tliin  Vapor. 

Two  thousand  years  ago,  Seneca  wrote :  A  day  will  come  when  the 
course  of  these  bodies  will  be  known,  and  submitted  to  rules,  like  that  of 
the  planets.  The  prophecy  of  the  philosopher  is  realized.  It  is  now 
known  that  like  the  planets,  comets  gravitate  round  the  sun,  and  depend 
equally  on  its  central  attraction.  Only,  instead  of  moving  in  orbits, 
circular,  or  nearly  so,  they  describe  oval  curves — very  long  ellipses.  This 


856  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

is  the  great  distinction  established  between  them  and  planets.  Instead  of 
being  opaque,  heavy,  and  important  bodies  like  our  planets,  they  are  of 
great  lightness,  and  extreme  tenuity.  One  day,  a  comet  carried  away  by 
its  rapid  march,  traversed  the  system  of  Jupiter,  the  satellites  and  the 
planets  for  some  hours  surrounded  by  the  comet ;  and  when  the  body  had 
passed  over  them,  they  had  not  undergone  the  slightest  deviation  in  their 
path.  When  Maupertuis,  wishing  to  explain  the  origin  of  Saturn's  ring, 
thought  he  had  conceived  an  ingenious  idea  in  attributing  this  appendage 
to  the  tail  of  a  comet  which  was  wound  round  the  planet,  he  did  not 
dream  of  the  extreme  rarity  of  these  impotent  vapors. 

The  distinctive  character  of  comets  lies  especially  in  the  length  of  their 
course,  and  in  the  immense  duration  of  their  journeys  round  the  sun, 
through  the  celestial  regions.  The  following  lines  are  by  the  poet 

Conder : — 

Mysterious  visitant,  whose  beauteous  light 

Among  the  wondering  stars  so  strangely  gleams  ! 

Like  a  proud  banner  in  the  train  of  night, 

The  emblazon' d  flag  of  Deity  it  streams — 

Infinity  is  written  on  thy  beams ; 

And  thought  in  vain  would  through  the  pathless  sky 

Explore  thy  secret  course.     Thy  circle  seems 

Too  vast  for  Time  to  grasp.     Oh,  can  that  eye 

Which  numbers  hosts  like  thee,  this  atom  earth  descry  ? 


CHAPTER  VII. 
MONSTERS  AND  SUPERSTITIONS. 

Former  Belief  in  Astrology— Strange  Fancies— Olaus  Magnus  and  his  Absurdities- 
Droll  Description  of  the  Great  Sea-Serpent— The  Monster  Attacking  a  Ship- 
Statement  by  a  Bishop— Cooking  a  Meal  on  the  Back  of  a  Leviathan — Legendary 
History  of  Trees  and  Plants— Trees  Bearing  Water- Birds— Story  of  a  Marvelous 
Tree  in  Scotland— Belief  of  Scientific  Men  in  Ridiculous  Fables— Queer  Light- 
ning Rod— Charlatans  and  Greenhorns — Roots  of  the  Mandragora  Carved  into 
Fantastic  Shapes— Life  Preserver  of  Gods  and  Animals — Alarming  Eclipses. 

E  have  seen  in  the  preceding  chapter  that  the  human  mind  can 
turn  its  imaginations  into  supposed  facts,  and  accept  absurdities 
as  logical  conclusions.  We  might  have  enlarged  upon  the 
superstitious  notions  regarding  comets.  There  was  a  time 
when  celestial  omens  were  consulted  on  all  possible  occasions,  and  a  firm 
belief  in  astrology  was  common  even  among  those  who  were  best  edu- 
cated and  most  intelligent. 

As  evidence  of  this  disposition  to  believe  in  the  marvelous  and  even 
the  absurd,  we  give  here  an  account  of  some  of  the  strange  fancies  con- 
cerning monstrous  creatures  which  were  thought  to  exist  in  the  sea. 
Thus  in  a  renowned  work  published  in  1555,  Olaus  Magnus  makes  some 
amazing  statements  about  the  great  sea-serpent,  then  believed  to  roam 
the  great  deep. 

The  author  does  not  rest  satisfied  with  giving  a  description  of  this 
creature ;  he  delineates  it,  and  in  his  engravings  we  see  the  reptile 
issuing  from  the  waves,  and  landing  itself  upon  the  ships  in  order  to 
devour  the  crews.  Elsewhere  the  Bishop  of  Upsala  represents  cetacea 
which  crush  ships  in  their  formidable  jaws ! 

And  yet  though  it  seems  incredible,  our  epoch,  in  respect  to  the  history 
of  marine  monsters,  leaves  the  old  legends  of  the  middle  ages  far  behind. 
In  fact  it  is  impossible  to  dream  of  anything  more  fabulous  than  what 
Denis  de  Montfort  in  comparatively  recent  times  gave  out  as  a  feast  for 
the  credulous.  His  mind  must  really  have  been  diseased. 

The  lucubrations  of  this  naturalist  have  found  a  place  in  the  great 
edition  of  Buffon's  works.  He  there  states,  without  the  least  hesitation, 
that  in  the  northern  seas  there  are  cuttle-fish  of  such  a  size  that  a  whale 
is  a  pigmy  in  comparison  with  them.  According  to  him  these  mollusks 

(857) 


858 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


are  even  of  such  prodigious  dimensions,  that  when  they  rest  motionless 
and  half  out  of  the  water  their  bodies,  which  ages  have  covered  with  tufts 
of  marine  plants,  have  sometimes  been  taken  for  islands  floating  on  the 
surface  of  the  waves.  It  is  even  related  in  some  old  Scandinavian 
chronicles  that  sailors,  deceived  by  this  treacherous  sign,  have  been 
known  to  anchor  their  ships  on  the  flanks  of  these  sea  monsters,  and  land 
on  their  backs. 

In  those  times  of  credulity,  when  the  life  of  the  sailor  was  so  full  of 
anxiety  and  terror,  such  facts  were  held  to  be  quite  authentic.  Thus  we 
see  Olaus  Magnus  represent  in  one  of  his  works  a  company  of  fishermen 
warming  themselves  and  cooking  their  food  at  a  glowing  fire  lighted  on 
the  body  of  one  of  these  fantastic  creatures ;  but  the  author  has  sketched 


ANCIENT   SEA-SERPENT  I    FACSIMILE    FROM    OLAUS    MAGNUS. 

a  cetacean,  not  a  polypus.  Gesner,  a  zoologist  of  the  middle  ages,  seems 
to  believe  such  fables,  for  he  reproduces  the  figure  given  by  the  learned 
Swede. 

,  In  the  wide  field  of  absurdities,  Denis  de  Montfort  displays  credulity 
almost  surpassing  belief.  He  asserts,  with  a  strong  sense  of  conviction, 
that  amid  these  great  seas  there  are  gigantic  cuttle-fish,  which,  by  means 
of  their  immense  arms  thickly  covered  with  suckers,  encircle  ships  and 
wreck  them  by  plunging  them  into  the  abyss. 

The  naturalist  even  attributes  the  inexplicable  disappearance  of  some 
of  our  ships  to  these  formidable  tenants  of  the  ocean.  He  is  so  convinced 
of  the  truth  of  this  fact,  that  he  devotes  one  of  the  plates  of  BufTon's  work 
to  the  exhibition  of  it.  We  there  see  a  monstrous  cuttle-fish  with  flam- 
ing eyes,  the  horrible  arms  of  which  are  twined  round  the  masts  of  a  ship 


MONSTERS  AND  SUPERSTITIONS. 


859 


of  war,  which  they  are  tightly  straining,  while  the  animal  looks  as  if  it 
would  devour  it. 

Trees  themselves  and  plants,  notwithstanding  their  calm  and  peaceful 
life  passed  in  the  broad  light  of  day,  have  still  their  legendary  history  and 
their  superstitious  traditions.  Some  have  become  celebrated  on  account 
of  the  strange  animated  progeny  which  has  been  attributed  to  their  leafy 
tops;  others  for  their  medical  or  cabalistic  power.  Rousseau  com- 
plained that  plants  had  been  defiled  by  transforming  them  into  disgusting 
remedies.  We  should  be  more  correct  in  accusing  those  who  attribute 
ridiculous  virtues  to  them. 

Several  water-birds  were  long  considered  to  be  the  produce  of  certain 
trees  which  grow  in  the  marshes  or  borders  of  the  sea.  Our  credulous 


MONSTER   ATTACKING   A   SHIP  :    FROM    OLAUS    MAGNUS. 

forefathers  were  persuaded  that  there  was  one  of  these  growing  in  Scot- 
land or  the  Orkneys,  the  fruits  of  which,  as  large  as  eggs  and  having  the 
same  shape,  opened  at  maturity  and  allowed  each  little  duck  to  escape. 

The  vulgar  would  not  have  dared  to  doubt  such  a  fact,  for  it  was 
quoted  by  the  most  renowned  scholars.  Sebastian  Munster  attests  the 
truth  of  it  in  his  great  work  on  "  Cosmography." 

"  We  find,"  he  says,  "  trees  in  Scotland  which  produce  a  fruit  envel- 
oped in  leaves,  and  when  it  drops  into  the  water  at  a  suitable  time,  it 
takes  life  and  is  turned  into  a  live  bird,  which  they  call  a  tree-bird."  In 
order  to  produce  a  still  fuller  proof,  the  writer  himself  gives  a  drawing 
of  it !  We  see  the  young  ducks  opening  the  fruits  in  order  to  escape, 
whilst  the  newly-hatched  ones  swim  in  the  water  near  at  hand  ! 

But  the  case  becomes  still  more  serious  when  we  see  the  most  learned 


860 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


ornithologist  of  his  time,  Aldrovandus,  propagate  such  ridiculous  fables 
in  his  great  work.  He  there  maintains  that  sea-ducks  are  the  product  of 
certain  trees,  and  he  even  represents  these  with  the  fruits  which  they  bear. 
But  by  an  unpardonable  error  for  a  naturalist,  these  pretended  fruits  from 
which  the  birds  are  issuing  are  only  barnacles,  crustaceans  which  live  at 
the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  with  which  he  nevertheless  overloads  the 
miraculous  boughs!  After  this  one  may  well  ask,  which  is  the  most 
censurable — the  savant  who  transcribes  such  absurdities,  or  the  public 
who  believe  in  them  ? 

Some  plants  have  also  become  celebrated  in  the  annals  of  charlatanism. 
There  were  plants  that  warded  off  evil,  plants  that  caused  injury,  and 
magical  plants.  Antiquity  possessed  a  long  list  of  these,  and  we  have 
not  fallen  behind  it. 

On  one  side  we  find  a  venerated  plant,  the  St.  John's-wort,  which, 


MARINE  DRAGON:  FROM  MAGNUS. 

gathered  at  the  moment  pointed  out  by  the  legend  and  hung  over  the 
outer  door,  preserved  the  house  from  lightning.  On  the  other  was  a 
long  list  of  cabalistic  plants,  among  which  the  thorn-apple,  ought  to  be 
mentioned  in  the  first  rank.  This  was  the  frightful  poison  which  sorcerers 
made  use  of  to  intoxicate  their  senses. 

But  no  magical  herb  ever  enjoyed  more  celebrity  than  the  mandrake, 
an  indispensable  ingredient  in  all  the  philtres  employed  by  the  old  sor- 
cerers. Antiquity  had  already  conducted  us  to  this  dark  road,  by  main- 
taining that  the  roots  of  this  plant  were  of  human  form.  To  speak  the 
truth,  they  in  no  way  resemble  a  man,  but  the  credulity  of  the  learned 
and  the  astuteness  of  charlatanism  have  supplied  what  was  requisite  to 
give  a  certain  amount  of  credulity  to  the  opinions  of  the  ancients.  It 
was  after  they  had  rudely  shaped  themselves  into  human  likeness  that  the 
magicians  employed  them  in  their  incantations,  and  it  was  also  under 
this  form  that  the  vulgar  thought  they  were  found  at  the  foot  of  gibbets 


MONSTERS  AND  SUPERSTITIONS. 


861 


where,  after  having  fed  on  the  remains  of  those  who  had  suffered  punish- 
ment, they  had  taken  on  their  shape.  The  tenants  of  a  place  so  sinister 
and  so  dreaded  could  not  be  removed  without  great  danger.  The  learned 
themselves  did  not  attempt  to  destroy  so  many  absurdities,  for  in  their 
works  they  sometimes  represent  mandrakes  which  resembled  men  and 
women,  for  there  were  some  of  both  sexes.  They  possessed  the  same 
power  as  the  enchanted  philtres  of  Circe,  to  which  Pliny  and  Diosco- 
rides  had  given  this  name. 

A  charming  little  plant,  all  covered  with  hairs,  which  abounds  on  the 
slopes  of  Mount  Ida,  the  dictamnus  of  Crete,  was  formerly  considered 
the  most  marvelous  vul- 
nerary that  nature  ever 
presented  to  man.  The 
gods  themselves  had  re- 
vealed its  omnipotence  to 
him,  and  animals  instinct- 
ively made  use  of  it.  It 
was  with  this  dictamnus 
that  Venus  dressed  the 
wounds  of  yEneas.  Aris- 
totle tells  us  that  the  goats 
scattered  over  the  cele- 
brated mountain,  so  soon 
as  the  hunter  has  pierced 
them  with  an  arrow,  seek 
out  the  plant  and  eat  it  in 
order  to 'make  the  arrow  THE  BIRD-TREE:  FAOSIMILE  FROM  MUNSTER'S 
drop  out,  and  so  to  heal  "COSMOGRAPHY." 

the  wound.  Half  a  century  ago,  who  would  have  dared  to  deny  such  a 
wonderful  property,  when  at  that  time  a  noble  work  on  Greece  contained 
a  long  chapter  on  the  virtues  of  the  divine  vulnerary,  and  when,  in  ad- 
dition to  this,  the  reader  might  see  an  engraving  representing  a  goat 
pierced  with  arrows  and  browsing  upon  the  salutary  herb?  In  this 
way,  unfortunately,  did  the  authority  of  the  learned  retard  and  fetter  the 
progress  of  truth. 

However  simple  the  cause  of  eclipses  may  be,  now  that  it  is  known— 

«  md  known  causes  are  always  so  simple,  that  one  asks  why  they  were 

never  known  before — however  easy  this  explanation  appears,  for  a  long 

time  the  human  race  was  astonished  at  the  passing  absence  of  the  sun's 

light  during  the  day  ;  for  a  long  time  it  felt  full  of  fear  and  disquietude 


862 


EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 


before  this  unexplained  wonder.  The  light  of  day  was  rapidly  dimin- 
ished, and  suddenly  disappeared  without  the  sky  being  darkened  by  any 
cloud.  Darkness  instead  of  light,  stars  shining  in  the  sky,  nature  seem- 
ing surprised  and  astonished ;  the  combination  of  these  unusual  events  is 
more  than  sufficient  to  explain  the  momentary  terror  with  which  individ- 
uals, and  indeed,  whole  nations,  allowed  themselves  to  be  carried  away  in 
these  solemn  moments. 

By  reason  of  the  moon's  rapid  motion,  a  total  eclipse  never  lasts  longer 
than  five  minutes ;  but  this  short  period  is  sufficient  to  allow  a  thousand 
sentiments  to  succeed  each  other  in  the  terrified  mind.  The  disappear- 
ance of  the  light  of  the  moon,  sometimes  caused  great  trouble  to  ignor- 
ant minds ;  with  how  much  more 
reason  would  the  disappearance  of 
the  orb  of  day  cause  disquietude 
and  fear ! 

History  is  full  of  the  examples 
of  fear  caused  by  eclipses,  and  dan- 
gers caused  through  ignorance  and 
superstition.  Nicias  had  resolved 
to  leave  Sicily  with  his  army ;  but, 
frightened  by  an  eclipse  of  the 
moon,  and  wishing  to  delay  several 
days,  to  assure  himself  if  our  satel- 
lite had  lost  nothing  after  this 
event,  he  missed  the  opportunity 
of  retreat:  his  army  was  destroyed, 
he  himself  perished,  and  this  mis- 
fortune commenced  the  ruin  of 

TREE   PRODUCING   SEA-DUCKS.  Athens. 

Often  it  has  been  seen  that  clever  men  have  taken  advantage  of  peo- 
ple's terror  during  eclipses,  either  of  the  sun  or  the  moon,  to  gain  their 
wishes.  Christopher  Columbus,  reduced  to  sustaining  his  sdldiers  on  the 
voluntary  gifts  of  a  savage  and  poor  nation,  and  nearly  losing  this  re- 
source and  perishing  with  hunger,  gave  out  that  he  was  about  to  de- 
prive the  world  of  the  moon's  light.  The  eclipse  began,  terror  seized  the 
Indians,  and  they  returned,  bringing  to  the  feet  of  Columbus  the  accus- 
tomed tribute. 

Drusus  appeased  a  sedition  in  his  army  by  predicting  an  eclipse  of  the 
moon ;  and,  according  to  Livy,  Tulpitius  Callus,  in  the  war  of  Paulus 
Emilius  against  Perseus,  used  the  same  stratagem.  Pericles,  Agathocles, 


MONSTERS  AND  SUPERSTITIONS. 


863 


king  of  Syracuse,  and  Dionysius,  king  of  Sicily,  nearly  fell  victims  to  the 
ignorance  of  their  soldiers.  Alexander,  near  Arbella,  was  obliged  to  use 
all  his  skill  to  calm  the  terror  that  an  eclipse  had  cast  over  his  troops. 
Thus  it  is  that  superior  men,  rather  than  sink  under  the  circumstances 
which  oppress  them,  exert  their  art  to  turn  them  to  their  profit. 

How  many  fables  were  built  on  the  idea  that  eclipses  were  the  effect  of 
Divine  wrath,  which  avenged  the  iniquities  of  man  by  depriving  him  of 
light !  Sometimes  Diana  sought  Endymion  in  the  mountains  of  Caria  ; 
sometimes  the  magicians  of  Thessaly  caused  the  moon  to  fall  on  the 
herbs  destined  for  enchantment. 

Now  it  is  a  dragon  which  devours  the  sun,  and  whole  nations  seek  to 
frighten  it  away  by  cries ;  or  it  is  supposed  that  God  holds  the  sun  en- 
closed in  a  tube,  and  hides  or  shows  us  the  light  by  means  of  a  shutter. 
The  progress  of 
science  has  proved 
the  absurdity  of 
these  opinions  and 
fears,  since  it  is 
known  to  be  possi- 
ble to  calculate  by 
astronomical  ta- 
bles, and  to  predict 
a  long  time  before- 
hand, the  instant  CARVED  MANDRAGORA  ROOTS. 
when  the  wrath  of  heaven  will  burst  forth.  Science  is  the  sure  death  of 
superstition. 

Biot  gives  us  very  curious  details  on  the  rites  which  presided  and 
which  still  preside  over  the  observation  of  the  eclipses  in  the  Celestial 
Empire.  The  Emperor  is  considered  to  be  the  son  of  heaven  ;  and  with 
this  title  his  government  ought  to  present  the  picture  of  the  immutable 
order  which  governs  the  celestial  movements.  When  the  two  great  lum- 
inaries— the  sun  and  the  moon — instead  of  following  their  own  routes 
separately,  cross  each  other's  paths,  the  regularity  of  the  order  of  the 
heavens  appears  to  be  upset;  and  the  disturbance  which  is  there  mani- 
fested must  have  its  likeness,  as  well  as  the  cause,  in  the  disorders  of  the 
government  of  the  Emperor.  An  eclipse  of  the  sun  was  then  considered 
as  a  warning  given  by  Heaven  to  the  Emperor  to  examine  his  faults  and 
correct  them.  When  this  phenomenon  was  announced  beforehand  by  the 
appointed  astronomer,  the  emperors  and  grandees  of  this  court  prepared 
themselves  by  fasting,  and  dressing  in  the  plainest  garments. 


864  EARTH,  SEA,  AND  SKY. 

On  this  appointed  day  the  mandarins  attended  at  the  palace  with  bows 
and  arrows.  When  the  eclipse  commenced,  the  Emperor  himself  beat 
on  the  drum  of  thunder  to  give  the  alarm;  and  at  the  same  time  the 
mandarins  let  fly  their  arrows  towards  the  sky  to  aid  the  eclipsed  body. 
Gaubil  quotes  these  particulars  from  the  ancient  Book  of  Rites,  and  the 
principals  are  announced  in  the  Tcheou-li.  After  this,  the  discontent 
that  would  be  caused  by  an  eclipse  not  taking  place  at  the  time  predicted 
may  be  imagined  ;  and  likewise  if  one  suddenly  appeared  without  being 
predicted.  In  the  first  case,  the  whole  ceremonial  was  found  to  have 
been  uselessly  prepared  ;  and  the  desperate  efforts  which,  in  consequence 
of  the  want  of  preparation,  were  made  in  the  second  case,  inevitably  pro- 
duced a  disorderly  scene  compromising  to  the  imperial  majesty.  Such 
errors,  although  so  easily  made,  placed  the  poor  astronomers  in  danger 
of  losing  their  goods,  their  office,  their  honor,  and  sometimes  their  life. 

Such  a  disgrace  happened  in  the  year  721  of  our  era:  the  Emperor 
Hiouen-Tsong  sent  for  a  bonze  Chinese,  called  Y-Hang,  renowned  for 
his  knowledge  of  astronomy.  After  having  shown  himself  very  learned, 
he  had  the  misfortune  to  predict  two  eclipses  of  the  sun,  which  were 
ordered  to  be  observed  throughout  the  whole  Empire.  But  no  one  saw 
anywhere  on  the  appointed  days  any  trace  of  an  eclipse,  although  the 
sky  was  almost  everywhere  serene.  To  clear  himself  he  published  a 
work,  in  which  he  pretended  that  his  calculation  was  exact,  but  that 
heaven  had  changed  its  rules  of  movement — doubtless  in  consideration 
of  the  high  virtues  of  the  Emperor.  Thanks  to  his  reputation,  otherwise 
deserved — perhaps,  also,  to  his  flattery — he  was  pardoned. 

The  same  ideas  on  the  importance  and  signification  of  the  moon  and 
sun  which  existed  with  the  Chinese  more  than  four  thousand  years  ago, 
remain  at  the  present  day,  and  are  still  powerful,  causing  the  same 
demands ;  but  they  have  become  less  perilous  for  astronomers,  as  these 
phenomena  are  now  predicted  several  years  in  advance,  with  a  mathema- 
tical certainty,  in  the  great  ephemerides  of  Europe  and  America,  which 
can  easily  be  procured. 


UNIVEESITY  OF  CALIFOENIA  LIBEAKY, 
BEEKELEY 


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